Best Toys for Pet Mice – Do They Like to Play?
If you want your mouse to be happy and healthy, then you need to keep him active. The best way to do this is to buy a few toys and put them into the cage.
Not only that mice need to stay active throughout the day but you also need to make sure that the environment around them is stimulating.
They quickly get bored and frustrated if they have nothing fun to do. You definitely don’t want to see your mouse chewing on the cage wires all day.
Since there are so many pet toys available for pet mice in the market, all you need to do is to go to the pet store and get some.
We are going to talk about all the different mouse toys you can get and their benefits below.
Best Toys for Pet Mice
There is a wide range of toys available for mice and each of them has its own benefit. Most of them are very simple and you can find materials for them at home.
Basically, you can get creative and find stuff at home that can be used as mouse toys.
Your little pet is going to have a lot of fun without you spending a dime. If you want to buy ready-made toys at the store however, that is also a great idea.
After all, playing with a toilet roll is eventually going to be boring for your pet.
1. Exercise Wheels
In a typical mouse cage, there is not much space to run around. This is why the running wheel is one of the most essential toys you can get.
If your mouse feels like running, he can just enter the wheel and run as much as he wants.
This type of exercise will surely keep your mouse active and healthy. However, there are many wheels in the market that are not safe.
You need to look for one that doesn’t allow your mouse’s tail or feet to be trapped. For example, exercise wheels with wire bars can be quite dangerous.
You better look for a solid wheel that has no gaps on it. These wheels are easy to install. You either need to attach it to the side of the cage or hang it from the top.
Running wheels can be bought in various sizes for different rodents so make sure it is big enough for your mouse.
2. Tunnels and Hideouts
Mice are used to making and using tunnels out in the wild. If you put a few tunnels into their cage, they will be more than eager to use them.
There are various types of tunnels you can buy in the store. They are usually made of plastic or PVC.
You can either just put them in the cage or hang them from the top of it. Tunnels can be used to connect one cage with another, providing your mice the option to visit each other.
You can also get creative and create a complete maze for your mouse.
Tunnels can be bought in various sizes so you need to buy one that is comfortably big for your pet. When it comes to hideouts, there are plenty of decorative ones to use from.
Mice have a natural need to have a place where they can hide. Not to mention that they get scared very easily if something unexpected happens.
You can buy any cage or little house made of solid material for this purpose.
3. Climbing Toys
Tunnels, ladders and branches that your mouse is able to climb all fall into this category.
They provide a fun way for your pet to exercise throughout the day. Besides buying a running wheel, you can put a couple of climbing toys into the cage just to mix things up a bit.
These are either attached to the side wires of the cage or hang from the top in the same way as the running wheel. The more toys you have, the more important it is to spread them around in the cage.
There should be enough space for your mouse to walk around comfortably as well.
You can also get creative and create some similar toys by yourself. If you can find some concrete blocks, bricks or a chunk of hardwood at home, you can use those too.
Anything that can be climbed is ideal, you only need to make sure that it is not dangerous for your pet.
4. Chewing Toys
For little mice, the key to strong and healthy teeth is having a toy to chew on. If they have no such toy, they are going to chew on the cage wires.
That is often loud and annoying, not to mention that they might get out of the cage.
The teeth of your mouse will be constantly growing and it has to be worn down bit-by-bit, every day.
The healthiest toys for chewing are made of rawhide, cardboard and wood. Obviously, if you can find some of these materials at home, then you don’t even need to buy them at the store.
Cardboard boxes, WC paper tubes and egg containers are the best chewing toys you can find at home. If you buy a nice wooden toy at the store, however, then it will probably last longer.
5. Ball and Carry on Toys
Exercise balls are designed to be used when you let your mouse out of the cage. You need to find a safe area where your mouse has plenty of space to play.
Playing with an exercise ball is not only fun for your pet but is also a great way to exercise.
Keep an eye on your mouse because they don’t know when to stop and can potentially become overheated.
Too much exercise is not good for their health either. Also, keep your mouse away from other pets, stairs and areas that can be potentially dangerous for him in the house.
There are plenty of small toys to choose from that mice can carry. Since they love to play, they find it incredibly fun to carry things.
Toys with a bell inside them are particularly interesting for mice. Look for carry on toys that are made of material that can’t be chewed into little pieces.
It can cause serious problems if your pet swallows them.
6. Foraging Toys
Foraging toys are very useful because you definitely don’t want your mouse to get bored of his eating routine. Out in the wild, mice have to do some work for their food.
They need to go out and take risks so it takes time and effort until they get some food for the day.
Filling the food bowl for your mouse every day will eventually make him fat and lazy. Mental stimulation is key even if we are talking about the eating habits of your pet.
Foraging toys allow you to hide the food in them so that your mouse will need to work for it.
There are some interesting foraging toys made for birds that you can buy for your pet mouse as well. It has pretty much the same effect, as the main point is to hide the food.
These are usually made of bamboo and cholla and you can find them in the pet store or on Amazon.
These toys are not pre-filled so you can fill it with the food you want and then give it to your pet.
Do Pet Mice Like to Play?
Mice absolutely love to play, socialize and stay active. You definitely don’t want your mouse to be bored. The more toys you buy and the more time you spend playing with your mouse, the better.
They love stimulating environments where they can get excited by the next thing they see in the cage.
Taking them out of the cage is also a great idea. Give your mouse the opportunity to explore and play as much as possible. As a result, your little pet is going to live a happy and healthy life.
Can Pet Mice Play with Toilet Paper Rolls?
They definitely can. If you can find a toilet roll at home, then it is going to be an ideal low-budget toy for your mouse. An everyday household has constant access to toilet rolls and mice are more than eager to play with them.
Pretty much everything that can be chewed and rolled around will be exciting for them. Not to mention that your mouse can probably fit into the toilet roll as well.
Therefore, it is also an ideal hiding place. By connecting toilet rolls, you can even create a tunnel for your mouse.
Can Pet Mice Play with Plastic Bottle?
Since plastic bottles are usually made of flimsy plastic, the answer is no. If you would give such a bottle to your pet, he would chew it into little pieces.
Eating pieces of plastic is definitely not good for mice. They can completely obstruct their digestive system which is very dangerous.
If you are not sure what to give your mouse to chew on, it is best to call your veterinarian for information. PET is even poisonous for not only rodents but any other animal.
If you don’t want to spend money on chewing toys, then find something made of cardboard at home.
Plastic bottles are also not ideal for creating tunnels. Those should be made of ferplast or something more solid.
Conclusion
No matter which toy are you going to put in the cage from our list, your mouse is going to have a lot of fun with it. There are so many ways to entertain these little rodents.
Instead of throwing toilet rolls, cardboard boxes, pieces of wood and similar stuff into the trash can, consider giving them to your mouse.
The point is to keep your mouse active and entertained. By doing so, you can guarantee that your little pet enjoys every moment of his life. Pet mice love to play, to climb and to work for their food.
Whether you buy the toys in the pet shop or create them at home, it is completely up to you.
