How to Feed Your Pet Mouse

Mice can make for great pets, but feeding them can be a little trickier then most pet owners realize in the very beginning. With a varied and healthy diet your pet mouse will live a long and happy life.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mouse Food.
• Healthy People Food.
• Leftovers.
• Treats.
• Chewing Options.

1. Choose a food for your mouse. Every animal diet should have a stable food choice that is offered daily. For the mouse you have a couple of options to choose from.
   
   Rat and Mouse Blocks- These are brownish gray pressed blocks (sometimes called lab block). They contain a balanced nutrition and offer everything your mouse needs, but they can be boring and monotonous to your mouse.
   
   Packaged Mixes- You can find packaged mixes in most pet stores. Choose a rat/mouse mix or a hamster mix. It should have a wide variety of things in it, only a few sunflower seeds and nuts, and only a few bright colored pressed corn pieces.
   
   Make Your Own Mix- You can also make your own mix from mixed seeds (light on sunflower seeds which are high in fat), nuts (light on peanuts which are high in fat), grains such as oats and corn, and a small amount of dog food.
   
   No matter which option you choose you will want to offer this each day to your mouse. Make sure that you aren't topping off a nearly full bowl because it could mean that your mouse is only eating the favorite parts of the mix.

2. Add healthy nutrition from people food sources and other foods you can gather up. Like people, mice need a good balance to their diet. You can supplement your mouse' s diet with people food. Here are some great options.
   
   -Fruits and vegetables that have been washed and peeled.
   -Plant materials such as fresh grass, dandelions, and sprouts.
   -Yogurt and sour cream can be a great way to add additional calcium to your mouse' s diet. You can also add egg shells for a good calcium source.
   -Dry hay is a fantastic thing to offer your mouse. He or she will play in it, build a nest with it, and munch on it.
   
   Remember that your mouse is tiny. You should only offer servings that are one to three handfuls for your mouse (who has tiny hands)! Don't go overboard because you can cause diarrhea or obesity.

3. Leftovers. Your mouse will enjoy small amounts of leftovers as well. Lean meats that have been thoroughly cooked such as fish, chicken, and turkey are some good options. Other things include cooked potatoes, rice, pasta, cooked oats (such as hot cereal), and leftover vegetables. You should never give foods that are well seasoned and you need to remember size!

4. Treats. Your mouse will also enjoy treats that you can offer them. There are several options which include: store bought mouse treats, yogurt drops, seed sticks and blocks, dog kibble, dog biscuits, and chew sticks. You can also make your own treats and even offer a few live meal worms (small in size and make sure you clean up the leftovers).

5. Chew options. Your mouse' s teeth continue to grow throughout its life. It is important that they have plenty of hard options to help wear down their teeth. Some good options are: flavored woods purchased at the pet store, nuts in their shells (such as walnuts), dog biscuits, uncooked pasta, uncooked rice, dried beans, and mouse treats designed to be hard. These don't have to be offered everyday, but should be offered every now and again.

Tips & Warnings

• There are some foods to avoid for a healthy mouse. Citrus fruits, milk, and cheese cause digestive problems. Chocolate is toxic. Sugars and fatty foods such as potato chips can cause obesity. Peanut butter (and other nut butters) can cause choking. And fizzy drinks such as soda can cause your mouse to blow up. These foods should all be avoided for a healthy mouse.
• Some foods should be limited for a healthy mouse. These include: corn, wheat, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.