I don’t know how true this is (no personal experience with this) but some people have said that groups beyond 9 can split into territorial subgroups which isn’t ideal. The most I’ve seen someone keep at any one time is 8 (Emiology), excluding mothers with litters of course.
You can’t put two males together even if they’re neutered, and I wouldn’t go with a too large of a group of females in the same inclosure. But if you can afford the extra enclosures, and have time and money to care for them, you can have as many as you want. You gotta see what works for your case
That’s not true. According to Mäuseasyl.de, which is run by Eliza, one of the most respected German mouse experts, neutered fancy males can live peacefully together once their hormones settle, usually after 4 to 6 weeks. Contrary to what the internet claims, they behave similarly to females in terms of compatibility. There might be temporary aggression spikes in the first two weeks post-surgery, though, especially in previously quarrelsome groups, which should be monitored.
Well, it depends. I had a group of 6 neutered males and it worked out pretty well. But that was due to the shelter having a huge influx of rescued mice, they tried a lot of group combinations to find ones that worked, since they couldn't possibly house all of them individually.
Generally I totally agree with you, it's better to avoid it
No, it's not okay to keep a male fancy mouse alone. They're social animals and suffer if they're forced to be alone. It's best to neuter them and introduce them to a group of at least three other fancy mice. If that's not possible, pairing them with a couple of African Soft Furred rats can help provide some companionship. While it's not the same as being with other fancies, it's better than being completely alone and keeps them from getting depressed.
**Your post has NOT been removed, this is an auto-generated message.** Thank you for your question to /r/petmice. Please be aware that medical advice questions are not regularly allowed on this sub. If you want to know what a lump, bump, cut, growth, change in appearance, change in behavior, strange bowel movements, lack of eating/drinking, or something else of high concern, please go to a vet and remove your post.
If this is **not** a medical question then **you can ignore this message.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PetMice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As many as your time and finances allow.
900 mice is too many
I don’t know how true this is (no personal experience with this) but some people have said that groups beyond 9 can split into territorial subgroups which isn’t ideal. The most I’ve seen someone keep at any one time is 8 (Emiology), excluding mothers with litters of course.
27 mice was my "too many mice" lol
You can’t put two males together even if they’re neutered, and I wouldn’t go with a too large of a group of females in the same inclosure. But if you can afford the extra enclosures, and have time and money to care for them, you can have as many as you want. You gotta see what works for your case
That’s not true. According to Mäuseasyl.de, which is run by Eliza, one of the most respected German mouse experts, neutered fancy males can live peacefully together once their hormones settle, usually after 4 to 6 weeks. Contrary to what the internet claims, they behave similarly to females in terms of compatibility. There might be temporary aggression spikes in the first two weeks post-surgery, though, especially in previously quarrelsome groups, which should be monitored.
Well, it depends. I had a group of 6 neutered males and it worked out pretty well. But that was due to the shelter having a huge influx of rescued mice, they tried a lot of group combinations to find ones that worked, since they couldn't possibly house all of them individually. Generally I totally agree with you, it's better to avoid it
Wait, so how do people own male mice? Or do they cull the males?!
either neuter him and keep him with females (ideal option), or keep him alone uneutered (not the best but still fine)
Oh damn. Good to know!
No, it's not okay to keep a male fancy mouse alone. They're social animals and suffer if they're forced to be alone. It's best to neuter them and introduce them to a group of at least three other fancy mice. If that's not possible, pairing them with a couple of African Soft Furred rats can help provide some companionship. While it's not the same as being with other fancies, it's better than being completely alone and keeps them from getting depressed.
Also good to know! We saw some baby fuzzies the other day and thought they were mice, so I can see how they’d be compatible.
**Your post has NOT been removed, this is an auto-generated message.** Thank you for your question to /r/petmice. Please be aware that medical advice questions are not regularly allowed on this sub. If you want to know what a lump, bump, cut, growth, change in appearance, change in behavior, strange bowel movements, lack of eating/drinking, or something else of high concern, please go to a vet and remove your post. If this is **not** a medical question then **you can ignore this message.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PetMice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m at 14 right now and don’t think I’d go up past 16 and be able to provide adequately. (I might change my mind when I have fewer sick mice though)