Here is what I consider as good pet rodent supplies.
Do not hesitate to suggest other. Do not hesitate also to ask advice to petshop vendors.
1. A good cage1.1- that animals do not escape. Cages are made of plastic (plexiglas in general) and/or metal bars. Myself I prefer full plastic (on the sides; on the top I don't care) both for esthetism and to have a clean space around (with bars animal throw things out). In case of plastic you should check that it does not have several holes on the side, so that your pets don't enlarge the holes and go out (if you still buy such a cage, put tape on the holes, on the external side of the cage, so that mice don't put their nose out and then use their teeth to enlarge the holes). In cage of bars make such that there is not too much space in-between (ask the vendors if you have a doubt) so that if you have mice they don't go out. Of note, in my experience if you put pets outside of the cage they will rapidly want to come back, but it is better to ensure that the cage is a true cage.
1.2- that allows you to put one big water bottle rather than use the mini ones that initially come with cages (otherwise you'll have to refill water at least twice a week, otherwise you put your animals at risk). A typical good case is when the bottle is supposed to hand ouside of the cage and the hole to put the tip of the water bottle is sufficiently large to pit a larger water bottle (don't expect enlarging yourself the hole: it is very difficult with plexiglas).
1.3- that is sufficiently large and easy to clean. Typical minimum size (for a few mice or a few rats; indeed rats don't require that much more space): [35 cm x 35 cm] x20 cm height. My cage is more 35 x 50 x 25, I have 3 mice but if I had the double I think it would ok. A minimum space is indeed required to have a playground; then animals like to sleep all together on one place. Some cages come up with numerous floor and tunnels, it is fun but complex to clean so I do not use it.
In the petshops where I have been, the type of cage I liked the best (and that I have now) is the "
Paradisio cage". It costs between 30€ and 45€ (depending on the week; I don't know why prices vary so much from one week to another). Here are pictures:
2. A large water bottle and a water cleaning solutionThis is my own little trick rather than a standard method. As explained in 1.2 I prefer to use a sufficiently large water bottle so that you have time to react when it is half drunk and your animals won't lack water, even if you were to leave them alone for 2-3 weeks. When doing a lifespan experiment I think it is safer than to take the risk of having your animals die from thirst (!).
2.1- Water bottle As you can see in the next picture, for about 9€ you get a nice water bottle that is external to the cage (but the tip goes in of course). I would say that the minimum size is like a human-small-water-bottle (the ones you can buy in a food machine).
Do not put water in a bucket inside the cage: I had tried it at first, they had immediately filled it with their litter (!)
2.2- Water cleaning solution. I put a few drops of a methylene-blue-containing cleaning solution for fish, as petshops usually do for fish, over long term periods (if case of disease they use higher doses). Based on my own taste, it prevents water from turning bad after several weeks in the sun, which is not the case for vinegar or citric acid and other things. When I was young strong doses of methylene blue was a medicine against sore throats (it worked well actually). My mice and previous mice are taking it. This costs 7€70 but lasts 'forever'. If you are interested I can ship you some along with the treatment or placebo shipment.
3. Expendable: very standard food, litter and straw3.1- Standard petfood + mini extra from my own kitchen. I take the most regular food as possible for rodents, to ensure that they have a balanced diet. I give them too much rather than too little (ad libitum) because 'normal' mice and rats don't control themselves much better than we do and don't become obese. Cost: 4.50 € for approx 2 months (for much less time if you have rats, because rats eat several times more than mice). About once or twice a week I also give them mini chunks of curlies or bread or chocolate or cheese or cornflakes or nuts... because they are my pets after all.
I put the food directly in the cage, at no special place: they handle it very well.
3.2- Litter to absorb odors. When I change the cage (once a week, with rare exceptions), I first put about two cm deep of litter. It is very standard in petshops. Cost: 5€ for 2 months.
3.3- Straw. The animals like straw. They make beds/nests with them, or mountains and hide in it, etc. It is very standard in petshops. I put about 2 cm deep of straw on the top of litter. Cost: 2€35 for 2 months
4. Toys and things to handle them4.1- Ball(s) are usefulRodents like to go inside a cavity. It can be straw but it can also be a house, or a ball. The advantage of a ball is that you can also use it to keep them somewhere away while cleaning the cage. Myself I use 2 size of balls because it is a convenient way (and nice way for them) to keep them in the sink while I clean the cage, as you can see in the picture. I have bought one small ball per animal but I actually think that it is better to buy one small (7€) and one large (10€) ball only, at least for mice.
4.2- Optional: running wheelThis is IMHO optional. Do *not* take a wheel all in pastic because by experience it is not is a good type of plastic: they make holes in it and it is certainly not very good for them to eat plastic. WIth a running wheel the animals should live a little longer as is well known (published experiments in rats in the 80s or 90s from what I remember; increased lifespan under ad libitum feeding but not under calorie restrcition) but the order of magnitude is much smaller than what we are trying to reproduce. Lately I decided to give a wheel to my mice (they run on hard plastic and the sides are in metal; 10€).
4.3- OtherThe animals are curious: use your imagination. You can put a plate, a woodstick, waterever you want from time to time, to have them investigate and imagine a new playground with new rules. Avoid paper, tape, soft plastic as they would eat it. Mice particularly like to play like 'chimpanzees'. Of course, be careful not to make dangerous things (eg vertical heavy plate that may fall).
5. Environment, contrindications, handling5.1 EnvironmentIn general, think that these animals live in the same kind of environment like us: if it is cold for you, it is cold for them. If it is always dark or always bright they won't get well.
- I recommend to put the cage in a 'normal' place in your house (kitchen, living room, other) so that they will benefit from the good conditions and you will see if something isn't right.
- Do not put the animals in a place where the air is not renewed
- For when you go out for a few days, I recommand to buy a plug that automatically switches on and off (3€ next to my house) and plug a lamp on it: it will produce the required 12h day/12h night cycle.
- One noise should absolutely be avoided: dripping tap water at unknown intervals. Just like you, your animals would not be able to sleep. They would get fuzzy hair and would be ill-like (just like you when you wake up). Having a loud regular noise is not an issue (in the contrary, it prevents them from being disturbed by slight noise); just like us.
5.2 ContrindicationsIf you are allergic to cat hair, chances are that you are allergic to mouse hair too (rat hair perhaps, but less frequent). If you work in a rodent facility, check with the rodent facility that you are allowed to have such pets at home. If you intend to move in the coming few years and won't be able to bring your animals and cage with you (in the car, with a little care of course), then obviously you should not have pets.
5.3- Carrying themIt is not the only way but mice are typically carried by the tail whereas rats are typically carried by putting your hand under their body. Indeed mice could bite a little if you carry them like rats and if they are not used too (depending on how the petshop used to carry them) and rats are nice (they have big teeth but they don't bite unless they are terribly ill or you try to do something that obviously afrays them) and heavy so holding them by the tail may hurt them a little (a little like if you were pulled by a foot). In my experience learning how to handle mice or rats comes fast, and vendors can advise you and petshops also sell small brochures or how to take care of mice or rats.
5.4- Feeding them treatment of placeboAlong with the shipment of the treatment or placebo I will send you the right tools to give them on bread. Here are pictures for mice:
Minimal costFor mice,
- Initial total cost ≈ 35 (cage) + 9 (water bottle) + 8 (water cleaner) + 17 (balls) +3 (plug) ≈ 72 Euros
- Cost per month ≈ 4.5/2 (food) + 5/2 (litter) + 2.35/2 (straw) ≈ 6 Euros
For rats,
- it might be around 80 € initially (larger balls) and then 10 € per month.
So overall not much compared for example to the excess-of-food that many of us eat. I would be interested in some of you could compare some of those prices with the prices you have in the nearest petshop to your house.
Edited by AgeVivo, 09 September 2012 - 05:08 PM.