What to feed white mice

general characteristics

These small rodents are distributed throughout the entire earth, excluding the extreme northern and high-mountain regions.
The closest relatives of mice are jerboas, mole rats, hamsters and dormice. And more distantly related are rats, chinchillas, porcupines, beavers, and guinea pigs. In total, the Mouse subfamily includes 121 genera and more than 300 species. The mouse is a small animal with an elongated and pointed muzzle, large round ears and bulging beady eyes. A long, hairless or slightly furred tail is a distinctive feature of the animal. The limbs, which are not the same in length, are adapted for digging and moving along vertical and horizontal surfaces. The body length of a rodent can vary from 3 to 20 cm, weight - from 15 to 50 g.

Mice have a special bite. On the lower and upper jaws the animal has 2 chisel-shaped teeth, which are continuously growing. Rodents are forced to constantly grind them down, which is why their incisors are very sharp.

Animals from the Mouse family have good eyesight and can distinguish between red and yellow shades. The usual body temperature of these rodents ranges from 37.5 to 39⁰C. The maximum lifespan of mice is 4 years.

Mice belong to the order of rodents. In it they form a separate family, in which there are 400 different species. Depending on the area, they are called Asia Minor, Sichuan, Caucasian, and so on. In Russia, the most common types of mice are the house and forest mice.

gray or white. The coloring can also be unusual: striped or variegated.

A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents and the mouse family. Representatives of the family can be seen on most continents of the globe, except for the Far North and Antarctica. They live in tropical jungles, steppes or deserts, on mountain slopes or swamps, as well as in thickets of coniferous or deciduous forests. But the most comfortable place where rodents settle is the human home.

The semicircular ears of these animals are small in size, but allow mice to hear perfectly. Regardless of the time of day, they are perfectly oriented in their environment thanks to the thin and sensitive whiskers that grow around their nose. There are five prehensile toes on the short paws of mice. Keratinized scales with sparse hairs cover the entire surface of the tail. The rodent's short fur is usually gray, brown or red, but striped and white individuals are often found in nature.

The small size of the body does not allow the animals to maintain normal body temperature, which they regulate by generating internal heat. Animals' bodies produce more heat at low temperatures than at high temperatures.

The female of these animals is capable of childbearing after 7-8 weeks and at one time gives birth to 5-10 small, completely hairless mice. They cannot crawl, hear or see, but their development is rapid, and after 25 days the individual becomes sexually mature. During the year they have from 4 to 8 broods. Mice live on average 2 to 3 years.

Habitat

In order for rodents to maintain a constant body temperature, they need to be active in winter and summer, day and night. Gluttony and fussiness for mice are characteristic traits that help them survive and leave offspring.

In the fall, animals begin collecting provisions in a burrow or on the surface of the ground, where the “warehouse” is camouflaged with earth. And if in the off-season rodents are awake at night and sleep during the day, then in winter they remain active around the clock. In spring and autumn, when there is no shortage of food and no temperature fluctuations, mice actively reproduce.

Mice live in large families, since together it is easier for them to defend themselves, get food, build homes, and raise offspring. In a mouse pack there is a leader who maintains order in the group. Female mice are peaceful. But young males do not always put up with their subordinate position. Stomping with its hind legs and aggressive tail strikes indicate the animal’s intention to conquer the “throne.” Inter-family clashes can lead to the disintegration of the pack.

Mice live on all continents. Together with humans, they settled around the world and adapted to different climatic zones. Rodents feel great in the tropics, in the mountains, and in swamps. They are able to survive at staggering heights: 4 thousand meters is not the limit for these small creatures.

Mice usually settle near human settlements. This applies primarily to the brownie and Cairo varieties. After all, in cities and villages, at every step you can find what mice eat. Therefore, she is as comfortable as possible here. But if natural disasters occur - fires, floods or earthquakes, rodents are able to leave their usual habitat and migrate.

Those species that live in steppes or forests are poor swimmers. But marsh mice feel free on the water. Rodent houses come in three types:

• simple minks;
• complex burrows in the form of labyrinths;
• nests made of grass stems.

Mice lead a terrestrial lifestyle. They rarely climb trees, but they easily climb small bushes.

Rodent behavior

Representatives of the mouse family are very smart, inquisitive, agile and capable of reaching speeds of up to 12 km/h. They are brave and, fighting for life, can attack animals many times larger than themselves. To ensure order in the flock, weaker individuals obey the stronger ones. A leader is elected who dominates all members of the pack, and especially young relatives.

Males require more space, allocating only a small area to females. Females in the wild are often aggressive and capable of fighting other predators, but in captivity they have a more friendly and sociable character. They do not show aggression if several other individuals live in their cage.

Male mice living in captivity have a paternal instinct, which makes them very different from mice in the wild.

Animals are most active at night or in the evening. But there are some factors that directly affect the rhythm of activity of small animals:

1. Age. Mobility in old rodents is reduced compared to young ones.
2. Floor. The female significantly increases her activity before the birth of her offspring. She eats often and a lot, arranges the nest and protects it from other females. And after the birth of a new litter, he remains close to the pups almost all the time, warming and caring for them.
3. Features of the structure of the flock and the position of the mouse in it. The activity of subordinate individuals of the pack directly depends on the periods of wakefulness of their leader.
4. Change in weather or season. For example, in summer, especially in hot climates, animals become active exclusively at night. This way they are saved from overheating. During daytime temperatures, they can be active even during daylight hours. Mice do not hibernate. During the winter, they do not need to forage for food. Mice living in nature feed on summer supplies.

Where mice live, there are usually plenty of treats for them to covet. Getting out of their homes at night, they steal everything that is in bad shape: seeds, berries and other food products. But during the day they can often be seen on the surface, especially in late August - early September, when the harvest is ripening and you need to stock up on food for the winter.

These animals are very careful. They are quite timid, always listening to all kinds of sounds. If they feel threatened, they hide or run away. They run very fast. The common mouse, as well as representatives of other species, communicate with each other using squeaks. They can live either alone or in small groups. Families unite in the fall to jointly stock up on food for the winter.

READ White quail breed description

Size and character

In size, snow-white mice are not very different from their relatives. They weigh from 18 to 30 grams. The body length is up to 11 centimeters, the tail length is from 5 to 11 centimeters.

They are very active, climbing all the time. In addition, they are absolutely non-aggressive and easily find a common language with their relatives and owners.

If you want to get several of these mice at once, then there is no need to worry about their behavior and buy several cages. They get along peacefully, share food and resolve issues of dominance without the use of force. But they need to be placed in a cage together and preferably at an early age. If a newcomer is added to an already existing group that has been living together for a long time, the residents will definitely begin to pursue him, especially if it is a male. Such persecution often leads to the death of a stranger.

But one individual is also of interest for its habits: it easily makes contact, trusts its owner, happily runs towards an outstretched hand, waiting for the next dose of affection or food.

Don't forget that these rodents are good parents. After the birth of the cubs, not only the mother, but also the father takes care of them; together they build a nest and take care of the offspring, surpassing almost all domestic pets in their “family” nature.

What do mice in the wild eat?

Mice generally like to eat foods high in carbohydrates, such as grains, fruits, and seeds. They are able to survive for long periods of time on small amounts of food. When food is scarce, mice may even resort to eating their young. It was observed that some individuals even ate their own tails.

In the wild, mice are primarily herbivores. During the warm season, they eat fruits, berries and seeds. During the cold winter months, mice will eat plant roots and tree bark.

Wild mice living in cities are most often omnivores, that is, they eat food of both animal and plant origin. Mice that live in the wild may also consume worms, crickets, millipedes, snails, and slugs. In urban environments, these rodents tend to eat food waste thrown away by people.

Baby mice feed only on their mother's milk. They continue to drink their mother's milk until they grow up and are able to eat a mixture of solid food and milk throughout adolescence. Mice are born blind, hairless, and completely dependent on their mother. As they grow older, the mother brings adult food to the nest, and the babies learn to eat it.

They usually love plant foods. These can be fruits of trees, bushes, grass seeds. Sometimes mice feast on insects. Those species that live in meadows and fields feed on grains, cereal stems and seeds. Inhabitants of swamps and river banks readily eat plants, especially their green parts. Various buds, roots, shoots and leaves make up their daily menu.

What does a mouse eat if it is a forest dweller? The answer is simple - everything that trees can give her. These can be cedar and beech fruits, as well as hazel, nuts and acorns. The biggest gluttons, of course, are house mice. In people’s apartments they will find all the most delicious things: cheese, sausage, cereals, eggs. Some rodents eat their own kind.

Thus, large yellow-throated mice feed on smaller individuals: forest or field mice. But this is if they are locked in a cage or one room. In the wild, these species coexist peacefully, and there have been no cases of cannibalism between them. This is due to the fact that small mice are more mobile. It is not always possible to catch them in open space.

Mice spend most of their time in burrows, raising offspring, escaping danger, storing food, or resting after eating it. The maximum depth of the burrow is 70 cm, and the total length of the passages can reach 20 m. Some species of mice build nests in thickets of tall grasses (little mouse) or live in tree roots and old stumps (forest mouse).

Minks can be temporary or permanent, and the latter can be summer or winter. Temporary housing for animals is simply planned. The permanent mouse hole has a spacious nesting chamber and several entrances. In summer burrows where rodents give birth, bedding is created from fluff, blades of grass, shavings and feathers. And in winter, a pantry is set up for food supplies.

The lifespan of rodents directly depends on environmental conditions. The average is 2-3 years. The greatest influence on the lifespan of animals is exerted by factors such as climate, nutrition, infectious diseases and attacks by wild animals.

Both frost and dry, hot weather can be detrimental to mice. Too sharp temperature fluctuations destroy numerous rodent colonies. Often the weather is related to the opportunity to eat well. An inadequate diet significantly shortens the life of a mouse.

Many species of mice that live away from people live a little less or more than a year. And an animal tamed by humans, receiving balanced nutrition and care, can live up to 6 years.

Animals from the shrew family are divided into only 14 species. This long-nosed mouse is small in size (6-10 cm). Only the born cubs weigh less than 1 g. The animal’s nose, curved at the end, is called the proboscis. The animal's coat is shiny, thick, and silky; There are gray, ocher, reddish shades.

A mouse with a long cute nose navigates in space thanks to its sense of smell. It is an omnivore, but prefers to eat insects, as well as some vertebrates (frogs, baby rodents, small reptiles). Without food, this animal can live no more than 10 hours.

Shrews live in large concentrations in South America, Africa, and Australia. This small mouse with a long nose feels great near bodies of water, in damp forests and low-growing thickets.

A mouse with large round ears and a long nose. It is also called Asia Minor. Inhabits the islands of Japan, southwestern Georgia, and the Kuril Islands of Russia. Prefers mountainous uplands, mixed forests, with dense shrubby undergrowth.

Japanese mice do not dig holes, inhabiting voids in trees and buildings, accumulations of stones and dense bushes. The length of the body and tail are almost equal (up to 13 cm). They breed only during the 6 warm months of the year, during which time they produce 2-3 litters of 3-6 cubs.

A distinctive feature of the animal is a yellow round spot on the chest. The length of the rodent is 12 cm, the tail is 7-10 cm. These mice can occupy abandoned holes, rotten stumps, voids under stones and other natural shelters. The wood mouse is especially common in Siberia, Western Asia, Altai, and in the deciduous forests of Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. It feeds on cereals, seeds, nuts, and insects.

In the Mouse gerbil family, gerbils are classified into a separate subfamily, numbering more than 100 species of animals. The natural habitat of these animals is the arid steppes of Eastern Europe, African and Asian deserts and semi-deserts. They are active during the daytime; In winter they do not hibernate, but their lifestyle becomes more sluggish.

Externally, the gerbil mouse looks more like a rat. The length of the animal can reach 20 cm and weight 250 g. The color of the animal is brownish-sandy on the back and lighter on the chest. A well-furred long tail falls off in dangerous situations, and a new one does not grow. The gerbil mouse can walk on its hind legs and jump over long distances (up to 4 m). It feeds on grains of wheat, barley, corn, millet, as well as fruits and nuts.

The name of the genus is associated with the miniature size of the animal. The maximum body length of the animal is 7 cm, and the tail is 5 cm. The animal prefers to live in the steppe and forest-steppe, in grain fields, and in floodplain meadows. Among the grass you can find spherical houses of this rodent, made of dry stems and leaves.

The baby mouse is distinguished by its fiery red coloration of its skin, which appears after the first molt. It feeds on invertebrates, green leaves, and grains. The little mouse is peaceful, quickly adapts to a new environment, and therefore can be tamed by people.

It is also called the house mouse or house mouse because the animal has adapted to live near humans. In living quarters, sheds, and storerooms, these rodents hide complex, multi-channel burrows, where they live in large colonies. Not far from their burrows, they make storage areas for food: seeds, nuts, crackers, pieces of vegetables.

The white mouse is not a large animal, its length reaches 8-11 cm. The long tail is covered with sparse hair, and scaly rings are clearly visible on it. The color of the animal’s skin depends on the species, but the fur on the back is darker than on the belly. The house mouse lives on all continents, in all climate zones and is a faithful companion to humans.

READ Bat with big ears

The length of the body of an individual, including the tail, can exceed 30 cm. The gray or brown fur consists of elongated soft hairs and stiff bristles, as well as hard spiked hairs in some species. Their rhythm of life is similar to that of humans - they are awake during the day and sleep at night.

The homeland of grass mice is Southeast Africa. These rodents love moisture and live mainly in river floodplains and in humid tropical plantations. They can both dig holes and occupy other people's homes.

The field mouse is not like other rodents of the Mouse family. The animal has a clear, contrasting color stripe on its skin, which runs along the entire spine, from the muzzle to the base of the tail. The size of the animal varies from 8 to 12 cm without a tail. The color, depending on the species, can vary from light gray to dark brown and black. The field mouse builds its home on its own or uses suitable structures.

The field mouse inhabits the territories of Western and Northern Europe, as well as part of Asia: China, Sakhalin, Taiwan. The animal loves meadows and fields, in deciduous thickets, but is also found in the city. The field mouse feeds on invertebrate insects, cereals, plant stems and fruits.

Care: mouse by mouse, and cleaning on a schedule

In fact, the house mouse does not need any special care. But taking care of the cleanliness of the cell is the most important condition. And not only for the animal, but also for the owner. The life cycle of these rodents is so intense that the cage needs to be cleaned at least twice a week. Otherwise, you are guaranteed to have a mouse smell in your apartment.

Cage cleaner

By “cleaning the cage” we mean changing the bedding and wiping all objects in the cage with a special product or soapy water. If you take the trouble and purchase a cage with a retractable tray, the cleaning process will be greatly simplified and will not take much time.

Feeding

Domestic mice, like their wild relatives, are omnivores. But under natural conditions, the mouse age is short and is marked by various diseases. It is in your power to avoid trouble and make sure that your pet eats well, does not get sick and does not cause trouble throughout its mouse life.

The mouse eats

The main rule is the same as for humans: a balanced diet. For you this means a combination of dry and succulent food:

• Dry: grains and seeds, as well as bread, crackers, mixed feed. Mice also happily eat budgie formula and even dry cat and dog food;
• Juicy: apple pieces, sprouted grains, green beans, not very juicy herbs. It is useful to offer insects in the diet from time to time: flies, butterflies and even cockroaches;
• Supplementing with vitamins and minerals once a month will also not be superfluous.

But what you absolutely cannot do is feed rodents with leftover food from your own table: food additives, spices and excess salt can harm your pet. If only occasionally indulge in a piece of cheese or other natural product, but not as the main diet.

Be sure to respect the feeding area. Food is only in the feeder. Otherwise, the mice will dirty your cage so much that you will get tired of cleaning it.

Communication

Get ready for the fact that mice are nocturnal creatures, which means that most of your waking hours they will sleep or hide in their house or nest of litter, and rustle at night. But even with this way of life, a mouse, like any living creature, needs communication. At the same time, a lonely mouse needs much more of it than a family of mice. If you devote too little time to a rodent, it will soon become gloomy, withdrawn, quickly run wild and will hide when a person appears.

Don't let the mouse run wild

To make your pet active and friendly, talk to him, sit him in your palm, and play more often. It won’t take much time and won’t require excessive effort, but the return will not be long in coming and will be like in that cartoon: you come home, and he is happy with you.

And remember - we are responsible for those we have tamed!

What do decorative mice eat?

In summer and autumn, when the time comes for the harvest to ripen, mice begin to actively prepare food reserves for winter. The main food of the animals is grain crops, as well as seeds of various plants. Field mice love wheat, barley, oats, and buckwheat.

Rodents living in forests feed on cedar and hazel nuts, maple and beech seeds, acorns, and small insects. And animals living near bodies of water prefer to eat leaves, roots and stems of plants, berries, grasshoppers, caterpillars, larvae, spiders and other invertebrates. House mice living near people willingly adapt to the human diet and eat bread, meat, dairy products, and sweets.

Animals living in the wild drink very little. The mouse body independently produces water by breaking down food. Additional sources of moisture are fleshy plant leaves, fruits, and vegetables.

The house where decorative mice live can be a cage, an aquarium, or a transparent plastic box. For a small number of animals, a dwelling measuring 25*45*22 cm is sufficient. The bottom of the terrarium is covered with sawdust from fruit trees or hygienic filling made from corn, paper, or straw. Decorative rodents need to change their bedding at least once a week, but preferably every 3 days. The top of the terrarium is covered with a lid with holes for oxygen.

Several shelters are equipped inside the house, preferably at different heights. All types of mice are very active and run up to 40 km a day in their natural environment, so the terrarium should have a running wheel. You can supply water to rodents through a hanging drinking bowl or pour it into a small saucer.

A decorative mouse is an animal that easily gets cold and overheats. It is better to place the animal’s house away from the window, protect the cage from drafts and bright sunlight. The ideal temperature for these rodents is 20-22⁰С.

All animals from the Mouse family are prone to obesity, so you need to know what the ornamental mouse eats. The basis of the animal’s diet is cereals: barley, wheat, corn, sorghum. The grain should not be ground. Usually house mice are very small and eat up to 1 tsp per day. stern.

The animals' favorite treats are sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, caraway seeds, walnuts, peanuts and hazelnuts. Vegetables and fruits are necessary in the animal's diet. It is better if the vegetables are green: cauliflower, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, parsley. And the fruits are not very sweet and juicy: apple, banana, quince, pear, plum. Occasionally you can give bread and egg whites.

What mice don’t eat: citrus fruits, smoked meats, meat, food for cats and dogs.

Pet mice should receive a varied and balanced diet, including fresh fruits and vegetables, special mouse food, drinking water and the occasional treat. This diet will keep your pet in good health for as long as possible. Since mice like to chew on things to wear down their teeth, provide them with crunchy vegetables such as carrots, etc.

Research has shown that mice enjoy eating peanuts or sweet treats such as cookies and chocolate. However, such treats should be given occasionally and only in limited quantities. They contain a lot of fat and sugar, which can lead to excess weight and dental problems. When choosing food for your pet mouse in the store, choose food with sufficient protein and fiber.

What to feed rodents? A detailed guide to feeding rats, mice, hamsters and guinea pigs

Domestic rodents include rats and mice, guinea pigs and hamsters, degus, squirrels and chinchillas, and much more exotic animals: for example, capybaras. Rabbits and ferrets are sometimes classified as rodents, although this is incorrect. Rabbits are lagomorphs, and ferrets are predators from the mustelidae family that have nothing to do with rodents.

Each rodent has its own characteristics and needs. Everyone requires a special diet that would provide them with all the necessary microelements, nutrients and vitamins.

We will briefly talk about the most popular pet rodents, food for rodents, needs and a competent menu for every day.

Rats

Rats are omnivorous and unpretentious by nature. They eat almost everything with great pleasure, so the owner must carefully monitor the diet of his pet.

The rat should be fed twice a day - morning and evening, preferably at the same time; rat pups, pregnant and lactating females can be fed three or four times. Every day a healthy adult rat consumes about 80% of its body weight.

What to feed a rat:

• The basis of the diet is cereals. Cereals can be bought ready-made at a pet store, you can cook unsalted porridge without oil, cook pasta, give boiled corn and bread. Buckwheat, millet, barley, and wheat are especially useful for animals.
• Fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs - also daily. This is not only cabbage and carrots, but also tomatoes, pumpkin, cucumbers, apples, bananas, plums, dates, berries - cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries.
• Additional vitamin treats in the form of “lollipops”, “candies”, “sticks”. All this is sold in pet stores.
• Protein in the form of unsalted meat, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, seafood . Rats do not need a lot of protein, in fact, protein diets for rats are harmful and can lead to premature aging. Protein treats can be fed to your pet every few days.
• Rats are very fond of seeds, especially weedy herbs - for example, dandelions; sometimes you can feed your pet sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Treat your rat to meadow herbs: plantain, chicory, shepherd's purse, dandelion, parsley and dill.

What not to feed your rat: chocolate and other confectionery products, smoked sausage, salty and moldy cheeses. You should not give your pet red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, legumes, or licorice. Be careful with herbs - mistletoe, tomato leaves, lilies of the valley, tulips, azalea, fern, ivy and begonia are deadly poisonous to rats.

Mice

Like rats, mice are omnivores with a bias towards herbivory. The easiest way is to buy industrial food for your pet at a pet store - the ingredients there are balanced, they provide the pet with all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Mice need to be fed twice a day, preferably at the same time. Mice, pregnant and lactating females - 3-4 times a day.

What to feed mice:

• Grain mixtures - oilseed grains, legumes, walnuts, almonds, peas, soybeans, beans, lentils, oatmeal, bran, bread or wholemeal flour. Mice readily eat hay, and in winter they need to be given sprouted oats.
• Juicy food - fruits, vegetables and greens, which include green salad, spinach, corn, pumpkin, bananas, parsley, potatoes, cabbage, sorrel, cucumbers, carrots, apples, green peas, celery.
• Proteins - cottage cheese, milk (pasteurized and boiled, not sour), you can give pieces of unsalted lard, egg whites.
• Just like rats, mice need to buy extra vitamin treats . The mouse grinds down its growing teeth on them.

What not to feed your mouse: onions, chocolate and garlic, which contain toxic theobromine, peanuts, citrus fruits, poisonous herbs.

Guinea pigs

Guinea pigs are fed two to three times a day, pregnant and lactating females three to four times. It is advisable to feed at the same time so that the animal develops a certain diet. On average, a healthy adult pig eats about 8% of its weight, that is, approximately 80 g for a kilogram. This is one or two spoons of dry specialized food per feeding.

Unlike rats and mice, pigs are herbivores, and the basis of their diet is hay. Hay should be kept in the cage at all times: the pet receives useful substances from it, and constant chewing helps to wear down the teeth.

What to feed your guinea pig:

• Hay - as mentioned above, hay should be in the cage at all times.
• Grain mixtures consisting of wheat, oats, barley, lentils, millet, sunflower seeds, corn, peanuts, peas. Pet stores sell ready-made food mixtures for guinea pigs.
• Fresh vegetables and fruits - cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, pumpkin, bell peppers, beets, rutabaga, Jerusalem artichoke, sweet corn, apples, pears, bananas, tangerines and oranges, seedless grapes, melon, watermelon, strawberries.
• Fresh herbs - dandelion, dried nettle, spinach, dill and celery, alfalfa, clover, yarrow, plantain, dandelion.

It is useful to give pigs something to wear down their teeth - for example, branches of alder, apple and pear trees, willow, birch. Solid vitamins for grinding teeth can also be bought at a pet store, along with a salt stone that hangs inside the cage. From it the animal receives the necessary salt. Table salt should not be given to pigs!

What not to feed a guinea pig: onions, radishes, rhubarb, apricot, peach and cherry, all kinds of animal products - the pig does not need or benefit from them, all indoor decorative flowers, some types of herbs - St. John's wort, datura, night blindness, belladonna, celandine , lily of the valley, poppy, henbane, buttercups, etc. You should not give your pigs salted, smoked, fried foods, white bread, confectionery, chocolate.

Hamsters

Hamsters are fed twice a day, morning and evening; pregnant and lactating females, as well as hamsters, are fed a little more often. Some hamster breeders recommend feeding their pets once, some are inclined to feed them twice a day, but the evening portion should be larger than the morning portion, because hamsters are nocturnal animals.

In general, the diet of hamsters is similar to the diet of rats and mice.

What to feed your hamster:

• Cereals and nuts - ready-made mixtures for hamsters, wheat, buckwheat, oats, legumes, barley, all kinds of nuts, except almonds, melon, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
• Fruits and vegetables - apples, pear, banana, apricot, melon, peach, seedless grapes and raisins, pumpkin, carrots, tomatoes, eggplant, corn, green beans, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, chickpeas, celery, Jerusalem artichoke, semi-finished vegetable mixtures, squash, turnips, beets, strawberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants. You can give dried fruits - banana chips, dried apricots, dried apples.
• Greens and tree leaves - clover, dandelion and plantain, parsley and dill, leaves of willow, beech, ash, cherry, pear, apple, maple, poplar, walnut.
• Animal proteins - your hamster should be given them occasionally, about 2-3 per week, and not much: boiled chicken, chicken or quail eggs, cottage cheese and yogurt, boiled fish and shrimp, worms, butterflies, and grasshoppers bought at pet stores.

As treats, you can give your hamster rose petals and unsalted popcorn without butter.

What not to feed a hamster: hamsters should not be given cheese, ready-made food for other animals, white and brown bread, potatoes, milk, garlic and onions, sausage, fried and fatty foods, confectionery and chocolate, poisonous plants, mushrooms, citrus fruits , mint, sorrel, cabbage. Meadow grasses cannot be collected near roadsides and generally within the city. You should not give hamsters insects caught in the wild.

The easiest way is to feed rodents with ready-made mixtures, which are sold in pet stores, plus give fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits in small quantities every day. Vitamin supplements will be useful, especially important for young and elderly pets, pregnant and lactating females. Sometimes you can pamper your pets: give them special cookies, candies and treats that will not only please him, but also have a positive effect on his health.

What do mice eat in captivity?

Some people are crazy about pet, tame rodents. Usually these individuals are small in size and white in color. They are easy to train, get used to people and easily coexist with them. What does a white mouse eat? Yes, with anything. This can be a variety of foods produced by the industry.

They contain balanced mineral supplements and grains so that your pet develops properly and always remains healthy. If you want to feed your animal real food, you can give it a variety of grains and grains. Fatty and spicy foods should be excluded. Feed your baby raw mealworm meat once a week.

Feed domestic mice once a day. There is no need to exceed the dosage of food, otherwise the rodent may get sick. The features of each variety are described in the encyclopedia. After reading it, you will learn in detail what a white mouse eats. Based on the information received, you can correctly formulate your pet’s diet so that he is always healthy, active and lives next to you for many years.

Eating near human habitation

In search of affordable food, mice very often move to live closer to human habitation, because here they can find a lot of leftover food without extra effort. A vole that lives near a person’s house eats and steals everything when night falls in search of something edible:

• food left over after dinner;
• cereals stored in kitchen cabinets;
• potatoes and other root vegetables stored in the cellar;
• remains of vegetables, berries and fruits, green parts of plants;
• seedlings intended for the garden, etc.;
• Rodents living near the apiary often eat honey and beebread, which causes beekeepers a lot of trouble.

We invite you to read: The benefits of mice in nature

Mice living in a house or apartment are usually omnivores and feed on everything they can find in the kitchen, on the table, in the pantry or trash can.

Feeding mice in a person's home

Enemies of mice

The mouse is a key link in the food chain of many ecosystems. Many wild animals depend on the existence of this small rodent. For mice living in the forest, the main enemies are foxes, martens, arctic foxes, ferrets, stoats, weasels, lynxes and even wolves. Predators easily tear apart burrows and can eat up to 30 small animals a day.

Mice are the main food for snakes and large lizards. Reptiles such as boas, pythons, vipers, and radiant snakes swallow their prey whole. During the hunt, the snake freezes, and then suddenly attacks the victim, biting it with poisonous teeth, and then waits for the animal to become motionless.

There is also danger lurking for mice from above. Among birds there are predators that differ in the power of their beaks, visual acuity and hearing. These are owls, buzzards, hawks, eagles, owls, kites. They hunt during the day or night, making swift attacks from the air.

Rodent behavior

Mice are very voracious animals that cause enormous damage to agricultural crops. When they run out of food, they raid warehouses and barns in whole flocks. It is almost impossible to hide food supplies from these creatures. They easily chew through all the obstacles that come their way.

READ Cystitis in a cat What to do

As a rule, the diet of mice in nature consists mainly of plant foods: grass seeds, tree fruits, and cereals. Rodents living in swampy areas eat leaves, flowers of plants, and some species even eat insects. Often mice settle in beehives, beginning to eat not only dead, but also living bees, as well as honey and bee bread.

Despite the omnivorous nature of mice, they prefer to eat plant foods.

House mice, entering a human home, use for food everything that comes their way - from bakery and sausage products to paper and paraffin candles, not disdaining even cockroaches. Animals living in the forest easily adapt to the terrain and eat mushrooms, nuts and tree seeds. In an attack of hunger, beetles, spiders and worms can serve as food.

Some species of small rodents include raw meat in their diet. They are capable of eating smaller mice. Most often, this happens only in captivity; in nature, such manifestations of cannibalism are almost never observed.

At home, mice eat once a day. Owners should not exceed the dosage of food to prevent health problems. They must be provided with natural food. You can use ready-made food for rodents, which is sold in every pet store. It does not contain dyes or preservatives, and there are no coarse herbs or husks.

As a rule, a mouse's diet should consist of the following foods:

• seeds and nuts (no more than 3 kernels per day);
• cereal crops;
• protein products (eggs, boiled meat);
• fresh vegetables and fruits (apples, pumpkins, melons, carrots);
• greens (nettle, apple or raspberry leaves);
• of bread;
• cheese (occasionally, since this product provokes obesity).

Species of wild rodents have long been considered enemies of humans. The field mouse damages grain crops. The house mouse contaminates food with feces and urine, and damages books, clothing, and home furnishings. Many types of mice carry infectious diseases: salmonellosis, hepatitis, encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, false tuberculosis and others.

But mice also bring significant benefits to people. Cosmetologists and doctors have been using mice for centuries to conduct all kinds of experiments. This is due to the extraordinary fertility of rodents and the similarity of the human and mouse genomes.

Zoologists raise special food mice for pythons, agamas, boas, geckos, snakes, ferrets, owls and cats. Sometimes decorative rodents are used for such purposes and sold to pet stores.

Looking at a photo of a field mouse or a house mouse, you can see that these animals are small. And like all small animals, they have a high metabolism, so they eat often and a lot. During the ripening period, animals can cause enormous damage to agriculture, as they are forced not only to satisfy their daily gluttony, but also to prepare winter reserves.

The Kurganchik house mouse is very interesting in this regard. She lives in the fields of Ukraine, Moldova and Hungary. When the harvest is underway, she picks up fallen spikelets and grains of cereals and carries them to the hole. Here the food is stacked in the shape of a slide. Every day this hill grows, turning over time into a stack that reaches 80–100 centimeters in height and two meters in length. Then they camouflage this hill with earth. Because of this feature, they were nicknamed Kurganchikovs.

Knowing what a mouse eats, we can easily conclude why its presence in a house or field is unprofitable for humans. It is understandable that people do not want to share their food supplies with rodents. Therefore, they try in every possible way to get rid of the unwanted neighborhood when they find traces of them in storerooms and barns.

In addition to stealing food, the animals also leave their droppings everywhere, so it is no longer possible to use a bag of cereals in which pests were in charge. Rodents also damage the bark of fruit trees, which can lead to the death of seedlings. In Africa, for example, mice completely destroy coffee plantations, causing enormous damage to people.

Rodents carry many diseases. The most dangerous in this regard are not house mice, but field mice. Their feces and urine contain dangerous bacteria that can enter the human body and provoke an epidemic of pseudotuberculosis, hemorrhagic fever, tick-borne encephalitis and other deadly diseases.

conclusions

The diet of mice in domestic and wild conditions is somewhat different, since the decorative species is fed for the most part with special food mixtures and various treats from the table, which the owners carefully treat the pet with.

Mice living in nature have to make do with what is around them. But both of them have extremely short life expectancies . Therefore, when keeping a pet mouse, it is necessary to adhere to a balanced diet, avoiding obesity and the resulting health problems.

We are the owners of the cutest rat on earth. If you find an inaccuracy or disagree with the author of the article, write your opinion below

Reproduction

The mouse is a polygamous animal. In nature, one male fertilizes from 2 to 12 females. Over 12 months, mice have from 3 to 8 litters. The female reaches sexual maturity 10 weeks after birth. At this time, she begins to go into heat, which lasts 5 days and is expressed in special behavior.

• 3 days - fluff appears on the body;
• 5 days - the cubs begin to hear;
• 7 days - the animal’s body weight doubles;
• 14 days - palpebral fissures appear;
• Day 19 - the mice begin to eat on their own;
• 25 days - the length of the body reaches 500 mm (the tail is 15-20 mm shorter) and the mouse is already sexually mature.

Decorative mice develop a little slower. It is recommended to mate them no more than 2-3 times a year. Repeated births exhaust the female, and each subsequent offspring becomes weaker.

Mice are very fertile. They have no special marriage rituals. The male simply smells the female, finds her and mates. Sometimes there is rivalry and a fierce fight between males for the right to fertilize.

After a short pregnancy, the mouse gives birth to three to ten pups. They develop very quickly, and within three months they can bear offspring. Each female can give birth 3-4 times a year, so rodents reproduce very quickly. The most interesting thing is that some species live together in entire family clans, like people. In one burrow, young mice forming pairs successfully coexist with their parents.

In nature, predators regulate rodent populations. The wide distribution of animals throughout the territory of a certain area makes them easy prey for foxes, forest cats, birds of prey and snakes. If there is famine in the forest, then even wolves and coyotes do not disdain mice. In their natural habitat, animals usually live 7–9 months.

At the same time, in captivity, mice can survive as long as 5 years. Therefore, they can become your life companions for years. If you are still in doubt whether to buy rodents for your home or not, then look at the photo of a field mouse. These cute animals will charm you with their innocence and cute appearance, and their rapid reproduction can even become your business and generate income.

Contents: every mouse has its own hole

Each animal needs its own special space, which it will consider “its place” - sacred and inviolable. Therefore, before you bring mice home, you should take care of where they will live. It was before, not after. Because jars and cardboard boxes are absolutely not suitable for rodents. And any move is always stressful.

Avoid aquariums as well. They are cramped, stuffy, hot, the mouse will not be able to move normally in them and arrange a secluded corner for itself. The best solution would be a spacious cage with metal bars.

Rodent cage

Be sure to make it yourself or buy a small house - a hole where the mouse will spend all day long.

Add a wheel to provide your pet with physical activity and fulfill his need for movement. For the same purpose, take care of shelves, ladders and ropes. The animal will be happy to show you its dexterity, and you will also have fun watching its amusing movements.

Litter is a very important element. The layer should be quite impressive - at least 5 mm. Animals use it not only for its intended purpose, but also to decorate their house, and when there are drafts or low temperatures, they burrow into it to keep warm.

The material should be natural and preferably inexpensive: sawdust, dry peat crumbs, shavings, hay. Avoid cotton wool and sand - the first absorbs odors too well and gets tangled between your fingers, and the second can become a breeding ground for lice. But something tells us that you don’t want such neighbors.

Mice: benefits and harm

It's hard to overestimate her. And first of all, it again comes from what the mouse eats. The diet of some species includes insects. By eating them, the rodent rids humanity of harmful and annoying insects, which can often also be carriers of viruses. At the same time, being a delicacy for foxes and owls, they make their existence possible.

The benefit of mice for humanity lies in the fact that these animals are often used in laboratory experiments. Vaccines and medicines are tested on them, which will bring enormous benefits to humanity in the future. In addition, these animals are excellent pets that do not require special care. Even the smallest child can look after pets. Being unpretentious and small, as well as easy to train, they will become favorites for your entire family.

Reason for choosing a mouse

Decorative pet mice are an ideal option for those who have decided to have their own animal or teach a child to take care of the weak, but are limited by time, funds and square meters.

You can squeeze the mouse

Unlike phlegmatic fish - other inhabitants that do not take up much space - rodents are able to respond to affection: you can stroke them, feel the warmth of a small body in a fur coat, they are quite affectionate and enjoy sitting in your arms.

Varieties: mouse and mouse are different

Oddly enough, tamed and domesticated mice are divided into only two types. The first species is the albino mouse, also known as the white laboratory mouse. The decorative house mouse is an animal weighing on average 30 grams. with a body 7-12 cm, a tail of the same length, hard, medium-length fur, often one-color: black, brown, gray, sandy color. The lifespan of this miniature animal is on average 2-3 years.

White mouse

The white mouse stands apart - the ancestor of the entire mouse movement. Bred before our era, this creature was a frequent guest in the homes of Chinese emperors, and later, brought to England, quickly won the sympathy of all pet lovers.

In the 19th century, they were attracted to participate in laboratory experiments, as a result of which a separate species appeared - the laboratory mouse. She was bred to participate in laboratory experiments to study social behavior patterns, test medications, and much more that directly benefits humanity. For pet lovers, this species is not so attractive, although albino mice can still be found in city apartments.