Can I Put 2 Mice In This Cage!?

Question

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753349

can i have 2 female mice in this cage (16"L x 10.5"W x 10"H. )

i will be adding onto it though so theres all tubes and other little levels.

i know its supposed to be a 10 gallon tank, but thats only a little bigger.

i might end up getting a larger cage than this anyways, but i just want to know.

theyll be out of their cage alot anyways since i have all my pets out all day and night (until about 3AM then i put them away except dogs and macaws until the next morning) most are sleeping by then, but i still stay up.

Answer 1

The Rat & Mouse Club of America is a good resource for these kinds of care questions. They give a formula that allows you to compare the cage size to human habitations and floor space so that you can get a good idea of how cramped or comfortable the mouse might be. The following is the formula you can use:

1 Measure, in inches, the length (L), width (W), and height (H) of your mouse cage. Multiply L x W x H. This is the total volume of your cage. 1 ____in3

2 Divide line 1 by 36. 2 ____in

3 Divide line 2 by the number of mice in the cage. 3 ____in

4 Multiply line 3 by 6. 4 ____in2

5 Mulitply line 4 by 5.33. 5 ____ft2

Line 5 gives you floor space Stper Human, ft2

Line 4 gives you floor space per Mouse, in2

To give you a perspective on what the human size means, and therefore what the space will be like for your mice, the site gives the following reference chart:

Minimum (PRISON) 80 square feet = 15 square inches for a mouse

Average Western European 400 square feet =  75 square inches for a mouse

Average American 600 square feet =  113 square inches for a mouse

Martha Stewart 20,000 square feet =   3,750 square inches for a mouse

Obviously the closer to Martha the better. Bigger is better for mice and rats as it allows for more toys, more room to move, more privacy, less stress and more mental development. A happy mouse or rat generally lives longer.

Answer 2

Those cages are definitely not recommended. Mice don't smell the best on their own, and this will only keep the smell locked in. Plus, all of those little tube things are just a magnate for odor.

I like these cages for mice-

A 10 Gallon Aquarium, of course.

http://www.petco.com/product/106282/PETC...

That one would definitely hold 2 mice.

http://www.petco.com/product/106173/PETC...

Smaller, but still sufficient.

Answer 3

definetly

mab e even 3

Answer 4

For two small mice, you have 16"L x 10.5"W x  10". For the money it seems suitable.

If you have the tubes for them to run through, the only thing you have to do is keep them clean ( quite often cleaning ) but as I'm sure you know, the cage needs constant cleaning.

Make sure you have something for them to chew on. Their little teeth grow constantly. A cheap way is paper towel or TP empty tubes. They not only file their teeth, but like to play  and make nests out of them.

News paper makes for great nesting & they chew on it too.

Have fun! Just make sure they are both female, or ....LOL....Here come the kiddies.

Answer 5

seems a bit small to me

Answer 6

definately i had 2 hamsters both female and they fit in a cage similar to tht one. when u add tubes on make sur theyre not too small bcuz some time they can get stuck

Answer 7

You've already gotten some good answers about the size, but let me add a warning against that kind of cage. Wire cages do have their pros, but having used one for quite a while, their cons outweigh them.

Mice can get their bodies through anything they can get their heads through, so you have to be careful that they cannot fit their heads through the wire cages. It might surprise you just how easily they can escape from a "normal" wire cage.

The biggest problem I've had with wire cages is cleaning. *Shudder* Cleaning wire cages is such a huge pain compared to tanks and bin cages. The worst are the ones with the enclosed wheel at the top on a small run. There are small opening for air, and it gets the run absolutely disgusting after just a couple days (mice go to the bathroom as they run). And though it isn't usually as big a problem with does, you have to clean the wire part of the wire cages with a stiff brush and water/soap every now and then too.

All in all, they can sometimes look cuter than other cages, but they are way overpriced, and much harder to keep clean. On the upside, it is adorable when they hang onto the wire inside to say 'hi'.

Answer 8

I don't think you will have any problems. They are mice, and they are small. If you had rats, it would be too small,but for mice I'm sure it will be fine.

Answer 9

umm.. probably. but  u have to make sure tht there is enough room for them to be running around because they are very active animals..

Answer 10

it looks a little small for 2, they are very active.