Mus musculus (Color mouse)

Origin: Originally from Asia
Head-fuselage Length: 6.5-9.5cm (excluding tail of 6-10cm)
Age: 1 to 2 years
Mice are small, active rodents that make quick contact with humans. They can become quite tame and are relatively easy to care for. Mice are group animals, so it is important to keep more than one mouse. They are also very smart, allowing you to teach and discover the mice different tricks. This gives both the mice and you a fun activity.

Grooming
Experience: None
Feeding: Complete dry food formulated specifically for mice (can be supplied with some green food, fruit or another extra)
Water bowl: Not required. Water bottle: Yes
Change water: 3 times a week (change water bowl at the same time if you have one)

Nutrition
A sturdy food bowl (for example made of stone) must be placed in the cage. Mice are real omnivores and will therefore give everything they are given. It is best to provide your mouse with power as it says "Feeding". Some mice have a tendency to get fat. Therefore, pay close attention to whether you think your mouse looks too thick. A willow twig and the occasional dog biscuit can serve as gnawing material to wear down the teeth. Special gnawing snacks are usually too big for a mouse, so that it quickly eats too many. Gnawing blocks and vitamins are unnecessary.

Water
If you are going to place a water bowl in the accommodation to replace a water bottle, it is important to change this water every day and make the layer of water no higher than 2 cm. It also wants to prevent faeces from falling into the water, so it is important to change the water every day.

Cleaning
A hygienic living environment is important to keep your color mouse healthy. In order to achieve this, the accommodation will have to be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once or twice a week is regular enough.

Handling
The animal will have to be handled to change the habitat of the color mouse. This must of course be done properly so that both the color mouse and you are safe. Approach the creature carefully and make sure your hands are washed. Never lift a mouse by the end of its tail, as this is extremely uncomfortable and also painful for the animal. A mouse can also climb up its tail and bite you on your fingers. However, you can grasp the mouse between the thumb and forefinger at the base of the tail, or while the thicker part close to the body to place the animal on your hand or arm. However, this also creates stress for the mouse. It is therefore best to pick up and hold a tame mouse with both hands, with one hand under and the other hand slightly above the mouse. Be careful that young mice can be very jumpy. When the mouse is sleeping, leave it alone.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for 2 Color Mice: 75x40x40 cm (for each additional animal you charge about 20% more area)
Temperature: Room temperature (+ - 20C)
Hours of light: 12 hours (need no bulb or artificial light above)
Ground cover: Wood fiber, wood shavings (not dusty), biodegradable cat grain, kitchen roll or newspapers

Design
Color mice are real group animals, so it is important to house them with conspecifics. A suitable housing area for one House Mouse is described above. A good layer of absorbent bedding ensures that urine is absorbed quickly, because mice have quite sensitive airways, it is important that the bedding is not too dusty or smells too strong. Sawdust is therefore not suitable, because it is often too dusty. Ground coverings that are suitable are described above under "Ground cover". When furnishing the enclosure, ensure that there are sufficient hiding places, for example by placing several rodent houses or bird nest boxes on the floor of the enclosure. Cardboard boxes can also serve as hiding places.
To give mice enough room to move around, you can furnish the enclosure with tunnels, steps, an exercise wheel or climbing ropes. If you choose an exercise wheel, it is important that the mouse can walk in it with a straight back. When purchasing an exercise wheel, make sure that it has a closed running surface and no spokes, the stand must also be attached to the closed side. In this way, the animals cannot get trapped with their tail.
Make sure that when you place heavy objects in the housing (such as a stone eating bowl) these objects rest on the bottom of the container. In this way they cannot fall over or slide when the animals are digging in the bedding.

Behaviour
Lifestyle: Occasionally during the day, but especially during twilight and active at night

Character
Mice are social and active animals that naturally live in family groups in which there is a clear hierarchy. Mice mainly communicate by means of smell and sound, they can also make very high ultrasonic sounds that are not audible to human ears in order to communicate with each other. Color mice are very mobile and can climb, jump and run well.
Points of attention
Color mice are real group animals and will therefore have to be housed with at least one other congener in order to maintain the health of the animals. Do not place the housing of the mice in direct sunlight or next to the heating, as it will quickly become too hot in the housing. Also, do not place the enclosure too close to the television, loudspeaker boxes or other devices that emit ultrasonic sounds as mice can hear them well and can be bothered by them.

Costs and Purchase
Legislation: No transfer papers are required by law to own a Color Mouse.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for the accommodation, lighting, water bottle, water bowl and decoration. All together this can cost a few hundred euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, which is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred if your animal accidentally falls ill.