Buying Your Fancy Mice

You are usually best off finding a good breeder near you to purchase mice from. A good breeder will be able to tell you about their mice, what food they do best on, what the health of their line is like, etc etc. They will also usually be an email or phone call away if your new mice have any problems. Buying them from a breeder enables you to see where the mice come from and how well they are kept. Some breeders have a closed shed policy, whereby they don't allow people or other animals to enter their shed for fear of exposing their stock to germs and bacteria to which they have no built-up resistance. Don't let this put you off unnecessarily, you can tell enough by the condition of the mice themselves if they have been bred and kept well.

A lot of show breeders give excess stock to small pet shops to sell and you can obtain attractive, healthy mice this way. However, most pet shops (if they sell mice at all) will buy them from large rodent farms. These mice tend to be rather weak and unhealthy due to the poor breeding practises of the farms, and they are best avoided for many reasons.

Many rescue organisations will have mice for rehoming. This is a nice way to source mice by helping an animal in need. One word of caution though - in my experience a lot of rescues are unable to sex small animals and you could well end up with pregnant mice.

When you are buying your mice, give them a thorough check over before handing over any money. A mouse's coat should be clean and glossy (unless it is a coated variety like an astrex). It should bright, clear eyes and an alert expression. Mice are timid by nature, but they are also very curious and should not be petrified. You should check the bum for any signs of diarrhea or stomach upsets. The skin should be unbroken and free of scabs or rashes. The mouse should be well filled out and solid, a mouse that has clearly visible hip bones and spine and a round belly most likely has worms.

If the mouse looks dull and tired, or has discharge coming from its nose or eyes it's best to leave it there and also not buy any mice that have been in contact with it. Mice are so tiny that sick ones will go downhill very, very quickly. You will not likely be able to save this mouse, and if you do buy it, you are supporting the breeding and selling practises of someone who would sell an animal in such a state, and enable them to continue.

Remember to ask as many questions as you like, don't feel obligated to buy a sick animal for any reason and if you are not entirely happy with the circumstances, walk away.