Small pet/rodent thread! Mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, etc!

[black_cat]

Spay = female
Neuter = male
I doubt they do it for mice. My best advice is to keep them separated until you know for sure, maybe a month?
I don’t know how common it is, not very I’m sure. If it were common I doubt many people would choose to breed theirs. My pet shop guys (two different stores), who have had mice for a LONG time, have never heard of this happening.
That should be some consolation

Thanks for the reminder! I'll forget it again in two days, but for now I know which is which. Mice are probably too tiny to do it! Keeping them separated is a great idea. I'm not quite smart enough to think of these things That's good that at least not common with the mice.

 

[Fishychix]

Thanks for the reminder! I'll forget it again in two days, but for now I know which is which. Mice are probably too tiny to do it! Keeping them separated is a great idea. I'm not quite smart enough to think of these things That's good that at least not common with the mice.

Yeah, there isn’t really an easy way to remember it.
I’m sure you’re much smarter than you give yourself credit for. Lol!
It’s always great to bounce ideas off others. There are a couple of things I’ve asked on this site, and in general, where the answer had me feeling like a COMPLETE dunce. So much so, I could swear people were laughing at me. At least that’s how I felt at the time. Thankfully I have learned to let it pass.

 

[black_cat]

Yeah, there isn’t really an easy way to remember it.
I’m sure you’re much smarter than you give yourself credit for. Lol!
It’s always great to bounce ideas off others. There are a couple of things I’ve asked on this site, and in general, where the answer had me feeling like a COMPLETE dunce. So much so, I could swear people were laughing at me. At least that’s how I felt at the time. Thankfully I have learned to let it pass.

On another thread I was having a crisis about not being able to find a certain kind of graph paper to draw coop stuff out on, and someone suggested I print it out. This was a lifechanging idea for me

 

[EverythingDucks]

One of my fav rat and mouse youtubers is Emiolodgy. She has some great vidoes on how to set up a mouse cage, and rat cage.
Are you looking to get mice soon? And rabbits?
For the mice I wouldn't get them from the pet store. They come from puppy mill type places but obviously with mice. Same for all the other animals sold at pet stores. It just helps support them and you'll likely end up with a mouse with health issues. Pretty much all the stuff they have for small animals there are horrible.
For mice and rats I would get them from a reputable breeder, rescue, or from someone rehoming them.
As for rabbits its usually best just to adopt one.

 

[black_cat]

One of my fav rat and mouse youtubers is Emiolodgy. She has some great vidoes on how to set up a mouse cage, and rat cage.
Are you looking to get mice soon? And rabbits?
For the mice I wouldn't get them from the pet store. They come from puppy mill type places but obviously with mice. Same for all the other animals sold at pet stores. It just helps support them and you'll likely end up with a mouse with health issues. Pretty much all the stuff they have for small animals there are horrible.
For mice and rats I would get them from a reputable breeder, rescue, or from someone rehoming them.
As for rabbits its usually best just to adopt one.

I have found some of her videos! I now know how much space mice need (more than I thought) how to set up a cage, etc. I had no idea there were mouse breeders. Pretty obvious, but yeah. I am nervous about accidentally getting a mouse that has been misgendered and ending up with mouse babies. Not looking to get them soon, but everything must be planned approximately 117 years before it happens

 

[rosemarythyme]

I will start by saying the downside of pet mice and rats is their lifespan. That's why I haven't gotten more rats since my last ones passed away... it's like getting a puppy and it grows up and dies in the span of 2-3 years, and happens over and over. So if you're someone that's really bothered by that, it's something to think about.

Oh no! That's horrible. Now I"m kinda scared. I'm planning on having only female, neutered/spayed (which one is female again?) rabbits, but can you do that for mice? I do not trust pet stores to make sure they're female.

If you know what to look for, take a look at the undercarriage and you'll know if it's a boy or girl. Lots of photos online to show you what to look for. If the mice/rats are adults, it's much more obvious which are males (male rats um... are VERY unmistakably male ).

Don't know if you can neuter or spay mice - you can with rabbits and rats. Generally you wouldn't neuter a rat unless you had reason to (I neutered a male because of aggression).

I have found some of her videos! I now know how much space mice need (more than I thought) how to set up a cage, etc. I had no idea there were mouse breeders.

There's breeders for everything. A legitimate breeder will not steer you wrong as far as gender, the quality of the animal (show? pet only?), etc., but expect to be waitlisted if you want something more rare/unusual.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Apparently it happens with rabbits as well, they sometimes eat their babies. I don't want any mice or rabbits of mine to have babies, for obvious reasons.

 

[CHlCKEN]

I’m going to add that the only reason Rabbits do this is because the are abused and mistreated everywhere. If you ever see a rabbit in a cage just realize that these cages are not suitable for even a hamster. A Rabbit also must have an unlimited supply of hay, which is really commonly not give To them. Unreasonable owners who tend to forget to feed or refill their rabbits hay, kill rabbits every day Bc rabbits cannot go more than 8 hours without eating or will die. I believe in the Free-ranging of rabbits in homes and consider and form of small cage animal abuse. Pens and runs that are large enough for the rabbit to do “zoomies” is acceptable as long as the rabbit is allowed put of it for at least an hour a day

this is just my opinion which I feel strongly about. I hope I can help someone who has been given mis information (which is common from pet stores telling people that small cages r ok) I just really am trying to get the word out that rabbits are not simple keepers and require a lot more than they receive

 

[EverythingDucks]

I’m going to add that the only reason Rabbits do this is because the are abused and mistreated everywhere. If you ever see a rabbit in a cage just realize that these cages are not suitable for even a hamster. A Rabbit also must have an unlimited supply of hay, which is really commonly not give To them. Unreasonable owners who tend to forget to feed or refill their rabbits hay, kill rabbits every day Bc rabbits cannot go more than 8 hours without eating or will die. I believe in the Free-ranging of rabbits in homes and consider and form of small cage animal abuse. Pens and runs that are large enough for the rabbit to do “zoomies” is acceptable as long as the rabbit is allowed put of it for at least an hour a day

this is just my opinion which I feel strongly about. I hope I can help someone who has been given mis information (which is common from pet stores telling people that small cages r ok) I just really am trying to get the word out that rabbits are not simple keepers and require a lot more than they receive

Exactly!! Free roaming is so important and much better than a cage or hutch.
I gave @black_cat a lot of info on free roaming and playpens in the rabbit thread too

 

[CHlCKEN]

I have found some of her videos! I now know how much space mice need (more than I thought) how to set up a cage, etc. I had no idea there were mouse breeders. Pretty obvious, but yeah. I am nervous about accidentally getting a mouse that has been misgendered and ending up with mouse babies. Not looking to get them soon, but everything must be planned approximately 117 years before it happens

Ahh cages nooo! I know I might sound a little intense but I really don’t believe in the use of cages bc most pet stores will recommend to small cages! Never listen to the pet store they just want to sell their stuff. Look up “bad cage reviews” on the internet- and “good cage reviews” I just want to make sure that any small animal is given proper care- you wouldn’t want to be locked up in a cabinet all day so why do the same to your pet? My guinea pig has a CNC cage which is a great size-look those up they r great for GPIGS and maybe rats to