Hello, I own rats right now and we were thinking of getting some mice as well. Are mice like rats in that you should always have them in pairs because they are social?
2007-11-23 05:10:48 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Rodents
Ok there seems to be some confusion. I am not going to put the mice in with the rats. They will be housed separately. What I need to know is, do I need to get two mice because they will be lonely otherwise.
2007-11-23 05:21:55 · update #1
Well it depends on what gender of mice you are going to get. If you want a male mouse then he will be fine by himself as if you put another male in they will fight and if you put another female in, obviously, they will mate. If you really wanted two male mice then you would have to get two baby male mice from the same litter, then they wont fight. If you want a female mouse then yes, they do get lonely and much prefer to have another female in with them, the females wont fight and will become good friends. Just make sure you put them into the cage at the same time otherwise one will get it's smell all over the cage and once the other mouse is introduced the previous female will become territorial and will bite or hurt the new mouse.
So in my own opinion I prefer female mice as they don't fight and don't smell where as the males sometimes have a very strong smell in their urine and can sometimes fight another mouse to death.
Hope I helped!
Good luck!
2007-11-23 10:31:30 · answer #1 · answered by laura; :) 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have three male mice. They are littermates so they are pretty compatible. Mice are higly social and unless you spend the better part of the day interacting with your pet, it would be best to get them in a pair (or more, space/money depending). Females get along the best, males are a little more trouble because they are territorial and will fight more often for dominance. Beyond that, it is personal preferance. Adding an extra little plastic or wooden "house" to the habitat often eases male territorialism because they don't have to share as much. Oh, males also have a stronger smell, if that's a factor in your choice.
Good luck!
2007-11-24 04:30:30 · answer #2 · answered by N.P. 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Female mice are usually happier in pairs or small groups but males can be agressive unless they've been raised together. Mice tend to be *much* more interested in using an exercise wheel than most rats (we've got lots of experience with both rats & mice & love both species).
2007-11-23 15:17:18 · answer #3 · answered by Catkin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! Mice are very social animals. Get a large cage, and probably get two female mice. Two males would fight and male and a female would breed. Here is a website with some information!
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~jerymaus/mice.htm
This is a really good site! I used it when I first got my cute little mice!
2007-11-23 18:40:25 · answer #4 · answered by Liv54 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you get a male I would house it by itself. Thats what I did and he seemed to do just fine=]. If you get two males then theres a chance they might fight.
If you're planning on getting a female I would get two. Mice are usually happier in pairs and they wont fight like the males.
Hope this helped=]
2007-11-23 13:28:53 · answer #5 · answered by Mandy:] 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need 2 mice but make sure they're not two males cos' they seem to think fighting is fun. Get two females.
2007-11-23 15:31:19 · answer #6 · answered by claire s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do ok together, but Rats are bigger than mice and can get mean sometimes.
2007-11-23 13:18:22 · answer #7 · answered by Sarcastic Cow as Always 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They are smelly , but if you insist, get two females.
2007-11-23 14:44:40 · answer #8 · answered by krennao 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋