Can Pet Mice Eat Rice? 5 Things to Consider

Mice are always hungry and will eat pretty much anything if they are hungry, including rice.

That said, there are a few things to consider before feeding rice your pet mice.

In this article, I will give you some indications on how much rice you should feed, how to prepare the rice for your mice and how often your pet mice should eat rice.

Raw vs Cooked Rice – Which is Best for Pet Mice?

It is a debate about this topic. Some people say, that you should only feed raw rice to your pet mice, others say, that you should only feed cooked rice.

The reality is that you can feed both cooked and raw rice to your pet mice.

Mice like to chew on different objects. Although raw rice might be harder to chew, mice have no problem nibbling on it. They have really strong teeth, and they can easily chew through raw rice.

You can also feed them cooked rice. But keep in mind, that cooked rice will start rotting after a few hours at room temperature. Rotten-cooked rice can be toxic and can kill your pet mice.

So, if you feed your pet mice cooked rice, you need to remove the leftover after a couple of hours, in order to prevent any health problems.

Also, before serving the cooked rice to your pet mice, you can mix it with a bit of olive oil to add extra flavor.

Will Uncooked Rice Kill Mice?

No, uncooked rice will not kill mice, but it is certainly harder for them to digest than cooked rice. If you want to feed rice to your pet mice, it is better to feed them cooked.

If you want to get rid of pest mice, you should use other methods to catch them, instead of trying to poison them with uncooked rice, because this will not work.

White or Brown Rice is Healthier for Pet Mice?

Brown rice is richer in fibers and protein than white rice. Brown rice contains more fats, carbs and calories than white rice.

Considering the fact, that mice always choose food, which is higher in calories, probably, they will consume brown rice first.

If you have the option to choose between brown and white rice to feed your pet mice, I recommend feeding them brown rice. Brown rise contains more nutrients such as magnesium, manganese, selenium, potassium, phosphorous and copper.

All these nutrients are essential for a healthy mouse.

How Often Should You Feed Rice to Your Pet Mouse?

Rice should be offered to your pet mouse only as snack. You should not feed them only rice, because it doesn’t contain all the necessary nutrients and vitamins that a mouse needs.

Unlike cheese, rice is very healthy for mice, but feeding them only this food can result in health problems.

Instead of feeding them raw or cooked rice, you can offer your mice rice pops. You can buy rice pops treats on Amazon for just a few bucks. Your mice will love these snacks and will eat them in no time.

You feed your mice rice or rice pops, three or four times a week or every other day.

Does Feeding Rice to Pet Mice Make Them Stink?

Mice, including pet mice stink. If you have a pet mouse, probably you are already aware of this fact.

I feed rice to my mice every other day, but I didn’t find any difference in how strong their smell is.

If their strong smell bothers you, I highly recommend reading my guide on how to reduce mouse smell.

Do Wild Mice Eat Rice?

Yes, unfortunately, wild mice are considered pests on rice lands, because they do a lot of damage to the rice harvest.

Farmers make big efforts to control the mice population on rice lands, because wild mice can take over whole fields.

Wrapping Up

I hope that my article has helped you figure out how to feed rice to your pet mice. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Also, if you want to learn more about pet mice, please read my other articles.

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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