#mouse enclosure

everything in picture bc i did this last time

11in two chamber platform

7in long 5in high table

7in long 7in high L table

8in grass hut

5in grass hut

grass tunnel

7in wooden bridge

11 in wooden bridge

apple wood bridge

birch log x2

java wood perch

6in cholla wood x2

small bean pot

hay wreath x2

hay wigwam for birds

terracotta pot (5in)

small hammock 2-tier

hanging bridge

hanging DIY forage toy

hanging coconut

plastic water bottle & stand

glass bottle and wet your whistle stand

popsicle stick walls

popsicle stick ladders

hanging applewood sticks

several river rocks

bucastate wheel 8in (x2 maybe)

stuff that will be added next week

9x7in 3 chamber platform

hanging apple wood circles

hanging steel skewers x2

9in wooden bridge

5in terracotta jar for aquariums

hay triangle tunnel

hay ball house (~4in)

jute rope

my solo intact male mouse's current setup ❤️

i plan on adding bioactive soil and more substrates and sprays, but am having a hard time finding people who sell ones that are safe for mice specifically

luckily im a student so i have plenty of time to play with him and give him exercise outside of his bin but hes not very social and spends most of his time in his nest

considering downsizing his hut now that his partner has passed into something that gives me more room for other enrichment and is better for burrowing

any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Mouse house mod, mouse house mod!!!

Finally got around to adding a front wire panel to the mice enclosure, which turned out GREAT. Super sturdy, super handsome, and it should greatly increase their ventilation and reduce smell and ammonia build up.

Ammonia build up only became a problem recently if I would miss a cage cleaning for a few extra days, but ammonia actually becomes harmful before it becomes detectable by humans, so better to make it better now then regret it later!! This should help a lot and it looks so much nicer, too. Much easier to view and hear them, and I made the zip tie nodes sticking outwards so they shouldn't be too tempted to chew on anything.

I also trimmed the wire top so it doesn't scrape or poke our fingers when we lift the lid. The wire was always squished by the plastic tub itself so the mice were never in contact with the sharp edges anyway, but after taking a few hours (yes, hours) to snip down all the excess wire and edges it not only looks better, but it's even safer for everyone now AND the lid comes off smoothly.

While I had the soldering iron out I also melted holes in Danny's new nest box so I can zip tie that into his enclosure tonight, and fix his one perch that's leaning too much. I also washed a lot more sand for the quail so I can deep clean their enclosure and add more substrate tomorrow. Got pretty freaked out after Python's sudden URI so I'm working Very Hard to do all those little things I said I'd do but never got around to, so all the pets will be a lot healthier and happier in the long run. AND it's even easier for me to care for them, too.

February 1, 2019

It depends on what you’re thinking for smaller, to be honest. One mouse can do fine with a 10g tank, which doesn’t take up too much space (about 20″ by 10″ according to http://www.aquariumdimensions.com/) If you want something taller so you can include more substrate & some climbing stuff, you could go for a 20g tall. It’s a bit bigger area wise (24″x12″), but also adds 4″ in height (16″ vs 12″).

If you let me know what you’re thinking for “smaller multi-level”, I can weigh in more on specifics. Mice do hop & like to climb, so I would say it should work in general, if you can still fit the necessities (food dish, water bottle, wheel, and a nesting area) & have some room for exercising. 

However, I wouldn’t count completely on being able to make up for it with handling - mice tend to be a bit less handle-able in general than rats, depending on the animal. Socialization and breeding play a lot into that, so it may depend on where you get your mouse from. But just keep in mind that you may not be able to have the mouse out as much as you want if it stresses them out. They also sleep more during the day, so IMO it’d be better to let them stay in their cage most of the day and handle during the evening.