Caging

Mice are active and gregarious animals who love to climb.  They are especially prone to respiratory infections, and cages that are too small or are poorly ventilated greatly exacerbate these problems, as well as social issues within the group.

ACR&S requires at least 1.5 square feet for 1-2 mice to live in comfortably.  This is the equivalent of a 10 gallon aquarium.  Though we strongly prefer wire cages with small spacing, cages which meet the space requirements and bar spacing requirements can be difficult to find.  Aquariums should be cleaned regularly and have a sturdy mesh top with clips to keep it from being pushed off of the tank.

We do not recommend plastic "Habitrail" type cages for mice because they are difficult to clean and can be chewed through with some effort.

Diet

Mice, like humans, are omnivorous and have a widely tolerated range of foods (though they often enjoy fatty and unhealthy foods moreso than their healthier counterparts).  We recommend using a "lab block" or extruded food as the primary component to the mouse diet, supplemented with organic grains, fresh produce, and other healthy treats in reasonable amounts.

Bedding

Acceptable bedding:  Carefresh (or similar paper pulp beddings), hardwood shavings (aspen is most common), Yesterday's News (or other pelleted paper).

Unacceptable beddings:  Pine or cedar shavings (contain dangerous aromatic oils), corn cob bedding (prone to molding, dangerous to ingest), clay or clumping cat litters (dangerous to ingest, dusty), newspaper (not absorbent)

Social Needs

Mice are social animals.  Typically, female mice can be housed together with few problems in a social setting (provided their owner provides them with adequate cage spaces and enrichment and food resources).  Male mice are more territorial, and more difficult to house together.  We strongly prefer to adopt mice out to live in social settings, but can and do make exceptions for mice which prefer to reside alone.

Mice and Kids

Because of their small size and fast speed, mice may not be the ideal pet for a child.  Parents should take their child's personality into consideration when considering a small rodent as a pet.  Typically, the safest way for a child to interact with a mouse is by allowing the child to pet and play with the mouse while sitting on the floor in a "mouse-safe" room.  This will prevent the mouse from being injured by falling or jumping off of your child, and prevent scared nips by mice being grabbed and squeezed while in their cages.

Vet Care

Although they seem much more common than some of the other, more exotic pets, mice are classed as an "exotic" animal.  As such, most veterinarians are not qualified to see them, and you'll have to seek out an exotic specialist.  ACR&S has compiled a list of veterinary references which may be helpful in finding your pet's new vet.  Please be aware that not all vets that "see" mice actually have up to date knowledge or relevant experience with them.  An uninformed vet can very easily kill your mouse through well-intentioned ignorance.

We encourage all of our adopters to research as much as possible on the animals of their choice (though of course we will work with you to help educate you as well!)  We especially recommend the care guide at the ASPCA, located here.

Adoption fees for mice:
$10 per single mouse, $15 per bonded pair

Adoption Process

1.)  After researching the species that you are interested in, please fill our our small animal adoption application.  Make sure you indicate the animal(s) that you're interested in!  This is not a commitment to adopt, and there is no fee for the application or for withdrawl of an application.

2.)  An adoption coordinator will verify your landlord approval (if applicable) and your vet reference.  Once these are passed, you will be contacted about adoption.  If there are any questions or concerns about information on the application, they will be addressed at this time.

3.)  A date for a home check/meet and greet will be set up with the animal(s) that you choose.  If we are trying to pair up your current pet with a friend, this may require several visits if the first candidate does not work out.  Please note:  ACR&S is a collective of foster homes, and as such we do not have a single shelter facility that can be visited, although we are happy to bring the animals that you are interested out to meet you, and we frequently conduct adoption events.