Thank you both! I'm not "planning" to keep them. Although, I'm so picky as far as rehoming, that it looks like I may be keeping them. Especially my little brown guy!
He just melts my heart, and I'm not sure we will be able to let him go. Any ideas as to housing? All I can think of is an aquarium, because all the rat cages I have, have too large of bar spacing. I know that inadequate ventilation is probably just as bad for them as it is for rats, so......
I have seen many people housing their mice in aquariums but I don’t think it is very beneficial like as you said they don’t have much ventilation. I would suggest trying to look for a suitable cage online if you can or you can check online to see if it is available where you live as it is more convenient then going to the store and not finding what you are looking for.
This is common sense, but avoid wooden cages. I read that the minimum cave size for a pair of mice is around 45 cm by 30 cm with a 25 cm depth but I believe that the bigger the better so get as big as you can afford. Similar to what you said, you have to make sure that they are not able to escape through the bars.
I found this information that may be useful when determining what type of cage is suitable for your situation:
Wire Cages - eg wide variety of mouse, hamster, rat cages.
Pros:
- often good value for money, even the largest hamster cages are relatively cheap.
- allow interaction through the bars.
- provide good ventilation.
- cage can act as a climbing frame.
Cons:
- mice can escape through very small gaps so have to be careful of bar spacing and other gaps.
- allow contact with animals outside the cage if it is reachable, could present a danger to mice from other pets.
- can by tricky to keep clean, bars can corrode over time.
- accessibility may be limited by position of cage doors.
Glass & Plastic Tanks - eg fish tanks, Ferplast Duna etc.
Pros:
- virtually escape proof so long as lid fits tightly.
- offers a blank canvas to add your own layout of toys and accessories to.
- easy, wipe clean surfaces.
- good accessibility from top.
- can be very cheap to obtain.
Cons:
- both glass and plastic are brittle and will probably shatter if dropped.
- glass tanks are very heavy if you wish to move them.
- may not be sufficent air circulation in a poorly ventilated room.
- sides cannot be climbed so alternatives need to be provided.
Cage Systems - eg Rotastak, Habitrail etc
Pros:
- complete homes in themselves as tunnels, wheels, water bottles etc are all integral.
- difficult for mice to escape if fitted together properly.
- can be expanded and added to as desired.
- easy to source second hand.
- interchangable pieces offer variety and interest for the mice
- offers mice protection from other pets.
- components easily washable.
Cons:
- are extremely expensive if bought new.
- can be fiddly and complicated to assemble and take apart.
- ventilation limited with solid units, though barred parts are sometimes included or available.
- brittle plastic may break if dropped.
- some parts may be chewed by mice.
I found this really cool cage which has tunnels, 5 levels, a water bottle, a food bowl, a hiding house, and an exercise wheel. I am not sure if any mice owners would have a different opinion but it seems like it has a lot of space for the mice to run around in. There are some mixed reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/Towner-Habit...+cage&linkId=214e231405cf9afa781671aa3536513a
I hope this helps even in the slightest.