What Is A Fancy Mouse?
June 14, 2022
A fancy mouse is a ‘fancy’ name for a domesticated house mouse. They make great pets, are a joy to watch and don’t require much in the way of care or maintenance.
With the proper handling and upbringing at a young age, fancy mice will learn to trust their owners and become very friendly and sociable. They are also quite smart and with a little patience and training can learn to do tricks.
Nocturnal animals
They are fastidiously clean and enjoy sleeping most of the day. But in the evening, they busy themselves, scurrying about in their cages and running on their mouse wheel and up and down whatever contraptions you decide to install in their habitat. This is the time you can observe their antics and interact with them. It won’t be long before you’ll get to know their personality. Each one is individual.
Variety of colours
They come in a variety of colours from white, black, brown, spotted, grey, champagne, ginger, gold, roan, brindle and multi-coloured. Their coats are short-haired and their colour differs from your average house mouse. The colour of their eyes can also vary and are either black or red.
Size and life expectancy
The fancy mouse is longer than the regular house mouse, measuring anywhere from five to seven inches from the tip of their nose to the tip of their tails. Being small creatures, they weigh next to nothing - only one to two ounces. With proper care, a fancy mouse can live up to three years, but most live about one to two years.
Fancy mice make great pets for just about anyone, but because of their small stature and delicate bone structure, adult supervision is always recommended if you’re considering them as a pet for your young child.
Habitat
Fancy mice don’t need a big cage in order to live a long and healthy life, but they will need some entertaining toys to keep them active and entertained. Some chew toys are a necessity for those ever-growing rodent teeth. These don’t have to be fancy toys. You can even use paper towel or toilet rolls, willow balls and wooden chews. Just make sure your cage is well ventilated. Keeping a fancy mouse in an aquarium is not ideal.
For bedding use aspen shavings or untreated paper bedding, all of which you can get at your local pet shop. You will also need to supply your fancy mouse with a place to sleep and shelter, where they will feel secure. Keep their cage in a well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight. Bedding should be changed weekly and at the same time, the cage will need a good clean as well.
Nutrition
A daily supply of fresh fruits and veggies and vet-approved rodent pellets is all they need. Fancy mice love apples, cucumber, carrots, peas and broccoli. Provide them with fresh water every day and make sure to keep their water bottles clean and free from bacteria.
Fancy mice make delightful companions and are one of the most easy-to-care-for pets you can find.