Mouse
Cage Size
Mouse Cage Size
The minimum mouse cage size for housing one mouse is 120 square inches. A cage this size will be large enough to house 1 male mouse or up to 3 female mice. If you want to keep more than 3 mice in a cage, you will need an additional 40 square inches of space for each mouse you add. If you want to figure out how large your mouse cage dimensions should be, try out the mouse cage calculator located at the top of this article.
– Best Mouse Cages –
Large Mouse Cages
Kaytee Multi-Level Exotic Pet Home
The Kaytee Multi-Level Exotic Pet Home (Buy Online) is the perfect mouse cage if you want to keep a large colony of mice. With a footprint of 549 square inches, it will easily hold up to 14 mice quite comfortably.
The Kaytee Multi-Level Exotic Pet Home also comes with elevated platforms and ramps that further extend the usable living space of this cage. With the added platform space you might be able to get away with keeping a maximum of 20 mice.
WARE Chew Proof Three Level Small Animal Critter Cage
The WARE Chew Proof Three Level Small Animal Critter Cage (Buy Online) is a durable cage well suited for keeping a large mouse colony. The base of this cage has a total area of 480 square inches, which is enough to house 12 mice.
The WARE Chew Proof Three Level Small Animal Critter Cage also has elevated platforms connected by ramps which increases this cages total internal living area. These platforms are made of wire though, so they might not be as comfortable for the mice to spend extended periods of time on. If you take the area of the platforms into account you should be able to keep up to 14 mice in this cage.
Prevue Hendryx Three Story Lilac Small Animal Cage
The Prevue Hendryx Three Story Lilac Small Animal Cage (Buy Online) is a tall cage which includes a mouse house and an exercise wheel. The base of this cage has a total area of 170 square inches, which is large enough on its own to house 4 mice.
The Prevue Hendryx Three Story Lilac Small Animal Cage also comes with two platforms that are connected by ramps. The first platform is just a simple open platform, while the second one is made to hold the included “mouse house”. If you take the added area of these platforms into account, you should be able to keep 6 mice in this cage without running into any problems.
WARE Home Sweet Home Small Animal Cage (Large)
The WARE Home Sweet Home Small Animal Cage (Buy Online) is the perfect no-frills cage for holding a large mouse colony. The total amount of floor space in this cage is 694 square inches, which makes this cage large enough to hold 17 mice.
Unlike some of the other large mouse cages in this section, this one doesn’t have any ramps or platforms. That means the only usable living space is on the floor pan unless you want to add your own custom ramps and platforms. This cage also comes in small and medium versions if the large is too big for your application.
WARE Chew Proof Small Animal Critter Cage
The WARE Chew Proof Small Animal Critter Cage (Buy Online) is a great option if you need an affordable cage that can house a large mouse colony. This cage has a total internal area of 312 square inches, which makes it large enough to house 8 mice.
This cage is also another bare-bones cage since it doesn’t come with any ramps or platforms. This isn’t much of a problem though since this cage has such a generous amount of floor space. You can also add ramps and platforms later since this cage is relatively easy to modify.
Small Mouse Cages
WARE 2 Level Small Animal House
The WARE 2 Level Small Animal House (Buy Online) comes with everything you need to keep a small mouse colony. The total amount of living space in this cage is 192 square inches, which makes this cage large enough to house 5 mice.
The WARE 2 Level Small Animal House also comes with an exercise wheel and a ramp that leads to an elevated platform. The platform has a few little fun elements like a faux molded plastic couch and a food dish shaped like a chair. This cage also has an accessory attic for storing toys and any other things you might need for cage maintenance.
Prevue Hendryx Two Story Yellow Small Animal Cage
The Prevue Hendryx Two Story Yellow Small Animal Cage (Buy Online) has everything you need to keep a small colony of mice. This cages base has a footprint of 154 square inches, which is enough to house 5 mice quite comfortably.
The Prevue Hendryx Two Story Yellow Small Animal Cage also comes with an additional platform which further increases this cages internal living area. If you take into account the amount of space added by the platform and “mouse house” then you might be able to keep 7 mice in this cage. This cage also comes with a built-in exercise wheel, so you won’t have to purchase one separately. All in all this little cage packs a lot of value into a small affordable package.
Prevue Hendryx Single Story Purple Small Animal Cage
The Prevue Hendryx Single Story Purple Small Animal Cage (Buy Online) is a good starter cage for keeping a small mouse colony. This cage has a total living area of 154 square inches, which is enough space to house a maximum of 5 mice.
The Prevue Hendryx Single Story Purple Small Animal Cage is a low profile cage which means it doesn’t have any added vertical space for ramps and platforms. It does come with an exercise wheel though, so you won’t have to purchase one separately. One very nice about this compact cage though is that it will easily fit in a kids room, unlike other oversized cages.
WARE Green Carry-N-Cage Small Animal Habitat
The WARE Green Carry-N-Cage Small Animal Habitat (Buy Online) is made for transporting small animals for short durations. The total internal area of this cage is 99 square inches, which is smaller than the recommended cage size for keeping one mouse. This isn’t a big problem if a mouse is only housed in this cage for short amounts of time.
This cage is suitable for taking your mouse to the veterinarian, or for moving a mouse to any another location. A good example of this is if you want to move your mouse to a mouse safe room to play with them, in that case, you can place them in this carrier while you move them, in order to reduce the risk of them escaping.
Mouse Cage Bar Spacing
Another thing you will have to consider when picking out a mouse cage is the distance between the bars. A mouse cages bar spacing is important since mice are well known for their ability to squeeze through tight spaces. A good rule of thumb to follow is that a mouse cage should have a bar spacing of 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch at a maximum.
If you get a cage with a bar spacing that is too wide then you run the risk of your mouse escaping their cage. Another risk associated with widely spaced bars is that your mouse might get caught in them if they try to push their body through and they can’t fit. If that happens your mouse could become injured or even die.
How Many Mice Can Live Together
If you plan on keeping a group of mice (colony) you will have to stick to keeping all females. This is due to the fact that male mice are territorial, and they will fight with other males if they are kept together.
Keeping a male and a female in the same cage won’t have the same risk of conflict, but you will have to deal with the results of them mating. If a female mouse gets pregnant you will have to put the male mouse in a separate cage in order to keep the litter safe and to protect the female from harassment.
If you stick to an all-female colony of mice you can keep 3 to 10 mice in one cage without any problems. Of course, you should still make sure the cage is large enough, and that the cage has hiding spots for each female mouse to take refuge in.
Another thing to consider when keeping multiple mice is cage maintenance. A large group of female mice (colony) will need their cage cleaned on a daily basis. For this reason, it might be easier to keep your mice in separate cages, due to the fact that individual mice usually only need their cages cleaned every three to four days.
How Many Mice in a Litter
In the wild mice can have anywhere from 1 to 32 mice in a litter. There are a number of genetic and environmental factors that go into how many mice are born in one litter. If a female mouse had a mother who gave birth to a large litter she will be more likely to have a large litter herself. The amount of food a female mouse gets can also contribute to the size of her litter.
Domesticated mice tend to have smaller litters since the risk of predation and starvation is lessened in such controlled environments. If you do plan on breeding mice, you should prepare for the maximum litter size so you won’t be taken by surprise. Once the litter is born they will have to stay with their mother until they are fully weaned. After that, you will need to separate the males and female so there won’t be any conflicts.
How Much Does a Mouse Cage Cost
The average cost of a mouse cage is dependent on a number of factors. First, the size of the cage is the largest driver of cost. Second, any included accessories or unique materials will also play a role in the final cost of a mouse cage.
Small Mouse Cage
The price of a small mouse cage can range from $10 to $25. A simple 10 dollar cage in most cases won’t come with any added features, and they will tend to be the smallest option. A 25 dollar cage, on the other hand, will be larger and it might come with an exercise wheel and some other added features.
Large Mouse Cage
A large mouse cage can cost between $30 and $90. A 30 dollar mouse cage will usually have enough space to house a good sized colony of mice, but it won’t come with any extras. A 90 dollar mouse cage will usually have lots of added accessories and in most cases will have the largest internal volume.
