Categories: Blog

The Dangers of Keeping Mice as Pets

Mice can make for inexpensive little pets. Cute, furry, and relatively gentle, pet mice enjoy interacting and being handled by humans. As adorable as they may seem, pet mice can cause a lot of problems to your home should they manage to get loose. Therefore, responsible pet owners should be aware of the following dangers of keeping mice as pets.

Mice Can Cause Odors

Pet mice do not need to be bathed, but they can emit strong scents. If you have more than one mouse, their accumulated droppings can cause overwhelmingly foul-smelling odors. To avoid a stinky house, clean-out your mouse cages or aquariums on a weekly basis and replace any soiled shredded newspaper or wood chip bedding.

Mice Can Get Loose

Mice can scurry out of sight very quickly. One moment you’re watching your pet mice run through a maze of cereal boxes and paper towel rolls, and the next moment they’ve vanished. Tiny in size, mice can chew holes in and squeeze inside the drywall to access your walls and ventilation ducts. From there, they can take up residence anywhere in your home. So, if you have your pet mice out of their cage, be sure to contain them in a secure area.

Mice Can Breed Quickly

If your mice do manage to escape, they will search for someplace dry — most commonly attic insulation — to build a nest. Once nested, a few loose mice can quickly turn into an infestation as a single mouse can bear nearly 2000 offspring in one year.

Mice Can Transmit Diseases

Having an infestation of mice in your home can threaten the health of you and your family. Mice have been known to transmit a multitude of diseases like lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, salmonella, hantavirus, leptospirosis, and even rat-bite fever. For this reason, pregnant women should especially avoid handling mice.

Mice Can Cause Damage

Mice need to chew on things to dull their ever-growing teeth. If loose in your home, they will gnaw through wiring, walls, siding, and anything else they can sink their teeth in. You will need to act fast to control a mouse infestation if it spreads or the consequences can be detrimental to your home.

Critter Control Can Help

Using humane CritterSafe methods to rid your home of unwanted mice, the expert technicians at Critter Control® of Orlando can provide effective and permanent removal solutions and repair any damage the mice may have caused. Don’t let a few pet mice grow into a full infestation. If your mice get out of control, contact the mice removal experts at Critter Control® of Orlando.

Call us today at 407-295-7194 to schedule your free consultation.

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