Since so many online articles are dated, incorrect or miss-leading; we made this guide to help new (or not so new) owners get accurate and up to date information. Well also be adding links to our favorite products below this!
Housing
You never want to cohabitate males, males should be singly by themselves unless they are fixed, even fixed males cannot live with other males though, only females. The opposite applies for females, you do not want to keep a female singularly , we recommend a trio of females at the minimum to allow a proper hierarchy to be established. For cage size you want to look at floor space, not gallons. You will want 50-100 square inches per mouse, mice prefer friends over space since they are very social creatures. In addition you'll want to clutter your tank, think of a thick forest floor! You'll want it packed with lots of toys, hides, tubes, and clutter, the more clutter the better! Mice with too much space and too little clutter can often feel unsafe which leads to stress, stressed mice can also become hostile towards one another, so I always recommend an appropriate sized cage (not too big , not too small) with lots of clutter for happy, stress free mice! Old mugs, cardboard tubes and tissue shreds are all good options and you likely have them lying around!
5 gallon= 1-2 mice
10 gallon=1-4 mice
15 gallon=2-5 mice
20 gallon long= 3-7 mice
30/40 gallon breeder= 6-13 mice
40 gallon long=5-12
Bedding
Paper bedding is what most new owners are drawn too as its widely available , though this isn't a great option, paper bedding doesn't absorb ammonia, a build up of ammonia can cause lung scarring. We recommend pine shavings or aspen shavings bedding, these both are widely used among many mouse owners with little issues, there's very rare cases or mice with allergies / irritation to these.
Wheels
Wheels are NOT necessary for your mouse to live a happy healthy life, though they are great enrichment. If you choose to get a wheel it should be large enough in diameter that your mouse's spine does not curve, it should also have a solid flooring as the wire wheels can cause injury. Saucer runners are also great exercise , just make sure their backs don't curve with that either.
Diet
Mice are sometimes picky eaters, so the mixed diets with seeds and nuts are discouraged since your mouse will only eat their favorites and not get a well balanced meal. Mixed diets are fine to feed as a treat but we recommend lab blocks as their main food! Mazuri Rodent breeder is a great option for pet mice to get the nutrients they need for a happy life!
Fruits and veggies are also discouraged unless it is being used as a source of water during transport, too many fruits can cause diarrhea and its not a necessary part of their diet, so the risk isn't worth it . Finally, of course your mice will need a working water bottle that is filled up and checked for proper function frequently. Mice can't go very long without water and become dehydrated quickly, if you can putting 2 bottles in the tank is always the best option!
Feel free to contact us for more information if you have specific questions we will always try to answer the best we can!
Links:
Pine Bedding $5
Aspen Bedding $13
Mazuri Rodent Breeder food (50 pounds) $28
Igloo Hide $4
Coconut hanging hide $10
Tunnel hide $5
Wood Hide $6