This article is from the Fall 1999 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

By Helen Pembrook

MARVIFISH, e-mail
QI was wondering where to get fancy mice. I read an article that said that fancy mice are different from pet store mice. I was wondering if you could send me some information as to why they are different, and where to get them since you can’t get them at a pet store.

AMost pet store mice are bred en mass by commercial breeders for feeders. No care is taken for personality traits, color, conformation, or overall health. Sometimes pet stores sell what they term as fancy mice which are usually spotted, colored, or Satin mice instead of plain white.

The fancy mice that are raised by mouse enthusiasts are bred to improve specific traits that are of interest to the breeder. Care is taken to keep good color, conformation, health, and personality when trying to obtain this particular trait (longer hair, bigger ears, etc.). There are Long Hair mice, Frizzie hair mice, Satin or shiny hair mice, Hairless mice, standard short haired mice, and English mice. English mice are like regular mice except that they are twice the size and have much better conformation. These mice were bred specifically for show purposes.

Mary Jean, e-mail
QI am an animal lover who rescued some pregnant female mice. They have had their litters, and I now have 26 five-week-old mice. I am looking for a humane suggestion on what to do with them. I plan to try the elementary school, but 26 would be far too optimistic if they take any at all. I could really use your help.

AYou could ask around at the pet shops, vet offices, feed stores, and schools to see if they would take any for pets or know of anyone looking for pet mice. However, the first priority, if you haven’t done it already, is to separate the boys from the girls NOW or you will have hundreds of mice to find homes for. Unfortunately, not many people want mice for pets, especially the males as they have a natural musky smell. You can only have one in a cage as they fight and can kill each other. You may have to just take all the males to the pet shop to sell (most likely for snake food) and concentrate on finding pet homes for the girls.