Caring for your cat
Rats and mice are interesting little critters to keep as pets. Do not keep males and females of the same species together, unless you want babies! Two males together will fight unless they are brothers, so it is best to keep two females. Also, males tend to smell, so unless breeding, females are the way to go. They require a secure cage with wheel, bedding and a place to hide, suitable food and water.
Living area Food and nutrition Health
Living area
Rats and mice need to be housed indoors. Pets Wonderland sells a huge variety of homes for your little friends, from Habitrail Mouse Home sets and Crittertrail Homes for a mouse or two up to large multilevel rat cages. These come as a complete home with a large wheel, level beam, food bowl and water bottle.
Things to consider when choosing a cage:
- The cage should have a range of bars so that the rats and mice have lots of exercise and it must be designed to prevent their escape and to resist gnawing.
- Overheating (usually over 30 degrees Celsius) will distress your pet so ensure that there is good ventilation
- For feeding, watering and cleaning purposes you will have to have access to all areas of the cage, including sleeping areas
- When cleaning the cage use Aristopet small animal hutch and cage cleaner spray. Do not use Household disinfectants as they can be harmful to the animal.
- Bedding can consist of a material that provides warmth and can be changed regularly, such as wood shavings.
- Water must be provided in a water bottle as they have a tendency to sit in their water.
- Rats and Mice need exercise so ensure there is an appropriately sized wheel in the cage. Silent spinners and lee’s critter crawlers are good fun for kids and also exercise the animal.
Food and nutrition
- Fresh, clean water must always be available in a water bottle to ensure it stays clean and unpolluted
- Feed Rat and mouse mix as their staple diet.
- To keep their teeth from becoming overgrown and too sharp, give your pet things it can gnaw such as Peters seed bars.
- Aristopet small animal vitamin supplement should also be added to their water once a week.
Health
Mice and Rats can be effected by common pet issues such as mites, lice and worms. This can be easily prevented or managed:
- Mice and Rats must be sprayed fortnightly with Aristopet small animal mite and lice spray. Remove the food from the enclosure and spray the whole thing including bedding, and the animal taking care to avoid the eyes.
- Rats and Mice get intestinal worms just like any other mammal. Aristopet small animal worming syrup should be added to their drinking water every 3 months. During worming time, this must be their only source of water to ensure they get the benefit of the Syrup.