What Can I Feed My Pet Mouse

What to feed your mice

Mice are omnivores, so they need both meat and vegetables in their diet.

A good quality, complete dry mixture that provides essential nutrients should form the basis of your mouse's diet.

There are limited good quality diets available for mice – so you may want to choose a good rat or gerbil mix instead. Whatever you choose, make sure it has a good mixture of grains, seeds, pulses and a meat source such as dried meal worms, or kibble.

Help your mouse forage for food

Mice are foragers and will spend hours digging through the bedding and searching their environment looking for food. To avoid your mice becoming obese and bored, scatter their daily allowance around the enclosure rather than feeding in a bowl.

Add a variety of treats to their weekly diet to keep it interesting and to provide all the essential vitamins and minerals your mouse requires.

Healthy treats for mice (to be fed in small amounts):

• Pasta, cooked or raw
• A variety of fruits and vegetables including broccoli, curly kale, strawberries and grapes
• Small amount of boiled eggs
• Pulses and cereals
• Fresh mealworms – one or two at a time, unless your dry food already has these included
• Apple wood – or other fruit tree wood – to gnaw on
• Dried herbs. There are many mixtures available from pet stores such as mountain and garden mix
• Dog biscuits such as gravy bones
• Millet seed spray for birds

Water supplements, fatty or colourful chew sticks and mineral and salt blocks are unnecessary and can in some cases be harmful. Avoid these and stick to healthy, natural treats and food options.

Can mice eat grapes?

Contrary to popular belief, grapes are safe to feed to your pet mice. There's plenty of research behind the health benefits of grapes for mice. They may be small, but they pack a punch of anti-oxidants.

Grapes, melon and cucumber are refreshing treats, great for if you're travelling with your mice. Unlike a water bottle which can spill and leak, juicy fruits and vegetables are a mess-free way to keep mice hydrated.

Homemade mouse food recipe

If you would like to have a go at making a healthy mix for your pet mice, below is a basic recipe that will suit mice of all ages. Once you've made your mix, store it in a suitable container with an airtight lid. Note down the date you made the mix, and aim to use it within three months.

You will need:

• 6 scoops rabbit/rat muesli
• 1.5 scoop dog kibble
• Handful of healthy treats e.g., seeds/nuts, dried fruit, banana chips, dog biscuits, dried noodles
• 3 scoops healthy, low salt/sugar free breakfast cereal or other grains
• 1⁄2 scoop uncooked wholemeal pasta

Suitable cereals – must be low sugar and salt:

• Cornflakes
• Weetabix
• Special K
• Bran flakes
• Oats
• Fruit and Fibre
• Rice Krispies
• Shredded wheat

Suitable rodent muesli:

• Mr Johnson's supreme rabbit mix
• Harrison's Banana Rabbit Brunch
• GJW Titmuss own brand rabbit muesli
• Dodson and Horrell Pasture mix – for horse
• Wilko muesli pea feast rabbit mix
• Allen Page green pea food rabbit mix

Suitable brands of dog kibble and rat nuggets:

• James Wellbeloved – senior and light dog kibble
• Burns – adult, senior and organic dog kibble
• Skinners Field and Trial dog kibble
• Wainwrights dog kibble
• Small holder range – Pig Starter Pellets
• Autarky natural lite dog kibble

Suitable extra ingredients:

• Rice cakes, unsalted
• Ryvita
• Shredded wheat
• Dried fruits – raisins, apple, cranberry, dates & bananas
• Dried rabbit and guinea pig herbs such as dandelion, plantain or any general meadow mix
• Dried noodles – rice or egg
• Dog biscuits – gravy bones, milk bones
• Any grains such as quinoa, millet, dari seed, rice, wheat and spelt

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Source: https://woodgreen.org.uk/advice/what-to-feed-your-mice/

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