Every 12 years, us rodent lovers get excited because it’s the Year of the Rat! Sadly, last year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t the best year for any of us. But perhaps our dear little furry friends will find another way to come out on top, just like Rat did in the very special Lunar New Year race…

 

Many thousands of years ago, the Jade Emperor (or some say it was Buddha, I can’t really say as I wasn’t there) invited all the animals for a race. On the big day, only 12 animals showed up. Cat slept in, having asked his best friend, Rat, to wake him up (sadly, Rat was so excited, he forgot about his poor old buddy. I don’t think Cat has forgiven him yet), so there is no Year of the Cat.

 

So, once the race started, all the animals rushed off as fast as they could. Some of the animals were obviously much faster and stronger than others, so although they all started off together, it didn't take long for some of them to lag behind while others stormed off.

 

However, there was a big river that they had to cross, and this proved to be a big obstacle for all of them. The wily rat, who was near the front, convinced the big, strong ox to carry him across the river, assuring him that he was only little and certainly not as fast as Ox. Good-natured Ox agreed and gave Rat a ride across the raging torrent of water. When he staggered to the far bank, Rat, who had enjoyed a relaxing journey, sprang up and raced to the finish!

 

Through his cunning and silver tongue, Rat finished first and so the first year in the lunar zodiac was named after him. Ox finished second, followed by Tiger (who was a strong swimmer, but who had been pushed around by the strong current), Rabbit (who had clung to a log to cross the river), Dragon (who had got distracted saving people during the race. He’d even pushed Rabbit across!), Snake (who’d clung to Horse’s leg until the end. Remind you of anyone?), Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. By the time Pig had arrived, the Jade Emperor had given up on him! Pig had got a little peckish during the race, so he’d stopped for a little snack break and had eaten so much he’d fallen asleep!

 

The twelve years follow one after the other in an endless cycle. What a great story it was that started off the Chinese Zodiac Cycle. It’s nice to see our good old friend, Rattie, mentioned in an ancient legend (and not a the bad guy either!).

 

This is the first Rat & Mouse Magazine blog post designed to give you a little Rat & Mouse fun to keep you going until the next issue. We hope to post once a week with a blog post, funny picture or some other way to keep you out of trouble!

We’re probably preaching to the converted here, but for our first post, we thought we’d take a look at what mice make such great pets. They’re not just super cute and immortalised in Disney fame. There’s a lot more to these tiny creatures than you’d think. So, let’s explore some of big pluses to being owned by mice!

The first and very obvious point is the cute factor. Mice have cute little face, huge ears and cuddly little bodies. There are some people who aren’t keen on their tails, but overall, mice have a huge amount of crowd appeal. With the likes of Disney on their side, mice have fared better in mass appeal than their larger cousins, the rats, and in my experience, saying you have pet mice is more easily accepted by others than announcing that you have rats.

Mice are also intelligent creatures. Considering their diminutive size, their brains pack in considerable power into such a tiny organ. Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy, was so enamoured with mice that his books’ mythology featured mice as the most intelligent creatures in the universe. That’s probably a stretch, but they do have some impressive problem-solving skills, and can be trained to do simple tricks. Indeed, if you read our feature on “Mouse Roulette” in Rat & Mouse Magazine Issue 4, you will see how trained mice were used in a show designed to raise money to fund a film project.

Anyone who has ever had pet mice can vouch for how entertaining it is to watch them go about their days. From lazing in hammocks to scrambling up levels, bars and branches to eating food clutched in their teeny tiny little front paws, they’re always up to something. Depending on your cage set up, you can raise the bar by adding cardboard “castles”, ropes and other funtertainment to keep both you and them amused. With mice for pets, who needs television? 

Setting up a decent mouse environment shouldn’t be too costly. Once you’re set up with a good cage, the internal accessories are quite cheap, plus you can make a lot of things yourself. Throw in some shredded newspaper, small empty cardboard boxes, perhaps a kitchen roll tube or two and you’ll have a bunch of happy rodents.  Provided you’ve got a decent sized cage or tank and the right substrate, ongoing costs are low. Even providing them with hammocks can be as simple as using scraps of fabric or cheap face clothes or tea towels from the dollar/pound shop. 

Being small, mice really don’t eat a lot. A small bag of food should last a while, and providing fruit and other treats on top will not cost much. Even purchasing the top tier complete mouse food will still be quite economical (why not have a look at our “Most Wanted” feature in Issue 8?). Day-to-day costs – excluding any vet fees should you need them – are low, making mice great pets for many people.

Does all this sound rather idyllic? Well, yes, mice can certainly be the perfect pet for just about anyone. However, there are some drawbacks to keeping mice as pets. Sadly, these little stars burn brightly, and mice have relatively short lifespans, with a life expectancy of between 1 – 2 years. While this means that you’re not tied in to a long commitment, it’s very hard to say goodbye so regularly.

Despite the short lifespans found in mice, they undoubtedly make great pets, and they have many, many admirers the world over. Ensuring you are properly equipped with good quality, reasonably-sized housing and well-balanced food is essential, as is the number of a good local exotics vet (as it’s always good to be prepared and aware of a good healthcare provider for your pet).

If you’re considering getting a mouse as a pet – and we definitely recommend that you at least think about it – make sure you do your research first. Be prepared, read everything you can lay your hands on and try to find some other mouse owners to chat to. There are plenty of great, friendly online groups to join for helpful advice and cute pictures.

 

Where to next?

Here are some sites and groups we love for learning more about our furry friends.

All About Mice – a fabulous site run by an experienced mouse owner. It is no longer updated, but there’s a wealth of useful information there. 

The AFRMA (American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association) – although set up as an organisation aimed at showing fancy rats and mice, it is a great resource for learning more about them. 

Rat & Mice Are Awesome – a friendly and huge Facebook group full of pictures and rodent chat. 

 

Photo Credits:

Black and white scampering mouse © Emilia Stasiak | Dreamstime.com

Three mice cuddling © Verastuchelova | Dreamstime.com

Four peeking mice © Karen Lesure (from the Issue 7 cover image)

Groovy!  Scientists have found that living on islands makes various “chisel-toothed” rodent species reach epic proportions.  Of course, desert islands don’t have that effect (in fact, individuals in dry, arid areas tend to become smaller due to the lack of resource), but on lush, well-resourced islands, many species such as the Deer Mouse can grow bigger than their mainland counterparts.  This is a known phenomenon amongst researchers, and is known as the “island rule”.

I wouldn’t call it rodents reaching “nightmareish” proportions though.  I’d call it more furry to cuddle!

Full article here.