On the advice that I upgrade Goodyear's home, I went out and purchased the mouse an aquarium. Here are some pictures:
The new home.
The old next to the new.
Porky.
"Let me out so I can live in your walls, Dan."He was either really happy or really scared when I put him in the new cage. What does it mean when they run around a lot? He initially made croaking noises, which I assume is some sort of territorial warning. I'm thinking about getting him a little housing unit to go inside the cage. That way he won't have to keep shifting his cage bedding into the corner and burrow in there for protection from the daylight.
10 comments:
You should get one of those plastic balls that he can run around your apartment in. Or is that only for hamsters and gerbils?
Goodyear's quality of life is better than mine.
-joe h
Tips from a rodent owner:
-For bedding, get that recycled paper stuff. They really like it. I think you have it there. Never, EVER, use pine. It's bad for their little lungs.
-Get the little dude a water bottle, but keep the water dish in there. For fun, drop frozen peas in the water dish on hot days. He'll dive for them and it keeps him cool.
-Watch the caulk that holds the glass together. Rodents like to chew that up and, given time, they'll spring themselves.
-For a house, go cheap. Get little cardboard boxes and cut a small hole in it. Then he can customize it. Also, when it comes time to clean, you can just throw it out instead of worrying about cleaning the house. Then he gets a new home to customize.
-If the wheel ever starts to squeak, and if it's metal, it will and it will keep you up ALL NIGHT, use cooking oil to lubricate it. That way it won't hurt him if he licks it and it keeps the damn wheel quiet.
-Consider constructing a half second floor. Something he can climb up on to get a better view. I imagine one of those raised cooking platforms from an old toaster oven would work well.
-And about the running around, he's happy. My rats go bonkers when I change their bedding. They think it's a new home and have to explore everything all over again.
-One way to tell when they're happy is if their eyes are bulging out. That usually means their excited about something.
Hope that helps.
Yeah, Jorge, the wheel squeaks a ton at night. I just close the door to that bedroom, but I'll try the cooking oil. I do have a water bottle, but I don't have anything with which to hang it. I'm trying to rig something using paper clips. Thanks for the tips.
You could also partially cover his mousetank with a towel or something to provide more darkness during the day while he's sleeping... Just make sure he can get air. Also, my guess is that Goodyear will eat pretty much everything Cooper likes.
I liked reading all those suggestions Jorge gave; it's really interesting learning about what rodents like.
Jorge's just about the smartest person I know. Wow!
I still don't think it's normal human behavior to catch a mouse and keep it as a pet...
~Lara
Ouch, bad grammar on my part. Apologies. Anyway, I was looking at the pictures again and I have a comment: I know he's still a young'n, but is it just me or does he kind of look like a midget mouse?
Also: The boxes checks come in would be a perfect size for him. I might have a couple, actually. My rats are too fat-assed to fit in them.
And another thing: Goodyear is a great freaking name.
He's not a midget, he's just a fatty. His rolls ooze over his limbs, giving him that midget appearance. I blame my own poor eating habits. He learned it from watching me.
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