Hey guys! I figured some of you probably breed rats/mice for food for your reptiles, and I was thinking, what’s it like to keep a rodent? Do they escape a lot? Are they expensive to own? If this is too off topic, I understand! But any advice would be very helpful. (Note: I am interested in keeping mouse as a pet.)
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Mice make great pets.
As far as ecapes it depends on the cage you keep them in.
Get a female for a pet, males smell.
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If you’re planning on owning a single mouse solely as a pet here are a few things I can share as a feeder rodent breeder…
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Both Rats and Mice are extremely social animals and it is highly reccomended to keep a same sex group to avoid temperamental issues that may rise from isolation, they are highly emotional and bonds are important. So the idea of only keeping one is not feasible.
Mice smell worse than rats, especially males. Their urine is very concentrated with ammonia so they will need to be cleaned often. However mice are much smaller and more easily managed space wise…
Rats are more intelligent and emotionally invested animals, they form strong bonds and can be trained do do tasks and tricks. I personally find mice are not as Human-sociable, they are more “watch not touch” but there are exceptions.
Both species have very short lifespans, mice even more so than rats. The oldest mouse currently living in my colony is only around 2½ years and she’s looking pretty rough and up there. My oldest living rat (original breeding female) is almost 3 and her age is definitely showing too.
Its stated that both mice and rats have a 2-3 year life expectancy but I personally find that my mice mortality is more around the 2 year mark and rarely live past that.
Mice and rats are also prone to malignant and benign tumors, I’ve lost a lot of older female mice and a male rat to malignant tumors that had to be euthanized… once I spot or feel lumps and their health quickly degrades afterwards it is the most humane thing to do 
Other than that, Rats eat a lot more than mice hence the fact that they are larger… rats need a more protein rich diet and mice need a balance of protein to fat.
In larger colonies it can be a lot of work to keep up with them, I certainly spend way more time caring for my feeder colony than I do any of my other animals.
If you get mice I reccomend a solid enclosure like glass or a plastic tub with nowhere they can chew on (ledges, manufacturing errors, etc) because they will chew through it 9/10 times. Do not use wire cages because they will 100% be able to escape them.
For rats I reccomend a large wire cage, specifically those tall ones you see people using for large parrots.
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I’ve had pet mice as a child, for my family and also in my classroom. They’re fun! I’ve never had a rat but that was a matter of space. The only thing I’d add to what you’ve already been told is that, delightful as they are, do be aware that mice don’t get potty trained very effectively. At least, mine never did. Expect that they’ll “go” sometimes when being handled. It’s not a big deal if you know about it. Just don’t hold them for long on your favorite silk shirt, lol.
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It happens to me so many times I didn’t even think of adding that to my list lol 
I usually wear my “animal clothes” when dealing with the rodents for that very reason.
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Thanks y’all! I’ll keep this information in mind when doing further research. Have a good rest of your day/night. 
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