Can Pet Mice Drink from a Bowl? 5 Things to Consider
We can say that drinking from a bowl is certainly not the best option for your mouse. It can certainly work but we wouldn’t recommend you to use one.
There are plenty of better solutions available right now in the market. You can choose from bottles that are easy to install and won’t leave a single drop of water in the cage.
In this article, we are going to explain to you why using water bowls is a really bad idea. Then, we are going to suggest one of the best alternatives in our opinion: a leak-proof bottle that is easy to use.
When it comes to hydration, you should choose the best option because that’s the one that will keep your mouse healthy. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Why You Should Not Use a Water Bowl?
The issue with bowls is that your mouse might be able to drink from it but the water in it gets dirty really fast. This will require you to perform frequent water changes, which is not very smart because you have better options.
The other thing you should be aware of is that mice can make the water dirty with their poop. After some time, the water can get so contaminated that it will make your mice sick. All in all, it is not the most hygienic alternative for sure.
It is especially bad to keep the water in a bowl if you have baby mice in the cage. They might be able to get to the water but once they fall in, it is not easy for them to get out. They can potentially drown in their drinking water. There are many alternatives out there that are much safer than bowls.
Drinking from a bowl will often make your mouse wet, which can be dangerous. If your mouse can’t dry himself in time, he might develop some health problems. The simplest reason why bowls are bad is that the water evaporates from them rather quickly.
There are other water containers that you don’t need to refill as frequently. Also, your mice are going to split water all over the cage and it will quickly start to stink. No one likes to clean the cage every day. It is better to buy a good water bottle that works for your mouse and keeps the cage clean.
Use a Water Bottle to Keep Your Mice Hydrated
This product from Choco Nose is the best solution in the market. It is outstanding for keeping your mouse hydrated without making a mess in the cage.
This H125 model is probably the most popular one right now and it’s highly recommended for hamsters, rats, mice and hedgehogs as well.
Your mice will be able to easily drink through the leak-proof nozzle that is the result of careful design. You can forget about leaking bottles, as this modern bottle will ensure that the cage will stay dry and clean.
Although it comes with a water bottle, you can easily replace it with any standard-sized PET bottle.
The nozzle is designed so that pretty much any smaller pet can drink from it without any issue. The Choco Nose H125 is straightforward to install and use.
It can be installed using its screw fitting wherever you want to on the cage. The nozzle will be inside the cage, while you can easily remove and refill the water bottle outside the cage.
How Much Water do Mice Drink?
The amount of water a mouse has to drink mainly depends on its age and the weather conditions. Now of course, if you keep it in a cage at home then we can consider it as unchanging weather. First off, the most important thing is that there should be always some water in the bottle.
Just to give you an idea, the average adult mouse needs 4 to 7 milliliters of water every day. If you have a lactating female mouse in the cage, however, then she is going to need at least 14 ml a day. Mice require an increasing amount of water as the temperature increases in the room.
Can Baby Mice Drink Water from a Water Bottle?
They definitely can, but they won’t start to drink water from it right away anyway. Once they are developed enough to start eating some dry food, they will quickly learn how to use the bottle as well.
Mice can be smart, especially if they need something as essential as water. They will figure it out without any issues.
How Often to Change Water in the Water Bottle?
You can change the water in the bottle as frequently as you want to, the point is to not let it go empty. Fresh water is always better than stale water. Check back to the cage every now and then to make sure there is still some water left in the bottle.
Tap water can stay fresh in the bottle for 2 to 4 days. We recommend you to refill it with some fresh water after 3 days have passed. In order to stay healthy, your mice need to drink fresh water every day. Since the water is in the bottle, it won’t get contaminated and it won’t make the cage stinky either.
Wrapping Up
All in all, we can conclude that mice can drink from a bowl but it is not recommended for sure. It is simply too messy to keep the water in a bowl for them. If you keep baby mice at home, then it can be especially dangerous for them. Once they fall into it, it is really hard for them to get out.
If you don’t want the cage to be messy and smelly, then make sure to buy a good water bottle with a nice nozzle. The bottle that we mentioned above is very popular thanks to its smart design and user-friendliness. It is completely leak-proof and you can easily access and refill the bottle part.