Can Pet Mice Drink Tap Water?

Tap water can vary in quality depending on the country you live in. The rule of thumb is that if you can drink it, your mouse can drink it too. If it’s contaminated, on the other hand, then it’s not worth trying because your mouse can be sensitive to it and such water can cause health problems.

Although mice can get hydrated just by eating various fruits and vegetables, preparing some fresh water for them is just as important. That tap water may be drinkable for your mouse but still, it has to be changed every day.

When it comes to food and hydration, everything has to be fresh if you want your pet to be healthy and thriving. Some researches suggest that filtered water is still better and can make your mouse live longer. Despite this research, the emphasis should be put on changing the water day by day.

If you change it often and there is always fresh water in front of your mice, then bacteria are not going to have enough time to grow anyway.

Do Baby Mice Drink Water?

Providing water to your baby mouse after the weaning period is important in various ways. First off, 3-7 ml of water has to be placed next to their food every day. That is how much a baby mouse usually drinks throughout the day.

Right after the weaning period, it is best to feed your little mouse moistened pellets mixed with some water. During the weaning period, they don’t need water at all because they can get hydrated just by the food they are eating.

After weaning, dry food would make them dehydrated so then you will need to add some water to their diet.

How Much Water Does a Mouse Drink?

Although mice need to have access to fresh water, they are not going to drink much of it. They get hydrated mostly by eating foods such as fruits, veggies or commercial mouse food. Except if the food you give them is completely dry which is usually not even good for them.

Therefore, the average amount they are going to drink is 3-9 milliliters of water per day. Given, of course, that their overall diet is healthy and balanced.

Can Mice Drink from a Bowl?

You can put a water bowl in the mouse cage if you want to but it’s surely not the best option. Since mice like to play a lot, pieces of their bedding, food and fur are going to eventually end up in the bowl.

The water in it has to be fresh and clean, which is something hard to maintain with a water bowl.

We would recommend you to get a water bottle instead. Pretty much the only way your mouse can interact with a water bottle is by drinking from it. He would spill the water out of the bowl when he drinks from it or while playing.

That also gets the bedding wet, which means that you will need to change it sooner.

For How Long Can Pet Mice Go Without Water?

Water is the fluid that life stems from. It is where life evolved and the liquid that every animal, plant and human needs. In fact, we need water so much that we drink more of it than the amount of food we eat.

When it comes to pet mice, they also need more water than food. But this doesn’t mean that they can only get water by drinking water. They can get plenty of it from various foods as well.

However, if we assume theoretically that a mouse stops getting water from all sources from one day to the other, how long will he be able to live?

It turns out that mice are much more enduring than rats, being able to live for up to 5 days without any water.

Can Pet Mice Drink Rain Water?

Usually, when mice find their way into your house, they are going to drink rainwater if they can find any. They just find the spot where rainwater is collected and use it as a means to survive. It is not clean by all means but they are going to drink it if that’s the only water source they can find.

This is especially true if mice find it in a galvanized container. Since those contain a lot of zinc, that can get into their system and it’s toxic. Rainwater is not that harmful if it’s not in a galvanized container but tap water and bottled water are definitely healthier.

Therefore, you should probably not fill the bowl or bottle of your pet with rainwater. If you have a better option then it’s better to just avoid rainwater altogether. Mice that are not kept as pets but rather just lurk around in your house don’t live for that long either.

For pet mice, you always need to go for the healthiest choice because that is how you are going to make that little guy live longer.

Wrapping Up

To conclude, it is usually okay to give your pet mouse tap water. If you know that there are some problems with your tap water at home and you are drinking bottled water yourself, then we would recommend otherwise.

In general, mice don’t drink that much water if they are kept on a healthy diet anyway. They can derive a lot of water by eating commercial mouse foods, vegetables and fruits. While they sometimes need water, it has to be poured in a bottle rather than keeping it in a bowl.

The problem with bowls is that water will be spilled all around them, making your mouse and his bedding wet. This also means that you need to change both the water and the bedding more often. It is better to keep things hygienic and go for the safest option when it comes to the everyday hydration of your pet.

Hopefully, this article has answered all your questions regarding the drinking habits of mice and whether they can drink tap water or not.

avatar Jane
Jane is an experienced animal care specialist with a focus on rodents and small mammals, with over 10 years of experience in the pet industry. Her articles provide practical guidance on choosing the right pet and managing common health issues. Jane is an advocate for animal welfare and supports organizations dedicated to protecting wildlife. read more...

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