Best cage for mice

[Soubriquet]

My dd wants nice at some point so I’ve here researching cages. Things have changed since I was a teen so obviously the small cages are no longer suitable. What is the best cage for a pair of mice please

[SilentHedges]

Hello, I volunteer in small pet Rescue and the minimum cage size is 100x50cm (continuous floorspace) for Hamsters, Gerbils and Mice. Most cages sold are far too small (the bigger the better!) but there are still some good options that meet that size, ie. Savic Plaza 100, with bar spacing that's not too wide. Aquarium /Ikea Detolf style setups work well too.

The photo is from a friend of mine and is an example of a good Mouse setup with plenty of enrichment.

If you can Rescue and are in the South East, Gerbil and Rodent Rescue in Selhurst have mice needing homes. https://www.gerbilandrodentrescue.co.uk/animals-looking-for-new-homes

Here is their Mouse Care page https://www.gerbilandrodentrescue.co.uk/mouse-care-information

Good luck with your new pets and thank you for doing your research. It can be very confusing when theres so much misleading info on the internet.

[Soubriquet]

Thank you! I had mice when I was younger but I know things are always changing. When I look back now, yeah the cage was too small so I definitely want to make sure it’s big enough. I also know I’ve got to be careful with barred cages as they can fit through small holes. Thank you for the suggestions and the cage you’ve shown is gorgeous

[Soubriquet]

I also never really considering rescue mice before…they don’t live long in general but I see on the page you linked, they come in quite young and neutered so I will definitely look into my local rescue. It won’t be right now anyway. Got to be when dd starts to show proper responsibility. Obviously she won’t be looking after them alone. I will be helping

[SilentHedges]

Yes, small pet care has moved on a lot, certainly since I was young too (thank goodness!) Thank you for considering rescue mice if you can, there's so many pets needing homes through no fault of their own, you'll get far better advice from a rescue and pet shops tend to get animals from Rodent Mills (mass bred in plastic trays, look up if you can stomach it). So not financing that practice is a plus too. My Gerbil Care website has some links to small animal rescues too (just adapt some of the search functions to mice) https://gerbilcare.co.uk/adopt-dont-shop/

Children appreciate and care for pets far better when they've developed responsibility, (we recommend 8+) but you have the right approach that you will be very much involved in the care too 🙂

I hope you find the right mice for you.

[pinkpirlie]

I know I'm coming late to the party, but if you search Dauntless Mouse on Instagram she has put together an amazing care guide for mice which is linked on her IG profile.
It is really easy to digest and you can look at it in advance with your daughter.

I second finding a rescue who has mice, but also note you will need to keep a minimum of three mice. Another thing to think about is a plan for what you will do when you decide to no longer keep mice. Usually when people want to stop, they re-home their last 2 or 3 mice before they are left with a single loan mouse.

We have a DIY lagkapten enclosure (IKEA hack) for our large group which is 160cm by 50cm. This is good for larger groups, you can do a smaller one (100*50) if you're only keeping three.We created a frame which slots on at the top which you can have toys and ropes from, and it's 60cm deep so can create deep areas for burrowing.
We also have a detolf which used to house rescue hamsters, but now has some fostered mice in it (that are now permanent residents). It is a good floorspace but doesn't offer the same depth as some other DIY options.