Best available shop bought mix?

Vickyr1804

Hi all,
I'm new around here.
I kept mice around 5 years ago but due to the flat we moved to I had to re home them.
We are about to move again and will be allowed a mouse. Whoop
I'm sure alot has changed in that time and wanted to ask what foods are available at the moment that people recommend?
As we will only have 1 mouse it would be best if we could buy something that didn't require too much added to it.

Many Thanks
Vicky

AnnB

Welcome back Vicky.

Actually, I don't think all that much has changed in the food department. I'm still mixing my own feed at the moment but I have fewer mice and have wondered whether to buy a ready made mix again. I think this is quite a good mix http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/food/mouse_gerbil/jr_farm/303990 

racingmouse

Hi Vicky, nice to see you on the forum. I don`t have any mice now (keep a dwarf hamster!) but it`s made me think about foods that may suit hamsters AND mice, as long as the protein isn`t too high for mice. Younger mice and growing mice will benefit from higher protein, but as a maintenance diet, my instinct would be to go with what AnnB has suggested and get a few bags of a good variety mix made for mice, although if you look at the food Ann linked to, it`s not that far away from the JR Farm Dwarf hamster food they make as both have similar ingredients. Their dwarf hamster version is low in protein anyway so would suit mice as well as dwarf hamsters on the whole.

The problem with Zooplus though is, you have to spend a minimum of £15 before you even qualify for the postage and packing prices on top, so I would advise if your buying a new cage, other accessories AND bags of food, to order in one go and get the free postage.

On the other hand, you could also look at the Burgess Dwarf hamster food which is readily available in most pet shops and online. It has various millets and other grains added which mice will love, although it isn`t marketed for mice, the ingredients are all things you would find in a typical mouse food. It can also be mixed with another mix that has different grains, but most mixes can be similar in what`s in them, so you need to read the analysis on the bags.

Supreme make a science selective biscuited food for mice too so you could aso buy a bag of this just to add a few biscuits into the other food. I will add an image but google it so you can see and read about it for yourself.

Is your intention to get a single male mouse? If so, males are better kept alone anyway although keeping three females wouldn`t be any more or less an expense and wouldn`t need as much attention from you as a single mouse. x

racingmouse

here is the image of the Supreme Science Selective mouse food. Forgot to add it earlier!

Crittery

racingmouse said:

Is your intention to get a single male mouse? If so, males are better kept alone anyway although keeping three females wouldn`t be any more or less an expense and wouldn`t need as much attention from you as a single mouse. x

Brilliant, thanks for bringing that up. Meant to ask earlier as I was wondering that too. Cage size won't vary much from 1-3 female mice and females really must have company. A single male mouse as RM says can (and mostly has to!) be kept alone, but it's worth thinking about carefully as they can smell a lot more.

zany_toon

Welcome to the forum Vicky :) You must be looking forward to getting a mouse again after so long without them :

In terms of food, I use the JR farm ones that RM and Ann have posted about. I found it c=to be as close to what my mice need as I could manage to get and they seem to enjoy the food in the mix. The rat one is (in my opinion) a little bit better - protein is slightly higher and there is a better variety of foods in the bag but it is quite big if you are only buying it for one mouse. I haven't found a food I can buy in local pet shops that seems as good quality. Although, if you wanted a complete mix that will stop your mouse being picky the science selective rat food is really good - and a much better size for mice to eat than the mouse one (go figure!!) \my local Range sell small bags (I think they are 200g) of them which is a lot more practical than buying the normal 1.5 kg bag that I've seen elsewhere.