Post by homesweethammyhome on Oct 12, 2020 20:38:40 GMT -2
Choosing A Bin
A bincage can make a great home for a single male mouse or a group of female mice, but not just any bin will do. As in all enclosures for small animals, bigger is always better. In the United States, the area where I live has 2 specific bins that are sized perfectly which are the 50-gallon Sterilite Stacker and the Christmas tree storage bin. I mention the later because it is excellent length wise, however, it is a short bin height wise and a mouse could potentially jump up and escape while the lid is off, so it may not be the best choice for younger or more active mice. Also, this bin isn’t ideal for a 12-inch wheel, which some larger sized mice need due to their tails being longer; a 9-inch wheel is about the tallest that will fit in a Christmas tree bin. Smaller sized mice who are past the stage of jumping could live quiet comfortably in the Christmas tree storage bin, which is almost the equivalent size of an Ikea Detolf, so it is worth considering though. This particular bin is generally sold in stores such as Walmart and Home Depot from November to approximately February due to the holiday season, but the Container Store sells them year around and will ship them out for a semi-reasonable shipping cost. As for the 50-gallon Sterlite stackers, these are perfect in every way and are available year around at most home goods stores. They offer 760 inches of floor space and are tall enough to hold a 12-inch wheel with a good 5-6-inch clearance space to the lid, depending on the wheel brand. We use this bin to house our rescued mice in so from here on out I’ll be explaining how to create a perfect mouse home in the 50-gallon Sterlite stacker bin. You can of course use a smaller bin as your mouse cage and the same principle will apply, just in smaller proportions.
Modifying The Lid
Once you decide which bin is the best fit for your mouse house needs, the lid will need to be modified to allow ventilation. I do not recommend drilling holes anywhere in the bin itself as one of these can be chewed into an escape hole. Drilling holes inside the lid will not offer enough air flow either. Instead, a large rectangle will need to be cut out of the lid and replaced by hardwire mesh. This process can be simple if you take it slow. First, use a sharpie and a ruler to draw a straight square on the inside of the lid. Aim for about 3 or 4 inches from the edge to leave plenty of room to secure the mesh. To cut the plastic, a regular box cutter works but keep a flame source handy, such as a lighter, should you need a little assistance in getting thorough the plastic easier. Other cutting tools work fine too; choose whichever you are comfortable using prior to cutting and have them nearby to switch up if the first choice isn’t working well. When cutting, wear gloves if possible, to protect your hands. On a side note, stores usually have extra lids on their shelves because people purchase bins, but don’t need lids. If you make a mistake, you can ask the store manager if you can get another lid and they might allow you to take it at no charge or for just a few dollars.
Adding Mesh
Now that the lid is cut, the “fun” will begin which is cutting and securing the mesh! It is better to choose hardwire mesh that is ½ inch sized which offers plenty of ventilation, however the smaller ¼ size is okay to use if the ½ is unavailable; just steer clear from the 1 inch or above as those are big enough to allow escape should your mouse ever make it up to the top! To cut the mesh the same principle applies, wear gloves and cut slow. Measure out the mesh using the piece of square you just cut out of the lid but give a bit more space, about an inch or 2 depending on how much mesh you have to work with. Wire snipping tools, also known as aviation snipers, make great mesh cutters. Draw a cutting guideline square on the mesh as best as a square is able to be drawn on hardware mesh! There are 2 ways to attach the mesh to the lid which are zip ties and grommets. If using grommets, a special tool sold along with a packet of grommets is required, however some hardware stores will allow you to borrow or rent this tool.
Setting Up The Inside
When the lid is finished, the inside can be tackled. First give the bin a good scrub inside and out and dry well. Vinegar and water are excellent for sanitizing and a microfiber cloth removes streaks and helps shine up the plastic. Your imagination can take over at this point and you can craft an enriched home with plenty of tunnels, bridges, climbing toys and hides. In designing the inside, you will have your own unique style that may change over time. The following is how I set up my bincages and believe me, my style has changed a lot since rescuing my first mouse! Please use my description only as a guideline in setting up your own cage for your pet mice. In each cage for our rescue mice, I personally like to designate from the middle all the way to one end as a burrow area with two different textures of bedding. I use the Uber natural and Kaytee Clean and Cozy mixed together. I put at least 4 inches worth and pack it down then add another 1 inch layer on top that is loose. Inside this loose layer, I place sea grass hides/tunnels, woven straw baskets, light weight wood logs, DIY platforms and any other toy or item that is lightweight and can be tucked into the bedding. The idea is to prevent a cave-in if these are burrowed under, so you want to save heavy items for the other side of the cage. I also put at least 2 tunnels into the bedding as burrow starters. I like using cardboard tunnels for these, but wood works okay too. As a personal preference, I don’t use plastic items in my cages, but tend to gravitate towards natural ones if possible and whenever someone adopts a mouse from us we highly encourage them to do the same, since the mice are already used to this type of habitat. We even send all the natural items home with the adopted mouse since it already has their scent on it.
For the other side of the bin, I use a heavier bedding such as Carefresh or a paper crumble bedding such as Vitakraft World and spread out enough of a layer to cover the entire bottom. A bendy bridge, wood house, wood platform and cork log all work well to separate the high bedding side from the low side; just position them along the dividing line and angle them in a way to achieve this goal. On the low bedding side, I place the wheel in one corner and the dig box somewhere near the other corner; you want these laying flat on the bin bottom so all the heavy bedding will need to be pushed over to make room, then placed back to surround each one. Around the wheel and dig box, wherever there is an open space, chews, little toys, rocks, and small pieces of grape wood are great to fill in the open areas. When this is all done, I take a damp cloth or dust collecting swifter to wipe over each side of the bin from bottom to top. In spite of the “dust free” claim on the bag, bedding is dusty and a film will be visible. A quick once over wiping will eliminate the dust and prepare the bin for hanging items.
I use command hooks to install climbing things such as wooden ladder/bridges, fleece hammocks, coconut huts, bird rope toys and anything you can hang from a hook. I place the hooks low enough towards the high side of the bedding so the mice can have easy access, but not too high to keep them away from the bin’s top. I have not had success with hanging items from the mesh itself because mice will climb straight up to the mesh and chew at it, which is typical of our little adventurous ones! I try not to invite them into areas where they can get into trouble, but I have found if you place so much to do on the bottom and hung from the sides, they usually forget about the top. When I have gotten all the toys, wheel, dig box, hides, platforms, hanging items and everything else exactly where I want it, I add the finishing touches. First, I use bird greens sprinkled all around the bedding, but hay could be used too. I prefer the bird greens because its soft, similar to grass and smells amazing. Next, I sprinkle a few small handfuls of dried flowers and safe herbs around; and then I add sprays such as oat and millet in strategic areas tucked behind a hide, or into a cork log. After these are done, I fill up a food bowl, but take half out and scatter it; the bowl is then set up on a platform where bedding cannot be kicked in easily. Next to the food bowl I put a tiny water bowl and choose a spot nearby to hang the Velcro and hanging water bottle. In each enclosure I use both bottle and bowl that way if the bottle stops dispensing, there is still the bowl. Under the water bottle I put a ceramic bowl to catch leaks. This ceramic bowl also doubles as a place to serve fresh veggies, plus the mice love sitting in it to groom for some reason.
My last bit of advice is to set up your bincage fully before bringing your mice home! It takes me around 4 hours to get the bin to my liking. Add to that time frame, the 2 or 3 hours it takes to mesh the lid, and it is unfair to keep a mouse in a carrier that long. Working on the setup a little bit at a time is fine too, which is what I have had to do sometimes just have the bin ready prior to picking up your mice. In my opinion, it is very rewarding to spend hours preparing a fun habitat, place your mice in, and then spend the next several hours watching them explore!
A bincage can make a great home for a single male mouse or a group of female mice, but not just any bin will do. As in all enclosures for small animals, bigger is always better. In the United States, the area where I live has 2 specific bins that are sized perfectly which are the 50-gallon Sterilite Stacker and the Christmas tree storage bin. I mention the later because it is excellent length wise, however, it is a short bin height wise and a mouse could potentially jump up and escape while the lid is off, so it may not be the best choice for younger or more active mice. Also, this bin isn’t ideal for a 12-inch wheel, which some larger sized mice need due to their tails being longer; a 9-inch wheel is about the tallest that will fit in a Christmas tree bin. Smaller sized mice who are past the stage of jumping could live quiet comfortably in the Christmas tree storage bin, which is almost the equivalent size of an Ikea Detolf, so it is worth considering though. This particular bin is generally sold in stores such as Walmart and Home Depot from November to approximately February due to the holiday season, but the Container Store sells them year around and will ship them out for a semi-reasonable shipping cost. As for the 50-gallon Sterlite stackers, these are perfect in every way and are available year around at most home goods stores. They offer 760 inches of floor space and are tall enough to hold a 12-inch wheel with a good 5-6-inch clearance space to the lid, depending on the wheel brand. We use this bin to house our rescued mice in so from here on out I’ll be explaining how to create a perfect mouse home in the 50-gallon Sterlite stacker bin. You can of course use a smaller bin as your mouse cage and the same principle will apply, just in smaller proportions.
Modifying The Lid
Once you decide which bin is the best fit for your mouse house needs, the lid will need to be modified to allow ventilation. I do not recommend drilling holes anywhere in the bin itself as one of these can be chewed into an escape hole. Drilling holes inside the lid will not offer enough air flow either. Instead, a large rectangle will need to be cut out of the lid and replaced by hardwire mesh. This process can be simple if you take it slow. First, use a sharpie and a ruler to draw a straight square on the inside of the lid. Aim for about 3 or 4 inches from the edge to leave plenty of room to secure the mesh. To cut the plastic, a regular box cutter works but keep a flame source handy, such as a lighter, should you need a little assistance in getting thorough the plastic easier. Other cutting tools work fine too; choose whichever you are comfortable using prior to cutting and have them nearby to switch up if the first choice isn’t working well. When cutting, wear gloves if possible, to protect your hands. On a side note, stores usually have extra lids on their shelves because people purchase bins, but don’t need lids. If you make a mistake, you can ask the store manager if you can get another lid and they might allow you to take it at no charge or for just a few dollars.
Adding Mesh
Now that the lid is cut, the “fun” will begin which is cutting and securing the mesh! It is better to choose hardwire mesh that is ½ inch sized which offers plenty of ventilation, however the smaller ¼ size is okay to use if the ½ is unavailable; just steer clear from the 1 inch or above as those are big enough to allow escape should your mouse ever make it up to the top! To cut the mesh the same principle applies, wear gloves and cut slow. Measure out the mesh using the piece of square you just cut out of the lid but give a bit more space, about an inch or 2 depending on how much mesh you have to work with. Wire snipping tools, also known as aviation snipers, make great mesh cutters. Draw a cutting guideline square on the mesh as best as a square is able to be drawn on hardware mesh! There are 2 ways to attach the mesh to the lid which are zip ties and grommets. If using grommets, a special tool sold along with a packet of grommets is required, however some hardware stores will allow you to borrow or rent this tool.
Setting Up The Inside
When the lid is finished, the inside can be tackled. First give the bin a good scrub inside and out and dry well. Vinegar and water are excellent for sanitizing and a microfiber cloth removes streaks and helps shine up the plastic. Your imagination can take over at this point and you can craft an enriched home with plenty of tunnels, bridges, climbing toys and hides. In designing the inside, you will have your own unique style that may change over time. The following is how I set up my bincages and believe me, my style has changed a lot since rescuing my first mouse! Please use my description only as a guideline in setting up your own cage for your pet mice. In each cage for our rescue mice, I personally like to designate from the middle all the way to one end as a burrow area with two different textures of bedding. I use the Uber natural and Kaytee Clean and Cozy mixed together. I put at least 4 inches worth and pack it down then add another 1 inch layer on top that is loose. Inside this loose layer, I place sea grass hides/tunnels, woven straw baskets, light weight wood logs, DIY platforms and any other toy or item that is lightweight and can be tucked into the bedding. The idea is to prevent a cave-in if these are burrowed under, so you want to save heavy items for the other side of the cage. I also put at least 2 tunnels into the bedding as burrow starters. I like using cardboard tunnels for these, but wood works okay too. As a personal preference, I don’t use plastic items in my cages, but tend to gravitate towards natural ones if possible and whenever someone adopts a mouse from us we highly encourage them to do the same, since the mice are already used to this type of habitat. We even send all the natural items home with the adopted mouse since it already has their scent on it.
For the other side of the bin, I use a heavier bedding such as Carefresh or a paper crumble bedding such as Vitakraft World and spread out enough of a layer to cover the entire bottom. A bendy bridge, wood house, wood platform and cork log all work well to separate the high bedding side from the low side; just position them along the dividing line and angle them in a way to achieve this goal. On the low bedding side, I place the wheel in one corner and the dig box somewhere near the other corner; you want these laying flat on the bin bottom so all the heavy bedding will need to be pushed over to make room, then placed back to surround each one. Around the wheel and dig box, wherever there is an open space, chews, little toys, rocks, and small pieces of grape wood are great to fill in the open areas. When this is all done, I take a damp cloth or dust collecting swifter to wipe over each side of the bin from bottom to top. In spite of the “dust free” claim on the bag, bedding is dusty and a film will be visible. A quick once over wiping will eliminate the dust and prepare the bin for hanging items.
I use command hooks to install climbing things such as wooden ladder/bridges, fleece hammocks, coconut huts, bird rope toys and anything you can hang from a hook. I place the hooks low enough towards the high side of the bedding so the mice can have easy access, but not too high to keep them away from the bin’s top. I have not had success with hanging items from the mesh itself because mice will climb straight up to the mesh and chew at it, which is typical of our little adventurous ones! I try not to invite them into areas where they can get into trouble, but I have found if you place so much to do on the bottom and hung from the sides, they usually forget about the top. When I have gotten all the toys, wheel, dig box, hides, platforms, hanging items and everything else exactly where I want it, I add the finishing touches. First, I use bird greens sprinkled all around the bedding, but hay could be used too. I prefer the bird greens because its soft, similar to grass and smells amazing. Next, I sprinkle a few small handfuls of dried flowers and safe herbs around; and then I add sprays such as oat and millet in strategic areas tucked behind a hide, or into a cork log. After these are done, I fill up a food bowl, but take half out and scatter it; the bowl is then set up on a platform where bedding cannot be kicked in easily. Next to the food bowl I put a tiny water bowl and choose a spot nearby to hang the Velcro and hanging water bottle. In each enclosure I use both bottle and bowl that way if the bottle stops dispensing, there is still the bowl. Under the water bottle I put a ceramic bowl to catch leaks. This ceramic bowl also doubles as a place to serve fresh veggies, plus the mice love sitting in it to groom for some reason.
My last bit of advice is to set up your bincage fully before bringing your mice home! It takes me around 4 hours to get the bin to my liking. Add to that time frame, the 2 or 3 hours it takes to mesh the lid, and it is unfair to keep a mouse in a carrier that long. Working on the setup a little bit at a time is fine too, which is what I have had to do sometimes just have the bin ready prior to picking up your mice. In my opinion, it is very rewarding to spend hours preparing a fun habitat, place your mice in, and then spend the next several hours watching them explore!