Caring for a Pet Mouse
Ranked #497 in Pets & Animals, #13,656 overall | Donates to BuckHawk Center Animal Rescue
My First Pet was a Field Mouse
I learned at a very early age how to care for my pet mouse. I was raised in a home where animals were welcome, cared for and loved deeply. We had several family dogs, but the first pet to enter our home that belonged only to me, was a mouse. He was a little wild field mouse that my brother caught for me. Many of you have already read about Sylvester in my very first published Squidoo article, In the House of Sylvestermouse.
This little mouse stole a large part of my heart. He endeared himself to me with his endless antics and constant nighttime escapades. You see, Sylvester was an intelligent mouse and he learned early how to escape from his cage. When the house was dark and everyone was sleeping, he would slip out of his cage and go exploring. As far as I know, he never left my bedroom. I almost always found him in the morning in a box of letters my sister stored under our bed. I am not sure what his attraction was to her love letters, but I know more than one of her letters had the edges eaten off and the little teeth marks were easily identified. He also ate my poetry. His indigestion saved everyone else a lot of heartburn that would surely have been the result of reading my childhood prose.
He also seemed to enjoy frolicking in our closet. I found evidence of his closet explorations so I know he had been there. I tried to explain to Sylvester that he really was safer in his little cage, but he turned a deaf ear to my ramblings and continued with his nightly adventures.
Sadly, I do not have a picture of my wild field mouse, Sylvester, so I had to borrow this picture from E. Mangl who graciously gave permission to use this photo.
The introduction photo above is a cropped version of this original photo shown here. Many thanks to EMangl for allowing me to use these photos.
Sylvester Mouse Deserved Better
It was easy for Sylvester to escape his cage, which was nothing more than a glass aquarium. He would simply climb up his water bottle and over the top of the cage. We tried placing a top on the cage, but the wiry little fellow still managed to squeeze out at night.
If you are considering bringing home a mouse for a pet, I highly recommend purchasing the proper mouse cage. After all, what mouse wants to live like a fish?
Mouse Cage Habitat
3 Levels of Fun
Click Photo to Purchase This Home
Sylvester's Mouse Bedding
40 years ago, it was not unusual for mouse owners to use shredded newspaper as bedding for their pet. I used shredded wood chips for Sylvester's bedding. Now you may ask, why shredded wood and I have two answers for you.
1. The Smell
2. The absorbency
I do not remember the brand of wood chips or clippings that I used for Sylvester, but I can recommend using shredded Aspen for bedding. The most common brand of bedding sold today is cedar and it can cause health and respiratory problems for a little mouse, so definitely stick to a non-aromatic wood for bedding in a mouse cage. Also, you and your mouse will be happier if you clean his cage often and give him fresh bedding.
Remember, mice like to burrow and chew. They will ingest or inhale dust and chemicals on their bedding, so ask for your veterinarian's suggestion for the best mouse bedding. If it is not available in your area, I highly recommend purchasing it online. The photo above is Native Earth Shredded Aspen Bedding. The photo has been linked to a distributor for your convenience.
Photo by: E. Mangl
Sylvester's Mouse Fun
I understood that Sylvester was bored in his cage. After all, he had been a wild field mouse allowed to scamper here and there without supervision.
I purchased a running wheel for him to get his exercise. The down side to his running wheel is that is squeaked. He delighted in running at night. We would be sound asleep and what would we hear? Sylvester running a marathon. I believe he knew he was entertaining me, because when he would hear my giggles, he would run faster
Click Photo to Purchase this Exercise Wheel
In Addition to Love Letters and Poetry, Sylvester Did Eat Food
Sylvester was a forager. Even though I provided him with a lovely little food bowl, he would dump his food and then dig for a morsel. I never understood this strange habit or need to provide for himself, but I always found it endearing.
It was actually kind of funny to watch him take a bowl as big as himself and dump it's contents. Then he would scratch and scrap the bedding and act as if he had found some unknown treasure in it's midst.
Again, I think he might have done this just to entertain me.
Click Photo to Purchase this Bedding
A Gift that is a Reminder of the Original Gift and the Giver
Years after my brother caught Sylvester and gave him to me, my brother gave me this pair of earrings. They are obviously very worn now and one eye is missing from one of the mice, but these earrings are still a personal treasure.
They are a beautiful reminder of the original gift of the real mouse and they are also a wonderful reminder of my brother.
Photo by Sylvestermouse
Awesome Mouse Jewelry
Photo by: E. Mangl
Save and Share Caring for a Pet Mouse
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
Now You Know About My First Pet
I Would Love To Hear About Yours!
-
-
pawpaw911
Mar 30, 2012 @ 9:36 pm | delete
- Really enjoyed reading about Sylvester. I too had a a field mouse as a pet as a child. It also escaped from it's cage, and found a bunch of newly sprouted tomato plants my dad was starting indoors, and ate them off just above the dirt. My dad wasn't pleased, and the mouse met with an unpleasant end.
-
-
-
leila_c
Mar 3, 2012 @ 5:38 pm | delete
- So cute and very true!
This reminds me of when my mom had pet mice while I was a teenager, although mine bred, so there were many over the years. I quickly realized that they could escape from traditional mouse cages and we had to build one out of a glass aquarium and wire mesh. I may actually write an article about that now! Thank you!
-
-
-
SudokuNut
Mar 1, 2012 @ 1:43 pm | delete
- Mice are cute but I don't think they'd play well with our cat. :)
-
-
-
Richard3331
Feb 6, 2012 @ 3:30 am | delete
- very very cute
-
-
-
JessyGene
Jan 27, 2012 @ 11:32 am | delete
- I have never had a mouse, only rats, but these mice sure are cute
-
-
-
justforcats
Jan 1, 2012 @ 10:32 pm | delete
- I loved reading this. Thank you !
-
-
-
Margo_Arrowsmith
Jun 6, 2011 @ 5:45 pm | delete
- Great pictures Blessed
-
-
-
its4hry
Jan 29, 2011 @ 12:15 pm | delete
- cute, but i am gonna pass
-
-
-
ohcaroline
Jan 20, 2011 @ 2:54 pm | delete
- Yes, I found out that mice do like to eat paper. When a field mouse got in my house, it found its way into a drawer I had under the bed and chewed on the papers I had there. You learned a lot from that little rascal, didn't you?
-
-
-
genglo
Jan 14, 2011 @ 1:29 pm | delete
- How sweet, it needs a blessing! I got my first mouse when I saw them being sold as snake food in a pet store. I only had enough money to buy two of them and they ended up as my spoiled rotten pets. I loved them and my mother even learned to like them.
-
-
-
RebeccaE
Oct 11, 2010 @ 12:25 pm | delete
- oh this is an awesome lens, I have a couple of friends who can sure use this.
-
-
-
familystorykeeper
Oct 8, 2010 @ 12:57 am | delete
- I liked reading your story of your pet mouse. My first pet that I claimed as my own was a puppy from the litter our dog had just had. I picked out this certain puppy as my own. My parents had other plans though. One day a man came to look at the puppies. He wanted the puppy I had picked out for my own. He offered me a quarter for it. I had to give up my puppy. We kept the mother dog and one of the male puppies, but I had to give up the puppy I had claimed as my own.
-
-
-
Oct 4, 2010 @ 10:16 pm | delete
- How cute! I had mice for a little while, but they have a short lifespan. Lovely page on the little guys. :)
-
-
-
Tipi
Oct 3, 2010 @ 5:53 pm | delete
- Cute! ~ My daughter had pet nice when she was young, and they had 13 babies. We came home from church one day and our cat was sitting in the mouse cage watching the mice. Someone forgot to put the lid back on. All was well!
-
-
-
windygig
Oct 3, 2010 @ 12:15 pm | delete
- what a great personality. love mice, and this lens.
-
-
-
SoyCandleLover-Maker
Oct 2, 2010 @ 8:13 am | delete
- Aah, yes. Midnight Mouse escapes... I remember them well. My daughter also had a mouse, and many the morning we'd be searching for the little fur ball. We once found the little guy inside the heating ducts. We've had a cat ever since, I felt that providing the felines with something to chase for those nighttime games was not humane option. :D Lensrolled to my pet lenses.
-
-
-
mulberry
Oct 1, 2010 @ 5:36 pm | delete
- A pet mouse is out of the question for me, I have cats. But there are absolutely adorable.
-
-
-
pcreviewed
Oct 2, 2010 @ 8:49 am | delete
- If a mouse is out of the question rats would be ten times worse for you then. I actually bread rats for about a year. Although I was breading them just to feed my 8 foot red tail boa. I stopped breeding the rats simply because they produce far more rats then my snake could even think about eating.
-
-
-
bethd821
Oct 1, 2010 @ 11:04 am | delete
- Yep, only you would write about a mouse! Adorable! Blessed!
-
-
-
Sylvestermouse
Oct 1, 2010 @ 11:08 am | delete
- Thank you for your very special blessing Beth!
-
- Load More
Moderated by Sylvestermouse
Updated: 3/3/12
by Sylvestermouse
I published my first article on Squidoo on July 7. 2009. Since that day, I have published over 250 lenses.
I enjoy sharing stories, recipes, craft...
more »
- 286 featured lenses
- Winner of 38 trophies!
- Top lens » Quick and Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe
- This lens »
Won purple star
Explore related pages
- In the House of Sylvestermouse In the House of Sylvestermouse
- Hangin' with Sylvestermouse and Her Favorite Animals Hangin' with Sylvestermouse and Her Favorite Animals
- Help Save Wildlife With Your Purchase Help Save Wildlife With Your Purchase
- Hangin' With a Snowshoe Hare Hangin' With a Snowshoe Hare
- Hangin' With Hedgehogs Hangin' With Hedgehogs
- Hangin' with Harp Seals Hangin' with Harp Seals
Taking the Baby Mouse to Visit Grandmother
Super Pet Dwarf Hamster Mini Run-About 5-Inch Exercise Ball, Clear
Amazon Price: $1.42 (as of 06/03/2012)
Why not treat Grandmother to a visit from her sweet little grandmouse. After all, little mice like a change of scenery every now and then and Granny needs a little excitement in her life :)
More Articles About My Pets
