Japanese decorative mouse. Japanese mouse - an unusual dancing rodent

Today you can often see various animals in apartments. Some people get cats, others - dogs. There are people who choose rodents. Some people have chinchillas at home, Guinea pigs and decorative mice.

The latter will be discussed in our article. There is a white and a gray mouse. You can also find rodents with more original colors, for example, spotted.

Japanese mouse: description of the species

These mice were first bred in Japan as food for small snakes. But thanks to their friendly disposition, interesting color and unpretentiousness in keeping, they were soon made another type of pet. Japanese decorative mouse has become popular not only in its own country, but also in many other countries.

What is this animal? A small mouse measuring four centimeters. The weight of the animal is 6 grams. The fur is white, chaotically decorated with black spots, which make the rodent look like a Dalmatian. Animals' markings are all different, they are usually bizarre in shape. The peculiarity of these mice is that they do not smell.

It is necessary to line the bottom with sawdust. They should be changed twice a week. Optimal temperature for keeping these rodents - 21 degrees.

Should you feed mice? pumpkin seeds, fruits, corn, oats, millet, burdock leaves, cilantro, fruits, plantain, parsley and others.

Once a week you need to give protein food. It can be low-fat cottage cheese, a piece of boiled meat or an egg (hard-boiled). Hang the mineral stone in the cage.

Baby mice

This is not only the most small rodent, but also the smallest mammal on Earth. The weight of the beast is eight grams. The rodent's body length does not exceed seven centimeters.

Such mice are perfect for keeping in a cage with small cells (no more than five millimeters). These rodents practically do not emit a specific odor. Mice should have clay or glass plates in their cage. Rodents feed on grains and cereals.

Also add greens, vegetables and fruits to your diet. Sometimes give rodents lean meat, ground into minced meat.

Cottage cheese and White bread occasionally it is worth adding to the diet of mice.

Gerbil

These rodents are well suited for keeping in an apartment. Gerbils in daylight hours more active. They are easy to train and are non-aggressive towards people.

The natural habitat is deserts and semi-deserts. In appearance it resembles a jerboa, thanks to its elongated hind limbs and tail with a tassel at the end.

Rodents reproduce very well and are not picky about food.

The cage for a gerbil should be metal, measuring 40x50 cm or more.

The rodent should be fed legumes, herbs, and cereals. They also consume hay and branches of soft trees (poplar, willow and others). Sprouted grains are beneficial for the gerbil. The rodent also loves vegetables, berries and fruits, not only fresh, but also dry. Sometimes give your gerbil dairy products, cottage cheese, mealworms, dry gammarus and more. readily eaten by rodents.

Tubular bones of farm animals and chalk should be used for mineral feeding of pets. There must be water in the cage at all times.

Gerbils have movable front legs, so they often use them when eating food for convenience.

From the end of winter until late autumn, these rodents breed. There are up to five cubs in one litter. But, unfortunately, not everyone survives. The gestation period of such an animal is 23 days. After the birth of the babies, it is not necessary to remove the male.

At the age of twelve days, babies already begin to eat on their own. During this period, they also continue to feed on mother's milk.

Spiny mouse

Decorative pets have become popular relatively recently. These rodents have captured the hearts of people. They are sociable and quickly get used to people, especially those who care for them. They are unpretentious in captivity and care. What is such an animal? The spiny mouse is a cross between a gerbil, a hedgehog and a jerboa. The eyes of these animals are large and beautiful. The whole body is covered with fluffy fur, and there are real needles on the back.

This feature is the reason why these decorative mice were called spiny mice. The body length is on average 10 cm, and the tail is 9 cm. The face of this rodent is very cute. The lower part of the mouse’s body is covered with white hair, and on top there are needles of yellow, dark sulfur or reddish-brown color.

You should put a house in the cage, the mice will rest in it. You should also place climbing shelves and ladders in the cage.

These rodents need to be given branches deciduous trees. There are no special features regarding nutrition. They eat everything that other decorative mice do.

White house (laboratory) mouse

These rodents have long since lost their wild nature. IN Lately They are very often found among people as pets. Their mass maintenance began about 125 years ago. These rodents are sociable and unpretentious in care.

It is best for a white mouse to get used to a person if you purchase a month-old rodent. After purchasing it, you need to pick it up and play with it more often. These rodents are highly trainable.

Feeding is not difficult, they eat a variety of rodent foods. White mouse eats greens, vegetables, cereals. Never give your rodents fried or fatty foods. It is useful to supplement the diet with mealworms or other invertebrates.

For growing incisors, you need to add twigs of shrubs or stone fruit trees and crackers to the diet of young animals.

The duration of pregnancy in a rodent of this species is approximately twenty days. The female brings about seven babies, although there are more. B can give birth to approximately ten litters.

Rodents must live in a cage. There must be a house in it. It is also advisable to install a wheel or additional accessories for games. The optimal temperature for keeping is twenty degrees.

House gray mouse

In addition to whites, there are also gray mice. They are also a subspecies of domestic ones. Gray mouse on average weighs thirty grams, body length is about ten centimeters. The length of the tail of this mouse is 10 cm. The rodent's fur is hard. The coloring is monochromatic.

Lifespan

How long do decorative mice live? It is impossible to answer this question precisely. Because it depends on many factors. On average, it is two to three years.

Conclusion

Now you know what types of decorative mice there are. We looked at different breeds. We also touched upon the topic of keeping and feeding these small rodents. We hope that our article was useful to you.

Anyone who decides to get a Japanese mouse inevitably asks the question: how many animals should you buy? What to prefer - a different-sex or same-sex couple?
There are several options.
1. Two females + one male. In this case, you will admire the real family idyll. This is the most natural option: zoologists say that it is these mouse families that are most often found in nature.
2. Female + male. Also a good option. A complete family.
3. Two females. It is known that several females can be kept in one terrarium at the same time and there will be no contention between them.
4. One male. Two males will not get along together: sooner or later there will come a time when they will start fighting for territory. But a lonely male, deprived of the attention of his relatives, will strive to communicate with you. You will probably easily tame it (for information on how to tame a Japanese mouse, see below in the “Entertainment” section). Having one male is a good choice for those who want not so much to observe their pet from the outside, but to communicate and play with him. In general, I personally prefer to communicate with males: females sometimes behave unpredictably. Males are more adequate; they will learn much better the rules of the games that you come up with for them.

What will your mice need? Home, food and entertainment.

It is most convenient to keep Japanese mice in a plastic aquaterrarium, since these animals are afraid of drafts. For a couple of mice, a regular terrarium measuring 41x32x22 is more than enough. Such terrariums are sold both at the Bird Market (always) and in pet stores (sometimes). By the way, turtles are kept in the same terrariums, so if you didn’t find what you were looking for in the “products for rodents” department, take a look at the amphibian department.
It’s great if there is a grate on the lid of the terrarium - mice love to climb on it. But it is better to throw away the plastic palms that are sometimes found in such terrariums immediately - their leaves are too sharp and can easily injure you. After all, no mouse can resist the temptation to quickly climb onto a palm tree, especially if another mouse is already sitting there.
It’s great if the terrarium already has a running wheel. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have it - such wheels can be purchased separately.
We will talk more about drinking bowls below, in the “Food” section.

You need to pour sawdust (middle fraction) onto the bottom of the terrarium. You can change them every two or three days, or once a week - this is how often you need to do general cleaning. About her - a little lower.
In the meantime, let’s take care of the house itself, a shelter where the mice will build a nest.
Such a shelter can be half a coconut shell, a broken flower pot, etc. Pet stores sell ready-made ceramic and wooden houses. By the way, mice do not like it when light penetrates into their house, and they carefully seal up too large cracks or entrances with rags and other improvised material. Cut shreds, tear pieces toilet paper(just not cotton wool - it sticks to the skin) and scatter all this stuff around the terrarium - the mice themselves will find how to use it in their household. Watching this process is a special pleasure.
Where to put the terrarium? Just not on the window! Mice do not like cold, heat, drafts, or bright light. They get cold and overheat easily. Therefore, the place for the terrarium should not be too lit; It shouldn't be too warm or too cold here. Never leave the terrarium near open window in winter. The optimal temperature for mice is 20-22 degrees.

About spring cleaning. Dismiss all the residents, giving each a gift - a seed or a piece of banana chip, so that the expulsion will not be so difficult to bear. Wash the terrarium with a soft sponge and laundry soap. Dry the terrarium thoroughly. It must be completely dry. Pour in sawdust and shreds, fresh food, rinse the drinking bowl and pour fresh water into it, and set up the house. Now you can invite its inhabitants.

Mice have a very intense metabolism, so they need constant reinforcement. However, you should not overfeed the animals. One Japanese mouse eats a little less than a teaspoon of food every day. Moreover, if your mouse meticulously chooses grains of one type, rejecting others, you should not indulge it, all the time adding exactly those grains that it likes. Wait until the feeder is almost empty, and only then add more new portion food.
The mice are fed once a day.

The main diet of Japanese mice, like any other mice, is whole grain. It is also useful because it allows you to grind teeth, and this is vital for rodents. Mixtures of corn, oats, millet, sorghum, pumpkin and sunflower seeds work well. All these grains can be bought at the Poultry Market - in a mixture or separately.

ATTENTION! Such grain must be washed - in storage it is sprayed with poison. One unwashed grain can be fatal. A fairly convenient way is to throw a handful of grains into a bowl of water for a few minutes, and then rinse thoroughly under running water using a regular sieve. After this, it is worth spreading the grain on a tray or plates so that it dries thoroughly.
Just like people, mice need vegetables, fruits and herbs. Rodents eat beets, carrots, apples, zucchini, green salad, cilantro, green and onions, parsley, regular green grass(wheatgrass), leaves and shoots of burdock, leaves of dandelions, plantain, yarrow, honey, etc. The exception is White cabbage, which is believed to cause fermentation in the stomach and intestines.

As for food sold in stores, mice clearly prefer mixtures of whole grains (corn + oats + millet + sunflower, etc.); and yet ready-made feed have two significant advantages - firstly, they do not need to be washed and dried, and secondly, they already contain pieces of dried vegetables, fruits and herbs. Therefore, in principle, you can feed mice only store-bought food. Better yet, combine ready-made and homemade food.

Mineral stone is an important addition to the diet, as it enriches your mouse's body with calcium and phosphorus, and in addition, gives it the opportunity to grind down its teeth.
A rodent's incisors grow throughout its life, and if for some reason it cannot grind them down, it will die. The loss of an incisor is equally dangerous: the remaining tooth grows ugly and sometimes even grows into the brain. Therefore, it is better not to put too hard objects in the terrarium - curious mice will try everything first.
Mineral stones are sold in pet stores and at the Bird Market.

Mice can be given ordinary unboiled tap water to drink. The main thing is that this water should stand for some time in an open container. It is enough to leave a three-liter jar of water for a day: during this time all the chlorine will leave it.
How to feed mice? In principle, you can put a tall ceramic bowl of water in the terrarium, but playful animals always drop all kinds of garbage into the water and dip their tails in it. It is most convenient to use an automatic drinker. This is a bottle from which comes a tube with a metal ball at the end. The mouse licks the ball, which, due to the force of surface tension, is constantly wetted with water.
It is better not to buy drinking bowls with a plastic sleeve inside - the ball in them often dries out.
The drinking bowl is hung outside or inside the terrarium (which is less convenient, since mice tend to swing on the drinking bowl). By the way, in terrariums with a lattice lid there is a special hole for hanging a drinking bowl from the outside, and an adult small mouse is quite capable of squeezing into it! Be careful when removing the drinker - never forget to plug the opened gap in the wall of the terrarium.
And one more thing: always fill the drinking bowl completely!
It is advisable to change the water in the drinking bowl every three days. From time to time you need to rinse the drinking bowl to prevent blue-green algae from growing on its walls.

Regarding vitamins: if you give your pets a varied and balanced diet and they appear healthy and playful, then no vitamin supplements are required. Moreover, the combination of fortified imported food and a vitamin solution (provided that this is the entire diet of your mice) can only cause harm - lead to hypervitaminosis. But if you notice that your mouse’s skin has lost its smoothness, its eyes have lost their shine, etc., it makes sense to add a few drops of a vitamin solution to the water for a while.

PREGNANCY, BIRTH, NURSING

Pregnancy in Japanese mice lasts 20 days, and the same amount of time is required for the babies to reach adulthood. There are up to 7 cubs in a litter.

How to care for mother and babies?

Give the mother more fresh food - fruits, vegetables, low-fat cottage cheese, put a mineral stone in the terrarium. But most importantly, do not disturb the mother and children: under no circumstances touch the nest (house) for 20 days after birth! Firstly, in order not to destroy the cubs - disturbed parents can devour them, and secondly, in order not to introduce an infection (the babies have not yet formed a stable immune system). You can change the sawdust in the terrarium itself.
Sometimes mice eat their first litter, but nothing can be done about it. If this happens, it will be in the house, and you will not see it. But the second and third time everything goes like clockwork: they give birth normally and are fed. True, our mice always fed their children, including their firstborns.
You can pick up a mouse that is already pregnant, but a couple of days before and after giving birth, the mouse becomes quite nervous, so maybe it’s not worth the risk.

Should I put my father away?

The male pursues the female shortly before giving birth, during the process, and even a day or two later. We need to watch our parents: if it comes to serious fights, then, of course, the guy should be put in the “father cell”.
Experienced people said that the Japanese were not being pushed out. We tried both options. When the male was removed, the female rested for some time from the pestering, but then she did not recognize her husband, and she had to get used to him again; the guy had problems with his paternal instinct. When the male was not removed, he tried to take possession of the mother directly on the babies. But on the second day after giving birth, he cooled down and began to caress the children (in in a good way). Moreover, in some cases, the children were strangers, from a different father...
We were all afraid that this struggle would cripple the children, but somehow it worked out so far! So it seems to me that we need to monitor the situation, and if everything is more or less normal, then there is no need to remove the male.

ENTERTAINMENT

Japanese mice are very temperamental and cheerful animals. They always find something to do - fall from somewhere, try to squeeze through some gap, climb somewhere, make something, or just jump joyfully.
There are many ways to amuse restless animals: hang ropes or rope ladders, install a running wheel, or place an intricately shaped piece of driftwood. A terrarium with a lattice lid gives you another way to have fun: you can walk around upside down on the lattice!

By the way, mice have amazing jumping ability. Young Japanese mice are able to jump upward, turning over in the air in order, for example, to grab the bars “on the ceiling” of their terrarium with their paws and tail.
You should always remember that mice are excellent jumpers, even if you are dealing with a tame animal that has climbed onto your palm. And if the mouse is not yet tame, keep in mind: you can only grab it by the tail and nothing else!

How to tame a Japanese mouse

If you decide to tame your mice, be patient. It has been experimentally proven that when an animal tries to solve a difficult or unusual problem, it experiences a state similar to neurosis. Make it a rule to never force the will of an animal without good reasons. If you show enough patience, attentiveness and respect for the will of your pet, he himself will begin to persistently seek your company, and climb onto your hand every time you lower it into the terrarium.

Tame mice gradually: before adding the usual portion of food, offer them a seed, oatmeal or other treat. Your movements should be smooth and soft. At first, the mice will shy away from your fingers: in this case, leave the seed and remove your hand. In a few days, curiosity will surely take its toll. The main thing is not to rush.
Soon the mice will get used to your hand and begin to take food from your fingers. And one day the bravest little mouse will try to climb into your palm. Don’t rush things: let him thoroughly examine your hand in the familiar surroundings of his native terrarium. Let the mouse feel that your hand is a friend.

Talk to the mouse - quietly, affectionately. Tell him that you admire his courage, intelligence and beauty. According to my observations, Japanese mice perfectly sense the emotional background and always react to unfeigned admiration and affectionate words. And vice versa: if a person is nervous when inviting an animal into the palm of his hand, the latter will most likely ignore the invitation. And he will be right...

So, after a while you will be able to take your pet mouse out of the terrarium and play with it “in the wild.”
As soon as you notice that the animal is overexcited, immediately return it to the terrarium.

When playing with a mouse, you must be extremely attentive and careful: mice are very nimble animals and are always trying to escape. The Japanese mouse is extremely easy to pinch or crush - many animals die due to the carelessness and clumsiness of their owners. And this circumstance is another weighty argument in favor of taming your mouse gradually. Over time, the mouse gets used to your hands, and you get used to it, to its movements and habits. You begin to better feel the desires and mood of your pet, your hands become more and more dexterous, and the mouse learns the rules of your joint games.

Wild past
Babies come from South-East Asia and Japan. The breed was not bred artificially; its popularity was rather a gift of fate. In the wild they are somewhat smaller than house mouse, are much cleaner and lighter, and most importantly, they are easily tamed, peaceful and feel great in captivity. It is due to these features that these mice were used as laboratory animals in Japan. And it was there that such characteristics as small size and black and white spotted color were established.
Then, sadly, the babies gained popularity as food for small snakes.
It was only much later that mice were appreciated as wonderful pets.
The miniature mouse, measuring 4-7 cm and weighing 6-6.5 g, has great charm. The white fur is decorated with black spots, which make the mouse look like a tiny Dalmatian. These spots are very individual for each mouse, like fingerprints for a person, and take on their own bizarre and unique shape. From common mouse it is distinguished by its smaller size and elongated head and unusually soft, silky fur.
The mice were called “dancing” for their mobility and jumping ability (by the way, they jump very high for their size!). The “unusuality” is due to the fact that they often make jumps leaning on their tail. Their movements are fast and at the same time smooth, varied and even graceful. Unlike a hamster, which usually either eats or sleeps, Japanese mice are very dynamic, inquisitive and spend a significant portion of their time moving. If they are not exploring the areas of their cage for the hundredth and thousandth time or are not climbing its walls up and down, then they are doing the toilet, combing and smoothing the fur with their paws and washing their faces.

Mouse care
Any mouse is looking for a hole. Everyone knows this. Mice feel more comfortable in enclosed spaces. This should not be forgotten, and you should take care of a “roof over your pet’s head” in advance.
The mouse's house should be clean, dry and warm, but not hot. You should not place it near a window or near a radiator, as mice are afraid of drafts and bright light: the animals can easily catch a cold or overheat. Never leave a mouse's house near an open window in winter! The optimal temperature for mice is 19-22 °C.
It should be taken into account that mice are small, and a cage must be chosen with a very fine mesh. And if little mice appear, then even the smallest mesh will not be an obstacle to them. That's why best choice There will be a plastic terrarium. Pet stores sell ready-made terrariums with a house where Japanese mice can rest - with a food bowl, a running wheel, and a drinking bowl. If you bought the terrarium empty, you can purchase all the accessories separately. Caring for mice is not difficult at all. It is necessary to change the bedding 1-2 times a week, depending on the size of the “house” and the number of mice. Bedding materials are sold in pet stores. The best ones are those made from compressed sawdust.
You can buy special toys for your mouse, but you can also make them yourself. The rope net will help the mouse practice acrobatic tricks, maintaining balance with the help of its tail. Even a cardboard tube of paper towels will come in handy. It is easy and fun to climb. The mouse wheel is a fun simulator!

Guarantee of health
Despite their miniature size, mice have excellent health and an enviable life expectancy for such little ones - 2.5-3 years.
But still, some attention should be paid to the health of the pet. The problem for any rodent is teeth. Incisors grow throughout their lives. In addition, your pets need minerals.
It is recommended to place a mineral stone in the mouse’s terrarium, which contains phosphorus and calcium, and in addition, it gives the mouse the opportunity to grind down its teeth.
This breed is characterized by hereditary pathology of the cerebellum, which is expressed in impaired coordination of movements. This does not cause suffering to mice, however, if this happens, it is better not to use the animal for breeding, so as not to perpetuate this pathology. Unfortunately, the mouse will not be able to complain to you about its illnesses. To determine the health status of an animal, you must first pay attention to its appearance. Your mouse should be well-fed, with shiny eyes and clean, smooth fur. The animal must move freely, show interest in feeding and environment. If the mouse hides in a corner, closes its eyes or moves uncertainly, this is a sign of ill health.

Character and habits
If you decide to get yourself a Japanese mouse, then you should think about how it will live and... with whom.
An animal may well live alone, but a mouse is a social animal, and it needs communication, including with its owner. And if you decide to get two, three or more mice, then you need to take into account some biological aspects. Males are defenders of the territory, with all the ensuing consequences: conflicts, fights, which can lead to serious injuries. So several males will have difficulty getting along. As for the females, they are calmer; there should be no problems with living together, but, of course, sometimes small “squabbles” are possible. If you place two individuals of different sexes together, then it is quite possible to prepare for opening a nursery or simply distributing babies. IN natural environment A triad is more common - two females and one male. You need to know this too.
So remember: communication is very important for Japanese mice. Animals quickly get used to humans and compete for his attention. It is important to understand the “peculiar” language in which the mice are “explained”. Through special sounds, animals can express the entire range of their emotions: satisfaction, displeasure, aggression, fear or specific territorial behavior.

Comments

It so happened that from childhood I remember how birds lived in our house. These were budgies, goldfinches and canaries. I especially remember the canary Kesha, incredibly smart, he lived with us for a long time and, in fact, became a full member of the family. Kesha usually woke up early and woke up the whole family with his songs. And even if they tell me that his voice was too loud, even if he rather annoyed adults then, for me, waking up to the song of a canary became synonymous with home comfort.