by Lara Jackson

Created on: November 30, 2009

So you've decided to bring home a pet mouse - or better yet, two or more. Congratulations! Pet mice have been part of my family for years, and I always appreciate their antics, their company, and their ease of care. I've brought home a number of mice from a number of sources, and made a few mistakes along the way. One of my mice died of a respiratory infection within a week of bringing her home. Two more came home pregnant, and presented me with sixteen extra mice I hadn't planned on! These problems would not have happened if I'd been a little more careful while choosing my pets. In hopes of helping you avoid the same mistakes, here's a few things I've learned.

There is no "best" source for pet mice, but before you head to the local pet shops, I highly recommend looking around at other sources. Try checking Petfinder.org and see if there are any adoptable mice near you. Believe it or not, mice do end up at rescue organizations, animal shelters and humane societies. Not only might it be possible to give a home to mice who really need one, but these mice as just as likely to be healthy as mice from any other source. Baby mice often end up in need of homes, too. I'm not the only one who has brought home a pregnant mouse, and people sometimes turn over these accidental litters to shelters. There are even rescue organizations who specialize in small animals like mice, and if you can find one, this might be the best place to look. Most have lots of knowledge about their animals and truly want to help.

Mice in need of homes don't always end up at rescue and humane societies. I occasionally see them on Craigslist.org and other local classified listings from owners who either had an accidental litter, or must give up their pets for other reasons. "Pre-owned" mice sometimes have advantages over other mice. They're much more likely to have been handled, and be tamer, than pet shop mice. And they may come with a cage and other supplies, often for free or for a large discount over pet shop prices.

There are also mouse breeders. Most are "feeder breeders," and raise mice primarily to feed to reptiles. In general, their mice won't have been handled much, any more than pet shop mice - in fact, feeder breeders often supply pet shops. But good feeder breeders can still offer healthy mice, and may be better than pet shops at sexing their mice.

If you're new to mice, you may not know just how popular they are in some circles. There are even mouse shows! And, of course, there are breeders

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