Small Pet Discussion

[DreamPrince]

Does anyone here own small pets or have owned in the past? I recently got a female fancy mouse this Christmas who I named Fiora. For those who don’t know, small pets usually refers to rodents, including: Hamsters, Mice, Rats, Guinea Pigs, Gerbils, Degus, Sugar Gliders, Chinchillas, and hedgehogs to name a few.

So it’s been a 4 days since I got my Fancy Mouse, and I’ve been thinking of giving her a cage upgraded as well as getting her a companion. While she has been warming up to me recently with her usually watching over for a few moments before she makes a hasty retreat, I am concerned that there is not enough simulation in a 10 gallon tank and she will get bored. I’m also strongly considering getting her a companion. In hindsight, probably buying one female mouse alone was a mistake. Female Mice are very social, and being alone can stress them out. I’ve also heard it’s easier to handle female mice if there with companions.

If I do get a female mouse to keep my old one company, is it alright to introduce them immediately to each other? Or should I wait and slowly introduce them to each other. I ask this because I’ve heard some instances of Female mice fighting so I’m not sure.

 

[Plague von Karma]

I own two Tokay Geckos and have owned quite a few other reptiles in the past. Tokays are little devils sometimes, but they're pretty enough for me to continue keeping them, haha. I've posted about them a few times in the Herpetology Thread.

Here's an old picture of Micaiah, one of the two geckos. She's a bit bigger and chunkier now though. She's definitely the most placid Tokay I've seen, anyway, she'll let me hold her if I approach her the right way.

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So it’s been a 4 days since I got my Fancy Mouse, and I’ve been thinking of giving her a cage upgraded as well as getting her a companion. While she has been warming up to me recently with her usually watching over for a few moments before she makes a hasty retreat, I am concerned that there is not enough simulation in a 10 gallon tank and she will get bored. I’m also strongly considering getting her a companion. In hindsight, probably buying one female mouse alone was a mistake. Female Mice are very social, and being alone can stress them out. I’ve also heard it’s easier to handle female mice if there with companions.

If I do get a female mouse to keep my old one company, is it alright to introduce them immediately to each other? Or should I wait and slowly introduce them to each other. I ask this because I’ve heard some instances of Female mice fighting so I’m not sure.

I'm able to give advice but note that this is coming from a reptile owner, so it may not all apply perfectly. For starters, if by "tank" you mean the plastic thing, I'd suggest switching to cages. I believe there's a few articles on why they're better, but I encourage you to do your own research rather than take my word for it. I trust you have already, anyway. I'll refer to tanks as cages from here on out, though.

Before getting a companion, I would recommend having a quarantine cage prepared. This safeguards you from two things: introduced diseases and potential for fights. If the two mice don't get along, there's a high chance one could get injured. I would recommend doing slow, gradual introductions over the course of around a week, after keeping the new one isolated for a few days. There's no downside to caution.

Do you have a picture of your setup? The lack of stimulation may be due to a lack of decorations and the like. Most mouse cages have multiple hides, the typical exercise wheel, hammocks, tunnels and things to gnaw on. Gnawing material especially applies with a cage that has painted bars, as I've seen mice ingest debris and it turns out to be toxic paint. Any deterrent to gnawing on the bars is good.

I think it's worth buying a larger enclosure and using the current one as your quarantine cage, as it should save a few bucks. Make sure to disinfect it and everything in case any new companions end up smelling the old inhabitant.