Pet mice can be quite picky eaters and is important to wait until they empty their bowl before refilling so they are not just eating their favourites and get a balanced diet. Red mice in particular are prone to obesity and treats should be given in moderation. It is important the a fancy mouse diet is varied and healthy. Many commercially available mouse foods include a lot of 'filler' items that are not high in nutritional value and so ideally you should try to make the mouse seed mix yourself; it is worth noting that different mice thrive on different items so you may find that your specific line of mice needs less fat or more grains that other strains. If you are ever in doubt of a foods suitability simply check it online before feeding it. Many good mouse forums exist that can help give advice on a fancy mice diet.
Water
Should always be available and changed daily. A bowl or bottle is fine for this, if using the latter just keep a careful eye on them as they can get clogged.
Seed mix
The Shunamite diet used for rats can be adapted safely for mice since they have similar nutrional requirements to rats. A good base mix for mice is rat muesli, crushed oats, barley, porridge oats, various millets and grains can be added in various quantities. A good website for buying separated grains for making your mouse seed mix is http://www.ratrations.com/.
A small amount of fennel seed added to the seed mix can reduce the urine smell from your mice.
Fresh
Fruit and vegetables such as apple, banana, blueberries, papaya, tomato, broccoli, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, curly kale and sweet potato.
Foods that are high in water content should be given sparingly due to the diarrhoea risk. Items like watermelon and cucumber can be given to a mouse carrier during a long journey where other water sources cannot be given.
Protein
A small amount of protein can be given on a semi-regular basis, items such as mealworms, cheese, monkeynuts and scrambled egg. Mice should not have a diet too high in protein past the kitten stage as this has been linked to various health problems and some keepers recommend having it compose no more than 13% of their mix.
Treats
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, mealworms, cooked soya beans (thought to reduce the likelihood of tumours), stale or toasted wholemeal bread as well as pet-shop treats.
Tempting food
If you have an ill mouse, you may need to try the following to build weight back up. Some items, such as the mousse, are also useful if you need to conceal the harsh taste of medication.
You can also attempt adding some water to their dry mix and microwaving it to make it more tempting.
- Scrambled egg, nuts, mealworms, sunflower seeds, lean boiled chicken.
- Avocado, banana, fresh basil, curly kale, pureeing/overboiling vegetables.
- Warm milk and cous-cous, rich tea biscuits or bread soaked in milk.
- Complan - human build-up drink, available in boots/superdrug.
- Chocolate mousse - brilliant for hiding medication in and tempting ill mice.
Further Reading
- Nutrient requirements of the mouse
- AllAboutMice: Nutrition
- Can I Make My Own Rat/Mouse Diet?
- Good foods for mice - forum discussion.