Fancy mice are domesticated breeds of the common or
house mouseThe house mouse is a small rodent, a mouse, one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus.As a wild animal the house mouse mainly lives associated with humans, causing damage to crops and stored food....
(
Mus musculus). The terms fancy and "feeder mice" are often used interchangeably by retailers, and are in fact the same variety of mouse.
Physical description
Fancy mice is a term to describe mice that have been selectively bred for exhibition. They can vary greatly in size, from small pet mice that are approximately 15 centimetre long from nose to the tip of the tail, to show mice that measure 30 cm (11.8 in) nose to tail. Pet mice weigh about 29 gram but large show mice can weigh up to 130 g (4.6 oz).
Human-directed artificial selection in fancy mice has created a variety of colors and patterns. These include black, chocolate, blue, white, cream, lilac, red, fawn, champagne, cinnamon, golden agouti, silver agouti, silver and dove. Standards are slightly different under the separate clubs.
Mice as pets
The first written reference to mice kept as pets occurs in the
EryaThe Erya is the oldest extant Chinese dictionary or Chinese encyclopedia. Bernhard Karlgren concluded that "the major part of its glosses must reasonably date from" the 3rd century BC....
, the oldest extant
Chinese dictionaryChinese dictionaries date back over two millennia to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which is a significantly longer lexicographical history than any other language. There are hundreds of dictionaries for Chinese, and this article will introduce some of the most important...
, from a mention in an 1100 B.C. version. In Europe the breeding of fancy mice became popular through the introduction of
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese stock in the early 17th century. By 1895 Walter Maxey founded the National Mouse Club in
VictorianThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with its first official show held in
LincolnLincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
that year. Since that time, mouse clubs have formed worldwide. Shows are held so
competitive breederAnimal fancy is a hobby involving the appreciation, promotion, or breeding of pet or domestic animals.Fancy may include ownership, showing, trialling and other competitions, breeding and judging. Hobbyists may simply collect specimens of the animal in appropriate enclosures, such as aquaria and...
s can display their mice, where they are judged on color and behavior.
Mice are kept as pets in many countries for a number of reasons: Fancy mice are relatively small, inexpensive, never need bathing, and can learn to enjoy regular handling. Female mice are popular with many owners since they tend to cohabitate with other mice better than males. Additionally, the urine of female fancy mice does not contain as strong an odor as that of the male mice. Bucks usually fight with and kill each other when housed together, even if they are brothers, and are introduced at a very young age, due to their very strong and unchangeable territorial instincts. It is difficult to house male mice together without the risk of injury to one or both males. Some people, however, prefer the personality and curiosity of male mice. It is a good idea to keep fancy mice in groups of at least two if possible, as mice are sociable animals. However, if a buck and a doe of breeding age are put in the same cage it is possible for them to reproduce at a maximum frequency of once every three weeks.
Mice in Shows
There are several clubs all over the world who host shows for mice, similar to rat shows. Shows are held in the US, the UK, and Australia most commonly.
Clubs include AFRMA (American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association, US), ECMA (East Coast Mouse Association, US), RMCC (Rat and Mouse Club of china, US), NMC (National Mouse Club, UK), and more.
A quote from the NMC, describes the ideal mouse body type, for showing: "The mouse must be long on body with long clean head, not too fine or pointed at the nose, the eyes should be large, bold and prominent. The ears large and tulip shaped, free from creases, carried erect with plenty of width between them. The body should be long and slim, a trifle arched over the loin and racy in appearance; the tail, which must be free from kinks should come well out of the back and be thick at the root or set-on, gradually tapering like a whip lash to a fine end, the length being about equal to that of the mouse's body. Unless the variety standard states otherwise, the coat should be short perfectly smooth, glossy and sleek to the hand. The mouse should be perfectly tractable and free from any vice and not subject to fits or other similar ailments. A mouse with absence of whiskers, blind in one or both eyes, carrying external parasites, having a tumour, sore or legs with fur missing, suffering from any obvious disease or deformity or kinked tail shall be disqualified."
Caging
Glass
aquariumAn aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
s or cages with wire bars and plastic flooring, are the most common types of housing. A span between cage bars of less than 9 mm (0.354330708661417 in) prevents young mice from attempting to escape by forcing themselves through the bars, where they may get stuck. This can also help prevent predatory pets such as
catThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s,
dogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s,
arthropodAn arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s,
snakeSnakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s, and other
carnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
s from killing and eating the mice.
Mice are naturally cautious of
ratRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s, who may kill and consume them. This rat behavior is known as muricide (Tattersall, Smith and Nowell 1997). The mouse cage should be cleaned every couple of days to stop it smelling and disinfected properly every 2 weeks to prevent infection and disease. In the wild, mice are able to co-exist with other small rodent species (Moro and Morris 2000). Compared to larger
mammalMammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, the mouse's small body makes it difficult to regulate body temperature effectively. Thus, drafts and large fluctuations in temperature can adversely affect the health of mice.
The best products for in cage bedding are aspenwood shavings. Paper-pulp-based products are also available, as well as a variety of recycled products, though newspaper products may contain inks, dyes and other chemicals from the papermaking process, but all are non-toxic. Cedar and pine, even kiln-dried, should not be used as they release aromatic oils that damage the respiratory system and can cause or exacerbate chronic respiratory disease. Recent research suggests that paper-pulp beddings may allow very high concentrations of ammonia to build up in cages, especially those with little ventilation. (Vanderlip 2001, ISBN 978-0-7641-1812-8). Small hideaways and toys (such as a cardboard tube) are good to have in the cage. Commercial toys are also available. Mice love to run on a wheel, which provides stimulation as well as exercise.
Feeding
Food for fancy mice can range from specially-formulated feed mix to kitchen scraps. Carrot, spinach, lettuce and other vegetables are often enjoyed by mice but should be given sparingly as such foods can result in diarrhea and life-threatening dehydration. Bread crumbs,
wheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and
riceRice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
can also be good for mice. Laboratories keeping mice as experimental subjects almost uniformly use a product called
lab blockLab block is the specially formulated food fed to mice and rats kept in a laboratory. It is commonly accepted as providing all the necessary nutrients in appropriate quantity in order for the animals to remain healthy. The main ingredient in most block food is typically corn, followed by soy....
, a scientifically-formulated blend originally designed for mice in laboratories. In order to keep variety in their diets, mice can also eat
oatThe common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s, oily
seedA seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s, clean
eggshellAn eggshell is the outer covering of a hard-shelled egg and of some forms of eggs with soft outer coats.- Insect eggs :Insects and other arthropods lay a variety of styles and shapes of eggs. Some have gelatinous or skin-like coverings, others have hard eggshells. Softer shells are mostly protein....
,
breakfast cerealA breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
, and stale bread.
FruitIn broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and
vegetableThe noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s are part of a more natural and healthful
dietIn nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
. Some owners give it to them as a treat after they do a trick. Mice often chew
woodWood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
and other hard substances which keeps their teeth from growing too long;
saltIn chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
licks are also an option. As mice and rats have similar diets, some pet mouse owners choose to feed
ratRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
food. Although it is common practice to feed premixed diets designed for other rodents, for the longevity and health of the animal it is best to feed mouse-targeted diets. Diets for hamsters, for instance, are known to contain higher protein than what is required for mice or rats. Homemade diets can be blended using
grainGRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
s,
riceRice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
,
oatThe common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s,
seedA seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s (such as
peanutThe peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
,
sunflowerSunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
, and
pumpkinA pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
), high quality
dog foodDog food refers to food specifically intended for consumption by dogs. Though technically omnivorous, dogs exhibit a natural carnivorous bias, have sharp, pointy teeth, and have short gastrointestinal tracts better suited for the consumption of meat...
, as well as a number of other ingredients.
House mice primarily feed on plant matter, but they will also accept
meatMeat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
and
dairy productDairy products are generally defined as foods produced from cow's or domestic buffalo's milk. They are usually high-energy-yielding food products. A production plant for such processing is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Raw milk for processing comes mainly from cows, and, to a lesser extent,...
s. Meats are full of
proteinProteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
and are great for pregnant or nursing mice. They will drink
waterWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
but require little of it, relying mainly on the
moistureHumidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
present in their food. If a water source is provided, then a gravity bottle feeder is necessary for maintaining the cleanliness of the
waterWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
supply. They will eat their
fecesFeces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
to acquire nutrients produced by
bacteriaBacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
in their intestines in a behavior they share with
rabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s and
guinea pigThe guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
s called Coprophagy. House mice, like other rodents, do not vomit.
Health
A healthy fancy mouse will live on average 18 to 30 months, depending on genetic predisposition. Like most mammals mice are susceptible to
mitesMITES, or Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science, is a highly selective six-week summer program for rising high school seniors held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Its purpose is to expose students from minority, or otherwise disadvantaged backgrounds, to the fields of...
, ticks and other skin parasites, as well as intestinal parasites. The cage should be cleaned regularly, and preferably treated with anti-mite spray. Mice are particularly sensitive to drafts and may pick up colds and other flu-like conditions. Mice can also over-groom when stressed, leading to skin irritations and fur loss. Older mice are susceptible to tumors, especially breast cancer in females as the mammary tissue is distributed around much of the body. Persistent problems should be referred to a
veterinarianA veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, although finding a vet with experience in treating mice can be difficult.
Like people, fancy mice can become obese if they overeat and do not get enough physical activity. This can lead to them developing life-threatening cardiovascular disorders and diabetes as well as arthritis. Activity aids such as tubes and wheels are great for ensuring mice get enough exercise, as well as mental stimulation. Mice also love to climb, and a wire cage with horizontal bars is perfect for this. A mouse set loose for exercise should be carefully observed, as they tend to scurry into a hiding spot and can be difficult to retrieve.
As rodents, mice must gnaw to keep their incisors from growing too long. Overgrown teeth can cause occlusion (blockage) of the mouth, which in extreme cases can lead to starvation. Hard foodstuffs, small pieces of wood or specially-prepared blocks can suit this purpose, although some mice can grind their teeth together ("
bruxingBruxism is characterized by the grinding of the teeth and typically includes the clenching of the jaw. It is an oral parafunctional activity that occurs in most humans at some time in their lives. In most people, bruxism is mild enough not to be a health problem...
") to keep them short. In rare cases a mouse may not be able to gnaw effectively, either from malformed incisors or
jawThe jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
s, and so its teeth must be trimmed by a vet.
Mice
self-groomPersonal grooming is the art of cleaning, grooming, and maintaining parts of the body. It is a species-typical behavior that is controlled by neural circuits in the brain.- In humans :...
and do not need to be bathed, unless they have a skin condition which requires special treatment.
Also, like people, mice can get diarrhea. For humans in developed countries with access to clean water, this is usually not a life-threatening condition. For mice though, it can be. Once a mouse gets diarrhea, since it is so small, it can very easily lose too much liquid, dehydrate, and die.
Handling
It is not natural for a
mouseA mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
to allow itself to be handled by a
humanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
. Try lowering your hand into the cage with food on your fingertips. Soon they will get more and more social. After a while, your mouse thinks of your hand as the safest place, and will easily climb into it whether there is food on it or not. The best way to pick up a
mouseA mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
, if it won't walk into your hand, is by gently scooping up the mouse with the palm of the hand facing up, and if necessary, cupping both hands around the mouse. Never attempt to pick up a mouse by the tip of their tail- doing so can pull the tail completely off, skin the tail, or break the mouse's spine. If you must pick up a mouse by its tail, be sure to grasp the tail gently as close to the mouse's body as possible. Retrieving a skittish mouse from its cage can be frustrating; they frighten easily and often try to hide. One method of retrieval is to coax the mouse into a cardboard tube placed in the cage, then pick up the tube.
Although mice are small animals and care must be taken to avoid injury, they are also surprisingly robust and inquisitive. Once out of the cage many enjoy running along their owners' arms, investigating pockets, or just sitting on the owner's lap and grooming. Some mice also tolerate gentle petting. Care must be taken as mice have poor eyesight and may try to lean too far over an edge and fall. Care must especially be taken when being handled by small children as they may be overly rough. Fancy mice very rarely bite, except when they are hurt or very frightened, and is usually the fault of the human handling them, as mice are not aggressive,but do have a very large chance of biting new people. (Excluding males who are wild and territorial.)
Unfortunately mice cannot be house trained and will often defecate and urinate while first being handled, especially if they are nervous. The feces of a healthy mouse consists of a relatively innocuous solid pellet a few millimetres long. However their urine is often pungent, particularly with males, and may stain fabric.
Breeding
Mice have a rapid reproduction rate; the
gestationGestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
period is approximately 19 to 23 days. The typical
litterA litter is the offspring at one birth of animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. The word is most often used for the offspring of mammals, but can be used for any animal that gives birth to multiple young. In comparison, a group of eggs and the offspring that hatch from...
size is 4 to 12 young. In some instances, up to thirty young have been born. Males can mate with the female as soon as the litter is born, which means that a female could become pregnant with another litter within 3 days of giving birth. Female mice should not be bred before 12 weeks or after 8 months; doing so can be very dangerous, and some mice can die while giving birth. Females come into heat around every three to five days, so the pair can be kept together for up to ten days.
Baby mice, called pinkies or
pupPup may refer to:In zoology:*Puppies, younger dogs*Pinniped young*Shark young*Rodent youngIn other uses:* Sopwith Pup, an aircraft used by the British in World War I* Beagle Pup, a 1960s British light aircraft...
s, are born
blindBlindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, naked, and deaf. Their eyes are closed and their ears are stuck to the sides of their heads. Mothers may eat any dead or sickly offspring. Pups begin to grow hair at two to four days. Ears open at three to five days, and the pups will start
vocalizingAnimal communication is any behavior on the part of one animal that has an effect on the current or future behaviour of another animal. The study of animal communication, is sometimes called Zoosemiotics has played an important part in the...
. Eyes open at 14 days, and the babies will start exploring the world around them. At three weeks old they look like miniature versions of adult mice. At four weeks the males in the litter should be separated out so as to not cause the mother and sisters to become pregnant, while the females can be left in with the mother.
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