Before getting mice as pets, it’s very important to know the good and the bad.
Mice generally make good pets because of their affordable maintenance and small-space requirement. But in this article, I will talk about 5 main reasons why they may not be your ideal pet after all.
Let’s read more below!
Table of Contents
Mice are Small and delicate
Mice are small and highly vulnerable.
This makes them pretty difficult to handle than other pets like dogs and cats.
Their skeleton is thin and weak; if mishandled, they can get injured easily.
They have a small lifespan
On average, indoor mice can live up to two years. They live longer because they have a constant supply of food.
But compared to other animals, their life span is still shorter. This is because they have a high metabolic rate and pulse rate of about 300 – 500 beats each minute.
If you’re looking to spend more time with them, this may not be ideal for a pet owner.
Mice have a rapid breeding rate
Mice multiply fast! Their pregnancy period is between 19 to 21 days.
Female mice can have a litter of 3 – 14 pups and become pregnant 5 – 10 times a year on average.
Mice can mate immediately after birth with no complications because of their rapid maturation.
This simply means that they can have a second litter of 3 -14 pups within 25 days after dropping the first.
This makes them a handful and difficult to keep as pets.
Mice may carry diseases and can contaminate food
They may carry diseases such as:
- Leptospirosis,
- Salmonella,
- Rabies,
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV),
- Hantavirus, etc.
And they can spread these diseases into your food or water.
Research has proven that people can get sick from eating contaminated food through mice droppings, saliva, hairs, and urine.
This means that mice owners should be extra careful to put them away from pantries or dining rooms.
RECOMMENDED READING: DO MICE CARRY RABIES?
They can damage books, clothes, and furniture
Books, clothes, and furniture are not natural food to mice but they can chew and tear them for nest-building purposes.
Mice can chew anything, even table feet, chairs, and floorboards.
So long as these things can be chewed on, mice don’t mind doing it.
The mattress and sofa are at mercy of mice since it’s their natural habit to chew things even if they are kept in a cage.
FAQ:
Are mice good pets for kids?
No, mice are not good pets for kids.
They are small and very fast thus, children might not handle them properly. And when they are scared or treated roughly, the rats may bite them.
This happens because mice love running and exploring on their own than being held.
On the other hand, children will always want to open their cages to play with them. Doing this can make mice escape from their cage and not return.
Although it is possible to train them, it is not a guarantee they won’t hurt your kids.
For these reasons, mice often make bad pets for young children.
Are mice good pets to keep in the bedroom?
No, mice may not be suitable pets to keep in the bedroom. They can disturb your sleep with their noise.
And when they pee, they could smell terribly if not properly taken care of.
Also, mice stand the risk of being trapped by swivel chairs or other furniture in the room if they are allowed to run around.
The owners can mistakenly step on their delicate bodies and damage them if they are not kept in a pet carrier.
Additionally, mice cannot be kept in the bedroom because they can chew cables, wires, and valuable documents in a room.
Recap
Mice can make bad pests because of their high breeding rate, short lifespan, fragility, and ability to destroy things.
They are not good pets for kids because they can bite them if not handled properly.
Also, it’s not good to keep them in your bedroom because they can smell, make noise or destroy your furniture!
In case you want to know some simple facts about mice and chickens, click here!
