Does anyone here own mice?

Question

I am thinking of getting 2 female mice. But I am very sensitive to sound at night, and I don't want to get them if they make a lot of noise at night. Are they as bad as hamsters?

Answer 1

Hello! It's nice to see people interested in mice (I breed them). Mice are very social little animals that can provide you with a lot of entertainment and, once tame, are fun to hold. They are also fairly low maintanence and other than the original startup cost (cage, toys, etc.) they don't cost much to keep.

As for sound this depends on a few things. First, male mice are very territorial and should only be housed individually. Even litter mates can eventually become aggressive towards eachother and fight to the death, seemingly out of the blue. Females however, are very social and should always be kept in at least a pair.

In my experience, female mice make more noise (squeaking) than males, but this is because they occaisionally decide that a different one wants to be the boss and has to show that to the others, whereas the males have nothing to squeak about.

Males, however, have more of an odor to them than females. This isn't to say mice are any stinkier than any other small animal (like hamsters, gerbils, etc.) but the males do mark their territory. The smell can almost entirely be avoided though if you keep the male in an aquarium with a tightly fitting lid, instead of a wire cage.

The only other main source of noise would be which type of wheel you choose. I always give my mice wheels as they are very high-energy animals and need an outlet for this energy. The noisiest wheels are also usually the ones you want to avoid anyways, so this works out well.

Wire wheels, that is, the ones that are made of metal mesh or bars, are dangerous to mice. They can cause tail, foot, neck and/or back injuries and should be avoided if at all possible. They're also prone to making more annoying, grinding sounds. I would highly recommend "Silent Spinners" as these have a solid base and are indeed silent. If you can't find this type, simply try out some at the store by spinning them hard and fast, with a bit of weight on them.

An aquarium is also recommended for females, as this should help buffer any sound from them rustling in their bedding too. It is also fairly easy to clean and to see the mice. A 10 gallon is suitable for a few females, while a 5.5gallon is perfectly fine for a single male.

If you live in Ontario, Canada, I might be able to give you some mice. I'm guessing you're not though, lol, but even still- my website is http://mice.wordpress.com . It has some more mouse information on it too, as well as my email address in case you have more questions.

Answer 2

They are not as bad. I know because i had 2 mice, a male and female that was in 2 cages.They don't really need a wheel.I now only have one because one was a older mouse than the other but they shouldn't make that much noise.

Answer 3

We have thirteen mice medium sound for 20 $

Answer 4

Mice don't really need a running wheel. I assume that is what kept you awake. Mice are ok

Answer 5

I had a mouse and he never kept me awake and i'm not not a sound sleeper..He usually ran in his wheel and still didn't keep me awake.If u want a mouse I think u should get one.( ^_^ )!!!

Answer 6

Come to my house and catch a couple running around in my filth.