smelly pet mice

[cheri222]

My son has 2 pet mice in a 20 long tank in his room and they stink! I can't even put it into word how bad they smell. He cleans out the tank 2 times a weak and scrubs everything (tank and toys clean) but the very next day, they smell again. We use the same wood chips I get for the chickens and I even bought some spray that you use when you clean the tank. He really likes them so I hate to get rid of them. He is the only one who doesn't notice the smell. I just put an air cleaner next to the tank, the glade plug in didn't touch the smell. Any ideas, is there any hope??

 

[drafthorse39]

I assume you have two males? The 20 gallon tank is probably the reason though. The glass can really trap smells. Open wire cages help circulate and keep them fresher for a little bit longer. I have 4 rats and around 100 mice in mine. You would never make it here

 

[Epona142]

Mice stink.

I used to breed both mice and rats for show, pets, and feeders.

Your best bet would be vanilla extract. Put a few drops in their water, enough to slightly tint the water.

Make sure he continues to clean twice a week. I only had to clean once a week but sometimes mice are just nasty. Make sure the food is dry and stays dry. Make sure the water doesn't leak.

You can also try kitty litter, UNDER the shavings. It can help. Or stall-dry from the feed store. That's what I used.

 

[drafthorse39]

I also wanted to mention... if you keep paper products such as toilet paper rolls or wood toys such as blocks or chewing sticks, that can also cause a lot of odor buildup. I prefer just a wheel and some hard foods. A few nuts here and there and maybe some dog food as treats to keep their chewing satisfied. With a wheel you really don't need anything else. It'll keep a mouse entertained for hours and hours. No watery foods such as lettuce or melon. It'll mess up the flora in the gut and cause diarrhea. That will also leave a nasty smell. Good luck!

Edited to add: I second the vanilla extract. It doesn't even have to be pure. It does work.

 

[silkiechicken]

Mice do stink. However, your nose will get used to the smell when is probably why your son can't smell them. For the first month working on this new research project, I could smell the mouse room containing 1000+ mice when I walked in the building... now I can go all the way up into the mouse room and not smell them till I open the cages. These cages are cleaned every day by a team of technicians and they still stink.

 

[Sumatra503]

I've found that corn cob bedding and recycled cardboard bedding help control the odor. You want to watch wire cages. The mice can sometimes kick shavings all over the floor.

I have had mice before and had the same problem until I switched the bedding.

The reason the males smell so much is because they scent mark everything and leave little trails of urine everywhere.

 

[Inkheart]

Assuming they are males - males will always have that extra musky odor. It probalby isnt the bedding its the mice themselves - the females do not have the same odor. If it is the bedding - try "Carefresh" will keep the odor down

 

[redhen]

Do rats stink too? And do the males smell more?

 

[Sumatra503]

i've found that rats do smell, but not as much as mice do. Male rats do have a musty odor when compared to females. I've also found that the females are much friendlier.

 

[zazouse]

Rats do not stink, mabe you could get your son to trade them in for them, they make wonderful pets, but i think the boys backsides are rather ugly looking