Okay, so you know how sometimes you get these crazy ideas and just gotta run with them? Well, that’s exactly what happened with my feeder mice. Yeah, those little guys meant to be snake food. I ended up keeping some as pets. Let me tell you, it was a journey.
It all started when my buddy Mark was getting rid of his ball python. Cool snake, but I wasn’t about to take on that responsibility. He had a bunch of feeder mice left over, like a whole bin full. I felt kinda bad for ’em, sitting there waiting to be eaten. So, on a whim, I asked Mark if I could take a few. He looked at me like I was nuts, but hey, free mice, right?
First thing I did was grab a big plastic storage bin from Walmart. Needed something escape-proof. I drilled some holes in the lid for ventilation – gotta let ‘em breathe, duh. Then I threw in some aspen shavings for bedding. Read online that it’s the best for mice. No cedar, apparently it’s bad for their lungs. Who knew?
Next up, I needed stuff for them to do. Cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet paper rolls are gold. They went nuts for those, chewing on ‘em and making nests. I also gave them a little hamster wheel I found at the pet store. Some of ‘em used it, some didn’t. They’re mice, not athletes.
For food, I started with regular rodent blocks. Found a big bag at Tractor Supply. Turns out, mice are picky eaters. They’d scatter the blocks everywhere looking for the tastiest bits. Ended up mixing in some seeds and oats to make it more interesting. They seemed to appreciate that.
Water was easy. Just a regular water bottle with a sipper tube. Had to show them how to use it at first, tapping the tube until they got the idea. Smart little buggers, they figured it out pretty quick.
Cleaning the cage was… a chore. Mice pee and poop a LOT. Spot cleaning every day was a must, and I did a full bedding change once a week. It stank to high heaven if I didn’t. Invest in a good dust mask, trust me.
Now, here’s where it got interesting. I started noticing their personalities. One was super curious and would always come to the edge of the bin when I approached. Another was a total scaredy-cat and would hide whenever I was around. I even named a few of them – Squeaky, Nibbles, and Fatty (guess which one was the biggest?).
Handling them was tricky. They’re fast and skittish. I’d scoop them up gently and let them crawl around on my hands. Some liked it, some hated it. Never squeezed them too hard, gotta be gentle. They’re tiny!
The biggest surprise? They bred. Like crazy. I started with five mice, and within a few weeks, I had a whole army. Learned real quick about separating males and females if you don’t want a mouse explosion. Ended up giving a bunch away to friends and even back to Mark for his snake (circle of life, I guess).
So, yeah, that’s my story of keeping feeder mice as pets. It was a lot more work than I expected, but also surprisingly rewarding. They’re actually kinda cute in their own weird way. Would I do it again? Maybe. Just gotta be prepared for the poop and the population boom. Definitely a unique pet experience!
