# Your fancy mice homes??



## smurf_nom (Sep 7, 2009)

I am maybe getting a pair or trio of fancy mice in a few weeks time and was wondering what people keep their small groups of fancies in?

Cage? Tanks? Homemade cages? etc? 

Pics would be much appreciated too:2thumb:


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## KathyM (Jan 17, 2009)

My group lives in a Savic Ruffy (about Ferplast Mary size, with shelves in), and my single boys have slightly smaller cages (including a duna type). Don't have pics but if you google, you'll see the types. I'm thinking of up-ing the group to a Savic Freddy. :2thumb:


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## smurf_nom (Sep 7, 2009)

I was thinking about putting them into an adapted RUB. like my dwarf hamster is in. 
But i just can't decide.


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## smurf_nom (Sep 7, 2009)

KathyM said:


> My group lives in a Savic Ruffy (about Ferplast Mary size, with shelves in), and my single boys have slightly smaller cages (including a duna type). Don't have pics but if you google, you'll see the types. I'm thinking of up-ing the group to a Savic Freddy. :2thumb:


Does the savic ruffy not hav wide bars? 
I have only ever seen them on google and websites but always assumed the bars were wider apart for like rabbits and guinea pigs.


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## KathyM (Jan 17, 2009)

Savic Ruffy and Freddy cages have bars under 1cm, so are safe for mice. :2thumb:


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## smurf_nom (Sep 7, 2009)

KathyM said:


> Savic Ruffy and Freddy cages have bars under 1cm, so are safe for mice. :2thumb:


Oh right, i never knew that. 
thanks very much :2thumb:


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

i keep mine in coverted rubs, Ill get some pictures tomorrow


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## smurf_nom (Sep 7, 2009)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> i keep mine in coverted rubs, Ill get some pictures tomorrow


 
Oo that'd be brilliant thanks. 
I'll look forward to the pics.
My OH made my other converted rub for my roborovski hamster so may get him busy making again :whistling2:


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

mine are in ferplast cages, and converteted fish tanks..
when these eventually go in to the shed, i will have growing up tanks toooo, so when the babies hit the right age they will elave the tanks, which some arent doing at the moeeeeee (no room!!/dont get to that ageee) i was going to go down the converted rub way, but the time effort is crazy, and i have NO spare time at the moe


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

Here are my converted rubs and the set up ( Dont look at the mess lol)


































(this box isnt in use at the moment just needs cleaning)


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## saraheh (Oct 11, 2009)

Wow Mark thats alot of cages. 

Mice are lovely little ones. We have 3 Gabber Rex's with groups of 9,8 and 6. Smaller tanks like the Ferplast mini duna or Savic rody are good for a duo/trio or like Mark has said you have the bin cages. The gabber rex's are very hard to come by sometimes they appear on ebay but the bars across the top will need meshing. 

Ferplast do a new larger tank called the Ferplast Duna Multy price £39.99 that has the smaller bars across the top.


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## saraheh (Oct 11, 2009)

Wow Mark thats alot of cages. 

Mice are lovely little ones. We have 3 Gabber Rex's with groups of 9,8 and 6. Smaller tanks like the Ferplast mini duna or Savic rody are good for a duo/trio or like Mark has said you have the bin cages. The gabber rex's are very hard to come by sometimes they appear on ebay but the bars across the top will need meshing. 

Ferplast do a new larger tank called the Ferplast Duna Multy price £39.99 that has the smaller bars across the top.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

saraheh said:


> Wow Mark thats alot of cages.
> 
> Mice are lovely little ones. We have 3 Gabber Rex's with groups of 9,8 and 6. Smaller tanks like the Ferplast mini duna or Savic rody are good for a duo/trio or like Mark has said you have the bin cages. The gabber rex's are very hard to come by sometimes they appear on ebay but the bars across the top will need meshing.
> 
> Ferplast do a new larger tank called the Ferplast Duna Multy price £39.99 that has the smaller bars across the top.


only 8 of them have mice in, I sold a lot of mice now i only have 13 :lol2:


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## Myth (May 22, 2009)

One of my meece 'bin cages' the front is shelf out of a 'mickey' cage. 
Home to mum, 'nanny' and and litter at the moment.





















Just cleaned out and went for camera - the monkeys trashed it in about 5 minutes flat. 
There is food in the bowls under the shavings I swear...

:lol2:


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## smurf_nom (Sep 7, 2009)

Thanks for ya help and pics guys. Think i'll prob go the converted rub route and stack it wiv my hamster one. what sort of size would a pair or trio of mice need??


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

smurf_nom said:


> Thanks for ya help and pics guys. Think i'll prob go the converted rub route and stack it wiv my hamster one. what sort of size would a pair or trio of mice need??


I keep groups of 6 in 18ltr and lone buck/pairs/trios in 9 ltr until the female(s) is ready to give birth then i move them to either a 18ltr or 12ltr which ever i have spare.


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

I keep most of mine in glass tanks, just easier for me  also keep some in large storage tubs, but the multi's deffo in glass tanks, i have kept them in storage tubs before but theres always that risk with multi's so best to play it safe! :roll:































The shed









and i have one large colony of mice in an indoor rabbit cage


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## midori (Aug 27, 2006)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> I keep groups of 6 in 18ltr and lone buck/pairs/trios in 9 ltr until the female(s) is ready to give birth then i move them to either a 18ltr or 12ltr which ever i have spare.


 
Mark, do you mind if I ask if you keep mice as pets or to breed feeders? I hope that doesn't offend you, it's not my intention. 

The reason I ask is that i have groups of 1:3 mice in 18L RUB's but can't help feeling they seem a bit small for them. Maybe that's because I also have rats, which need a lot of space though?


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I keep mine in large faunariums, RUB's and now perfecto tanks.

I use the mice as feeders but also sell as pets.

I use the perfectos for the 'growing on' babies, so they can enjoy themselves with toys etc, that way if they go as pets they are nice pets, if they are culled at least they have enjoyed themselves immensley for the short time before they are culled.
I handle all the babies whether they are for food or pets.


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

When I kept mine, they were in either a Mary cage (80cm long, 1cm bar spacing) or a gabber rex tank (similar base size). I prefered the Mary as they had climbing space.

I think there's a vast difference between how people keep their rodents for food, and how they keep them for pet. I guess on a larger scale it's not realistic when you're breeding for food to have big huge cages for them to live out their (short) lives in, whereas IMO if you're keeping a couple for pets you should go for the biggest you can afford. Something like a Ruffy or Freddy would be ideal.

If you wanted to go for the rub, I'd convert similar to Mark's ones above with as much ventilation as possible, as mice can get really stinky really quickly - and are as prone to respiratory problems as rats are. But IMO a 60-80L tub would be the absolute minimum for a trio. They just simply wouldn't have enough space to live a happy life in something smaller.

Remember they like to climb too - so Mark's alterations give that option - but a cage would be much better.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

midori said:


> Mark, do you mind if I ask if you keep mice as pets or to breed feeders? I hope that doesn't offend you, it's not my intention.
> 
> The reason I ask is that i have groups of 1:3 mice in 18L RUB's but can't help feeling they seem a bit small for them. Maybe that's because I also have rats, which need a lot of space though?


Just pets but i like to keep a few varities so it not *ermmm cant think of a word so im going to say funcational (sp?) * for me to spend loads of cages that take up massive amounts of space.

MY groups of 6 live happily and quite comfortable in a 18ltr until they become a retired doe ( after 2 litters sometimes 3rd ) then they go into a tank or rehomed if anyone wants them.

But not offence taken i like people asking about my animals and questioning my opinions/ views


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I use 18ltr RUB's but I only put pairs in them for breeing.
If you give them too much to do they don't always tend to the pups so well and you end up with scrawny unwell pups.
When mine have litters ,the hamsters as well, I take out toys and wheels so they have nothing to do except tend to the litter.
They still have hidy holes as in tubes etc but nothing that is going to expend energy so that all their energy goes into feeding the litter. That way the pups use their food to grow as well instead of exerting it playing.
They get toys back at around 5 weeks old, unless they've been culled by then, as they are almost full grown by then.


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## smurf_nom (Sep 7, 2009)

So, say i used a 50ltr or 64ltr RUB for sum exhibition mice just as pets. how many could i comfortably have in there?


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

If you were keeping them in same sex groups you could get away with quite a large group.

I'd say 15 females or maybe 10 males, they need more room as they can become territorial as they mature.

I have 25 females, growing on so not adult size, in a 4 ft perfecto tank with shelves.

If you are having a breeding group in the RUB's I'd go for maybe 2 males and 6 females.
That way the males have enough room not to fight, I've not had fighting keeping breeding groups like this, and there's enough room for litters. The downside is you dont' know 'who' is Dad to which litters.
For breeding I'd keep them in 18's and just have trio's or groups of 1.3.

For large groups I'd use the 64's as the 50's are not high enough to prevent them jumping out and you just try to keep 10-15 mice in a 50 when you open the lid!!!!!!!


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## KathyM (Jan 17, 2009)

I wouldn't personally put groups of mice in 18 litre ones. I have the yearling corns in 18L ones and all my mouse cages are bigger, even those for the single males.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

its all down to personal preference (sp), the amount of space you have, money, how many you want to keep ect.


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