Can You Give Your Pet Mouse a Bath?

If you are not experienced in pet mouse care, you might think that these rodents need a bath from time to time. We are here to tell you that this is not the case at all. Fancy mice do not need baths unless it is inevitable to get something off their fur.

When something gets stuck to their fur or they are extremely dirty, then they should be bathed in a particular way. In this rare case, you can use a wet sponge, some warm water and puppy shampoo to clean them. You can gently but thoroughly rub his coat with the sponge.

Meanwhile, it is important to make sure that no water gets in his ears and eyes. Then, use a dry towel to soak up the excess water. The last step is to use a heater or blow dryer until your pet is completely dry.

But if you take good care of your mouse on a daily basis, you are never going to need to give him a bath. Mice are great at cleaning themselves, just like cats. By changing the bedding once per week, keeping the cage ventilated and buying a good water bottle, you contribute just enough to their cleanliness.

Can Pet Mice Die if Get Wet?

Mice absolutely hate it when their fur is wet and it can cause various health problems for them as well. If you notice that your mouse is wet for some reason, then make sure to dry him as quickly as possible. You can only imagine how stressful it is for them when their water-soaked fur cools them down.

Pet mice can get wet in water bowls and sometimes even when using water bottles. In that case, you can pick your mouse up and rub him gently with a dry towel. If you want to be a hundred percent sure that your mouse is dry, then use the blow dryer as well.

You need to use it on the lowest setting while keeping it about 6 inches (15 cm) away from your pet. In case your mouse gets dripping wet, he will not die immediately for sure. But if you leave your pet like that for hours, he can cool down to the point of dying.

Do Pet Mice Like Sand Bath?

Sand baths are usually used by animals that have greasy fur. This is not characteristic of pet mice and their fur is clean and odorless most of the time. Since there is no grease to get rid of, mice don’t particularly need a sand bath.

Nevertheless, it is a good idea to add one. You can spice things up and lay down some sand so that your mice can play in it. This is one of those activities that pet mice simply enjoy, just like creating nests and tunnels.

Can Pet Mice Clean Themselves?

Pet mice clean themselves all the time. It is one of their main activities, as they are just like cats in this regard. This is also the main reason why you don’t need to bathe them at all. If a pet mouse does not clean himself, it is usually a sign of a health problem.

The good news is that if you do your best at taking care of your mouse, it will be fine. Keep your pet in a clean and comfortable environment, provide it with healthy foods and handle it every now and them.

Just by changing the bedding once every week, you can ensure that your mouse will never be smelly or dirty.

How to Keep Your Mice Clean?

Choosing a package of high-quality bedding from the pet store is more important than you think. If there is dust in the bedding, inhaling it can lead to various respiratory problems for your pet. Therefore, going for the one that contains a minimal amount of dust or none at all is essential.

Another benefit that every quality bedding has is it is good at absorbing odors and liquids. But there is another thing that will help you minimize smells, which is improving the ventilation of the cage. It is best to place it somewhere in the house where there is a constant source of fresh air.

Your mice will appreciate it, as they need fresh air just like we do. The most obvious thing you can do is to clean the cage regularly.

Bedding should be replaced once a week because that is when it starts to get smelly and dirty. It immediately gives a huge boost to the hygiene of the cage if you lay down some fresh bedding.

Regular cleaning also includes removing waste, dirty bedding or leftover foods a few times throughout the day, whenever you notice them. You can also potty train your mouse, which requires you to get a litter box. That box has to be placed where your mouse usually goes to the toilet in its cage.

Then you need to pick up some bedding that is soaked in waste and put it in the box. This gives the signal to your pet mouse that it is where it has to be done.

Then, just give him a treat every time he uses the box as a toilet. It is going to be much cleaner than letting your mouse use the whole bedding as the toilet.

Conclusion

Giving your pet mouse a bath is something you should avoid. A happy and healthy mouse is always clean. They clean themselves multiple times every day, just like cats. You are not going to notice any grease or dirt on their fur, unless they fall into their food or water for some reason.

In those cases, it is still better to just wipe off as much of it as you can and put the mouse right back. Your pet mouse should never be wet because it can quickly lead to serious health problems.

Although they can stay clean without the need to bathe in sand, a sand bath is still a great addition to a mouse cage.