Food and Bedding

Mice at Gray Scale Pets are currently eating Mazuri Rodent Breeder 6F and are on Aspen bedding.

Q: What should I feed my mice?

A: For pet mice any good quality pelleted or lab block style of food will be great.  Examples are Mazuri Rat and Mouse, Kalmbach Rodent Diet, or Oxbow Mouse & Young Rat food.  We avoid seed mix diets because even if they are formulated for a mouse's needs, the animals will pick out their favorite seeds first and potentially leave half of their nutrition behind.

Q: Can I give my mice treats?  What about kitchen scraps?

A: I do not feed my mice scraps of any sort.  Too much fruit or vegetable material can give them diarrhea which can quickly become a serious health issue, and because they are so small it does not take much to feed too much of anything.

What I do give my mice for treats are organic rolled oats and dried mealworms, sparingly.  A small pinch of oats each night makes them come running out to see you (they love them), and mealworms I generally reserve for mothers with babies and young mice who need the extra protein to grow.

I also add Orchard Grass Hay to the mouse cages, but this is more for enrichment and a bedding material than food.  The mice will occasionally nibble at it, but they are much more likely to shred it up and make a nest with any hay provided.

Q: What should I use for bedding?  Can I prevent smells?

A: Aspen bedding is the best general bedding for both availability and controlling smells in a way that is safe for your mice.  Kiln dried pine is acceptable (as long as you ensure that it has in fact been kiln dried, regular pine bedding is toxic), and paper bedding like Carefresh works, but it does not control smell for long and will not give you the best experience with your pets.