Living Cleanly

This is really important.

You will have to pay a great deal of attention to keeping the cages clean.

To begin with, you should remove any droppings every day. These are usually deposited in one part of the cage. Male (buck) mice, smell strongly, so cleaning out their cages is most important.

 
A thick layer 8cm (3in) of garden peat on the floor of the cage absorbs the smell well but, with mice, you will probably find that it only needs to be renewed about twice a month. You will also need to "spring clean" your pet mouse's cage fairly frequently. It is useful to have a temporary cage for your pets while you scrub and disinfect their main home, as this must be completely dry before you return the animals to it.

The floor-covering should be replaced entirely, but you should keep a little of the old bedding to put in the sleeping quarters. This will have a familiar smell and will reassure your pets when they go back to their usual home.Apart from the routine of cage cleaning, you must remember to wash your pets' food bowls in very hot water every day.

 Unlike their wild relatives, tame mice and rats should not have any diseases that you can catch. Even so, you should wash your hands whenever you have been playing with them or caring for them.