Make sure your mice have a suitable place to live

Facts

• Mice are highly motivated to build nests, and they use nesting material to help regulate their body temperature.

• Mice need bedding material to absorb moisture from their urine and faeces, and to enable them to dig.

• Mice are a prey species, and are highly motivated to stay close to safe cover.

• Wild mice can have very large territories. Mice need sufficient good quality structured space so that they can display a range of natural behaviours and to give them control and choice over their environment.

• Mice scent-mark their environment with odour patterns to identify their territory and communicate with other mice. Patterns of urine and secretions from other glands on the body are used to identify individuals, groups and social status.

• Mice can hear over a broad range of frequencies and are sensitive to high pitched sounds and ultrasounds, as well as sudden bursts of noise.

• Mice are very sensitive to the effects of heat.

• Poor ventilation and high humidity can lead to health problems in mice.

• Mice can build their nests up against the cage sides, and can push bedding material into the nozzle of the water bottle.

• Mice are able to squeeze through very small spaces and can easily escape.
   

Things you should do

• Provide your mice with appropriate nesting material; see
  RSPCA Nesting Material for Mice Factsheet (PDF 88.7KB).

• Provide suitable bedding material in their cage; see RSPCA Bedding Material For Mice Factsheet (PDF 90KB).

• Make sure your mice have a suitable place to hide; see RSPCA Shelters for Mice Factsheet (PDF 176KB).

• Provide your mice with a comfortable, dry, draught-free, clean home-cage in a quiet place where they can rest undisturbed.

• Make sure that where your mice live is safe, secure and free from hazards.

• Make sure that the home-cage is suitable for your mice; see RSPCA Home Cage For Mice Factsheet (PDF 92.9KB).

• Make sure their cage is clean (RSPCA Cage Cleaning For Mice Factsheet (PDF 91.7KB)) with dry bedding and nesting material. It is important to maintain a balance between ensuring good health and avoiding excessive disturbance and stress when cleaning.

• Provide your mice with objects that can be used as toilet areas or easily marked. This will allow them to communicate by using their odours. These objects should be easily cleaned, and should be cleaned as part of the regular cage cleaning routine.

• Direct or bright lights should be avoided near the home-cage, however natural day light (not direct sunlight) should be present where they are housed.

• Direct or bright lights should be avoided when handling and/or playing with mice.

• Make sure that their home-cage is kept away from high pitched sounds, ultrasound, and sudden bursts of noise; see RSPCA Excessive Noise Factsheet (PDF 89.9KB).

• Make sure that the temperature and humidity of any place you house your mice is appropriate; see RSPCA Temperature and Humidity Factsheet (PDF 89.4KB).

• Make sure that cages have good ventilation and air circulation without being draughty.

• Check cages morning and evening to make sure that the water bottle nozzle has not become blocked or wedged open and the cage flooded.

• Running wheels can be provided as part of a wide range of enrichment provisions but should not be the only enrichment.

• If a wheel is provided it must be a solid structure and axel free for the safety of the mice.