When you have a small pet like a mouse, it is important that you have a place that they can live in comfort and safety. The right mouse cage is an essential investment, but with so many choices out there, you want to make the right one. In the following guide, we have an overview of the best mouse cages to help you select one for your little furry friend.
The Best Mouse Cage
With two floors of space, this mouse cage has a ramp that gives access to the different floors. There are a few good features that are worth discussing including a water bottle, food dish, exercise wheel, and connecting port.
There are parts of the cage that disconnect easily, making sure that you have easy cleaning access to it. Offering a larger living space to work, rest, and play, there are hundreds of positive reviews that attest to the quality of this product.
Easy cleaning access
Large living space
Wide base
Fully equipped
- Brand: Ferplast
- Model: 57901470US1
- Weight: 6.28 pounds
You can use this small animal home to house your little mouse as it offers plenty of room for them and their accessories. The wires are tightly packed together and rounded at the edges to keep your mouse from getting hurt.
There are two large entry points in this fancy mice cage when you want to get your mouse out of the cage. Independent lab tests have been conducted to ensure the safety of the cage. And as you can see from the reviews, there are many satisfied customers.
Lightweight and easy to handle
Spacious home
Two large entry ports
Snap-on, snap-off mesh design
- Brand: Prevue Pet Products
- Model: 528
- Weight: 14 pounds
The next one on our list is a cool and stylish pet mouse habitat that has a number of positive features including an exercise wheel and removable petting zone. There is even a lookout tower at the top! It also has the obvious things that your mouse needs for living including a food bowl and water bottle.
When you need to access your pet, you can do so via the front wire doors. This is an ideal product for many smaller animals, and there is even the option to expand it with different additions in the future.
Includes a removable petting zone
Integrated wire front door access
Two levels of living space
Expandable ports
- Brand: Kaytee
- Model: 100079217
- Weight: 5.9 pounds
This mouse habitat cage is chew proof in its design and ensures that your pet gets plenty of air as it is open at all sides. There are safe mesh floors and ramps where your mouse can move around at their leisure.
Durability is ensured thanks to the wires which have been powder coated. There are three levels to add even more interest for your furry friend. The roof top door allows for easy access for them.
Comes ready to assemble
Well ventilated design
Roof top door
Safe mesh ramps
- Brand: Ware Manufacturing
- Model: 338
- Weight: 3.7 pounds
Next up, we have this pet habitat with a wire upper frame and PP plastic base. You can access your pet from either the top or front openings.
Some of the features of the mice tank include a non-drip water bottle, access ramp, hay guard, and balcony. And if your mouse needs some privacy, there is a hide-away space underneath. Assembly is simple without the need for any tools.
Large top and front openings
Non-drip water bottle and hay guard
Simple assembly
Iron wire upper frame
- Brand: AmazonBasics
- Model: 9011-1
- Weight: 11.37 pounds
This one is designed specifically to affix to the top of a tank. The cage already comes fully assembled, which makes your life a lot easier as there is no need to get any tools out. You can access your pet via the door at the top.
Ultimately, this provides a good addition to your pre-existing tank that offers more room for your little furry friend.
Doubles living space for your mouse
Suitable for affixing to 10-gallon tanks
Fully assembled design
Easy access via the door at the top
- Brand: You & Me
- Weight: 4.8 pounds
Our premium pick is this extra-large cage, which comes complete with a whole host of accessories that your mouse needs for healthy living including water bottle, exercise wheel, and wire platform. While the cage is large, the bars have small spaces between them.
At the bottom, the base is large enough to ensure that your pet has plenty of room, and the tank is nice and sturdy. Portability has also been considered – as you can see from the two large handles that allow you to move it around from place to place.
Extra-large cage
Solid metal design
Narrow bar spacing
Big door for easy access
- Brand: Savic
- Model: Mickey 2 XL
- Weight: 17.7 pounds
And now we have the final choice on our list, which is a small one, but it is chew proof to ensure that your mouse stays inside. This is an all-metal design, but it is also one that allows for plenty of air to circulate throughout.
All-metal design
Fresh air design
Small size
Simple design
- Brand: Ware Manufacturing
- Model: 00661
- Weight: 6.5 pounds
Best Mouse Cage Buying Guide & FAQ
Now that the product overview section is complete, we move onto the buying guide part, where we will look at some of the other interesting points to consider. This will include a look at the top features to think about, the types of mice cage available, and how to set one of these up in the first place. We then move onto our frequently asked questions section.
Features to Consider When Choosing a Mouse Cage for Your Pet
- Size
Size certainly matters when you are choosing a mouse cage for your pet. You need to give your mouse enough room to roam around and enjoy life as much as possible. If you have multiple mice in there, you need to allow enough space for them all to live happily together. Female mice tend to need less space than two meals as they are less likely to become territorial and aggressive with one another.
- Narrow bars
You may be amazed by just how small a space a mouse can squeeze themselves into, and you certainly don’t want your little furry friend to escape. You should pick a cage with narrow spaces between the bars to ensure that there is no chance of losing your beloved pet.
- Exercise and play
You want your mouse to be able to have enough room to exercise and play – two important parts of their lifestyle and wellbeing. Look out for additional features that encourage these things such as tunnels and wheels. Or look at cages that have the option of installing more things around them to encourage exercise and play. You also need to ensure that enough space is left over for your mouse to live comfortably.
- Portability
If you plan on taking the cage to different places, you need to ensure that it is easily portable. It will help if it is lightweight and there are some handles that you can lift.
- Additional
We have already mentioned the inclusion of wheels and tunnels but keep an eye out for any other features that may prove to be desirable such as water bottles and food bowls. This way, there is no need to purchase them separately.
- Chew proof
As we talked about earlier, mice can be escape artists, and one of the tools at their disposal is their sharp teeth. You don’t want to risk your little furry friend gnawing through the bars and getting away.
- Well ventilated
You don’t want your mouse to become too hot while they are in the cage, so it helps if there is some open space all around to ensure that a good breeze gets flowing through it.
- Accessibility
While the cage is going to be the place where your mouse spends a lot of their time, it is still important that you open it up from time to time to offer them some much-needed interaction. This way, you are helping to strengthen the bond between the two of you. There need to be some accessibility points where you can take your mouse out. You also need them so you can clean their cage and create a clean-living environment. However, thorough cleaning is only required once in a while as mice like being able to smell their scent as a mark of their territory.
Types of Mice Cages
- Wire cages
First up, you have the wire cages, which are a popular choice as they are affordable and offer good ventilation. Their advantages include allowing your mouse to climb up the sides, as well as allowing for interaction while they are still inside. There are also some wire cages that you can easily affix onto the top of an existing glass tank.
- Glass tanks
The other main choice of small mouse cage to discuss is the glass tank variety. A couple of advantages are their ease of cleanliness and the fact that there is very little chance of your mouse escaping. This is particularly important for homes with other pets – especially natural hunters like cats. You access your mouse from the top of the cage.
- Fully integrated cages
Some pet mice cages have everything that your mouse needs already built into them including food bowls, water bottles, tunnels, and wheels. While they tend to be at the more expensive end of the scale, the main advantage is that everything your mouse needs is already right there.
How to Setup a Mouse Cage
The individual steps to set up a small animal cage depend largely on the variety that you buy. Some of them come already preassembled, whereas others need some setup. First, you need to choose the correct place in your home to house your mouse. It needs to be a place that is safe and secure, as well as one that is free from the risk of being attacked by other household pets. Mice are at risk of overheating, so choose a place that has indirect natural light throughout the day. You should also choose a space that is away from loud noises to stop your mouse from getting upset or startled. Keep the room at a steady temperature as much as possible.
You will then need to put bedding material along the bottom, whether this is hay, shredded paper etc. Choose different materials for your mouse to choose which ones they like. Avoid things like sawdust, pine shavings etc as these things can be damaging. Attach a water bottle that has a drinking tube, allowing your mouse to access liquid whenever they want it. Next, put in the food bowls. You should try to raise them off the ground to prevent bedding materials from getting inside.
Next, there are all the little extras that can turn a house into a home. The first of these is a house or hidey-hole, where your little furry friend can feel safe and secure at more stressful times. If you have multiple mice, you will also need multiple hidey-holes as they can be quite territorial creatures who don’t like to have their space invaded. Then, you will need to put in multiple toys, so your mouse doesn’t become bored while they are in there. Of course, there are plenty of options available to buy online, but sometimes, you can simply use some toilet roll tubes as tunnels. Add some new things in there from time to time to keep things interesting for your mouse.
Best Mouse Cage FAQ:
Q: How big should a mouse cage be?
A: As a general rule of thumb, your pet mouse cage needs to be five inches high and up to 15 inches across. But if you have more than one mouse, you are going to need to expand these measurements. But there is nothing wrong with going for more space than your mouse needs as they will happily roam free.
Q: Can mice live in hamster cages?
A: You should not keep mice and hamsters together in the same cage as this may cause stress to both creatures and puts them both at risk. However, some cages that have been specifically designed for hamsters are suitable for mouse usage.
Q: What do mice need in their cage?
A: Mice need a few things for a happy and healthy home life. First, they need proper bedding as a source of comfort and hygiene. Choose materials that are safe and appropriate for them. Next, it helps to have some little mouse houses where your little furry friend can retreat to rest or sleep. A water bottle is a good addition as it is very easy for the bowls to become dirty quickly. Then you need some food bowls that will ideally be off the ground to stop them from getting dirty. You will need to regularly refill these with quality mouse food. Then you need a wheel for your mouse to get their exercise. And there are all the options extras like tunnels that can add even more enjoyment to your mouse’s life.
Q: How often should a mouse cage be cleaned?
A: There are a few factors that can affect how often the mice cage needs cleaning including the type of cage, number of mice, and type of litter, but as a general rule of thumb, once a week is a good amount.
Our Top Pick
With its two-story design and ramp between the two, this one ranks as our number one option of mouse cage. It comes fully equipped with much of what your little furry friend needs including a water bottle, food dish, and an exercise wheel. At the top, the easy access door allows you to get your mouse out of the cage when needed for interaction, or for playing or maintenance.
Sources:
- Laurie Hess, DVM, Housing Rodents, VCA Hospitals
- Getting a Pet Mouse, WebMD
