To start, you will need to set up your mouse's future home. Here is what you will need and why you will need it:

The Enclosure

Your mice will need to be housed securely. I suggest you start with a 10 gallon glass aquarium. You may also house your mice in a cage, provided however that the cage wires are no more than 1/4"x1/4". Mice are very small animals and are capable of squeezing through the smallest of spaces. As a general rule, if a mouse can fit his head through something, he can fit his whole body through it also. Mice also love habitrails®, maybe even more than hamsters!

You will need a secure (and I mean secure) cage cover. The cover should be made of wire mesh and should fit perfectly over the aquairium. You will also need cage cover clips (available in the reptile section of most pet stores) to further lock down the cage cover. Mice can jump and climb, and can easily push a screen cover up to escape if it is not locked in place.

Your mice will need safe bedding on the bottom of their cage. I recommend against using cedar or pine, not only because of the health issues, but because the large wood chips aren't really soft the way a bedding should be. I also do not recommend corn cob bedding. It tends to smell bad and grow mold very quickly and that is very unhealthy! I also recommend againt using hay or straw as bedding. Some people swear by it because it is so cheap in the feed stores. But it's so inexpensive because it is not as sanitary as most store bought beddings are. You have a good chance of picking up mites and lice, even fleas, when you use straw. Now lets look at what makes a good bedding.

A good bedding should have the following characteristics:

• safe to use, no sharp edges

• oil and dust free

• comfortable for the animal to walk on

• absorbent

• pleasant odor

I recommend Aspen, CareFresh, TekFresh, and kiln dried pine that is supposedly dust and oil free.

You may feed your mice a seed mixture, but I don't recommend this because the mouse will select the best tasting seeds and will not get a properly balanced diet. I recommend that you feed Mouse/Rat Lab Blocks. They are nutritionally balanced and are inexpensive to buy. Each block is about 1"x½". Each mouse should get 1 block everyday. If you have a few mice you may want to use a food hopper basket to hold the food. This way the mice only eat what they want, the rest stays off the cage floor. If you only have 1 or 2 mice you can just toss in a couple of lab blocks everyday. Food dishes really aren't necessary since the mice will carry the food elsewhere anyway. If you want to treat you mice to a seed mixture once a week in addition to the lab blocks, you can do that too. You can also offer your mice fresh veggies once a week.

Mice need fresh water. You will need to buy a water bottle made for small animals.

(Make sure it is the kind that will hang in a glass aquarium, if not you will need to purchase an attachment). I recommend using distilled or filtered water because it's been my experience that mice who drink tap water tend to have higher rates of cancer as they age. Do not let the water sit in the bottle until it is gone, the water bottle should be cleaned every 3-4 days, or at least once a week with a bottle brush.

Mice like to climb, hide and jump. So if you give them toys they are sure to entertain you. Here are some mousey favorites:

• cardboard toilet paper rolls (no glue)

• paper egg cartons

• small cardboard boxes

• wooden ladders

• small wooden nest boxes

• small grass huts

• PVC pipe

Your mice will want to sleep in a cozy corner or a nest box. If you give your mouse appropriate nesting materials, you will see them used in the nest. Some good ones to offer are:

• dried grass (no pesticides)

• white or brown paper towels (no designs)

• 100% cotton balls

• 100% cotton string

Note: Do not give your mice filter floss for aquarium filters! It is not the same as cotton and is not safe to use!

You will need to clean your mouse enclosure at least once a week:

1. Scoop out all the old bedding and nesting materials.

2. Wash down the glass with Lysol and water.

3. Dry the glass thoroughly.

4. Rinse out the water bottle with a bottle brush.

5. Clean the food hopper or dish.

6. Replace bedding.

7. Put everything (water bottle, food hopper, toys) back into the cage.

If its easier... get 2 cages! That way you can alternate as you clean the cage, without scrambling to find someone to hold you mice until you finish cleaning!