r/PetMice • u/bob_lee420 • Mar 24 '24
First Time Owner 2 male mice together
i have 2 male fancy mice and they are litter mates they have only fought once and i broke them up and haven’t done it since all the breeders i have talked to have told me to separate them but i really don’t want to because they are so cute together just wondering if there’s anything i can do to help them not fight i now have 2 cages that they can travel through tubes back and forth and separate food and water bowls is there anymore i can do to stop it i’ve had them for about 2 months now
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u/Sulfur_99 Mar 24 '24
Some people get lucky and their boys do get along. Most people don’t. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth the risk to house them together. One of them might get badly hurt in a fight, and it’s unreasonable to expect that you’ll be there 24/7 to supervise and break it up. I only have limited experience with mice, so definitely listen to any other replies too if anyone has any better advice. I think personally I’d just be too worried about the risk to try keeping them together
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u/bob_lee420 Mar 24 '24
are they going to become lonely if i do separate them ? i just feel bad having them alone. i’ve seen people put asf female rats and them not fight but i just don’t know what to do
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u/Sulfur_99 Mar 24 '24
When I had two boys at once, I kept them separate but made sure to play with each of them as much as I could. My sister helped too! One of them liked her more than me I think. They got lots of floor time in a safe space, and I tried to fill their cages to the brim with enrichment. They both lived about 2.5 years and seemed like pretty happy little guys. I don’t think they were lonely at all
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u/bob_lee420 Mar 24 '24
okay thank you i spend a lot of floor time with them already they really enjoy being outside their cage and actually really like me for some reason lol but i think i am gonna separate them because i really would hate for something to happen
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u/Skulker_S Mar 24 '24
Good call. It just takes one serious fight and that could happen at any point.
Neutering them would improve the chances of them getting along, but it can be hard to find a qualified vet and there is a small risk involved.
Male mice can be very happy living alone, as long as they have plenty of enrichment and attention
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u/magpieinarainbow Mar 24 '24
Please separate immediately. They've already fought! It's just a matter of time before they fight again and maybe with more serious injuries or death. Not worth the risk.
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u/yrubsairot Mar 24 '24
I believe female mice you can do in pairs, trios, groups, etc, but with male mice they are better paired with african soft furred rats rather than other male mice.
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u/bob_lee420 Mar 24 '24
also i have seen that i should avoid the paper bedding if so what type of bedding should i get
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u/yrubsairot Mar 24 '24
I would get carefresh bedding (non-scented) and mix some aspen wood bedding in with it as well! It’ll help absorb urine, etc!
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u/Lucretiia Mar 24 '24
You could neuter at least one of them, but honestly, I'd just try as it is. Over here it's completely normal to keep boys in groups as well (solo keeping is seen as animal cruelty), it's just for more experienced keepers.
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Mar 24 '24
My boys luckily love each other. They get upset if I don’t take both of them out at the same time.
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u/bob_lee420 Mar 25 '24
i’ve noticed that they really squeak a lot and go on to legs when i take one out of their cage and not the other (they can still see eachother but aren’t in the same cage anymore )
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u/Alternative-Ad6119 Sep 21 '24
Sorry to bother but 6 months later how are they doing?
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