petstore vs breeder?

by hesitantbullets Sun 14 May 2017, 10:52 am

I was wondering if it's really worth it/ better to go to a breeder to get mice rather than a pet store? I plan on adding a new mouse to my family in the coming months, and was wondering how I should go about it. It's worth mentioning that I would have to drive quite a bit to find a breeder as there are none in my immediate area, same thing with shelters that deal with small animals.

by Unicorn Sun 14 May 2017, 1:16 pm

So the biggest difference is going to be in color and coat- breeders will have an incredible variety and you can enjoy the beauty of your new pets, as well as (in most cases) a little easier time taming them because of selective breeding for temperament and most breeders also try to handle all their litters to help them feel glad to be in human hands.

That said, health and longevity wise you aren't getting a better deal from a breeder really, it's so hard with mice because they're just tiny and most are inbred by accident or design no matter where you get them from. The longest lived mouse I ever knew (she was, no joke, almost 5 when she died) was a garden variety pink eyed white feeder baby from the pet shop snake chow bin.

I'm really looking forward to my new girls who are all going to be my first breeder mice, love that show look with the big ears, always wanted satins, and hoping they are super friendly! But all my previous mice came from the pet shop and if I'd loved them less I'd not be so excited still to have mice years later as an autonomous(e) adult! Wink

Doubt I'd be bothering to drive 4 hours and pay twice the money if the "inferior" mice hadn't been such a delight to have to begin with, you know?

by hesitantbullets Sun 14 May 2017, 1:47 pm

unicorn, thank you so much for your insight! also, j think it's amazing that you had that one mouse live so long, wow!

by Rodents rock! Sun 14 May 2017, 7:05 pm

It's perfectly fine to get mice from the pet store. That is where I got my mouse, Mickey, from a year ago and he is a sweetheart. He has always been healthy. One thing I wanted to mention to you, that I've learned from this forum, females should live in a minimum of trios. So instead of adding one girl, you might think about adding two.

by Peachy Sun 14 May 2017, 7:33 pm

I agree with Unicorn, except you might find that mice from a breeder have a bit better health than mice from a pet store. Good breeders often put health and friendliness before looks, so they work on breeding out health issues like tumors and behavior problems like territorial biting (for example). If you can access a breeder, I would definitely give that a try! But like Rodents rock! said, pet store mice are often pretty great too. Smile

by River Sun 14 May 2017, 10:30 pm

The minimum for girls is two, really, but three is ideal! I only have two, and its been that way for a year, but we do have plans to make an addition once we're ready. That said, it is fine to only have two girls -- but be prepared if something goes wrong. It doesn't work for everyone!

by hesitantbullets Sun 14 May 2017, 10:45 pm

thank you everyone for your input! When i get a bigger habitat i will look into my local pet stores to see if i can get 1-2 more female mice Smile

my only issue is i know pet stores tend to sell PEWs but i already have one and i'm afraid i wouldn't be able to tell them apart. how likely is it for petco to sell another color?

by CallaLily Mon 15 May 2017, 7:15 am

I've gotten most of my mice from Petco and only 2 were PEW. They mostly carry PEW but once in a while get a few other colors in. I've seen brindle, RY, black, and chocolate here.

by hesitantbullets Mon 15 May 2017, 10:17 am

CallaLily wrote:I've gotten most of my mice from Petco and only 2 were PEW. They mostly carry PEW but once in a while get a few other colors in. I've seen brindle, RY, black, and chocolate here.

okay thank you!

by Rodents rock! Mon 15 May 2017, 8:06 pm

I believe even if you get two more PEW females, you would see some sort of subtle difference to be able to tell them apart. Not to worry Very Happy

by hesitantbullets Mon 15 May 2017, 8:15 pm

Rodents rock! wrote:I believe even if you get two more PEW females, you would see some sort of subtle difference to be able to tell them apart. Not to worry

i know that there should be something for me to tell them apart but i'm still paranoid i'd get them mixed up, it would just be very confusing and i'd prefer not to have to deal with that

by Rodents rock! Mon 15 May 2017, 8:21 pm

hesitantbullets wrote:
Rodents rock! wrote:I believe even if you get two more PEW females, you would see some sort of subtle difference to be able to tell them apart. Not to worry
i know that there should be something for me to tell them apart but i'm still paranoid i'd get them mixed up, it would just be very confusing and i'd prefer not to have to deal with that

I normally shop at PetSmart where I live, which only carries males. I've been in the Petco here and have seen some other color mice besides PEW. I remember once I saw a little Siamese one there. So you will probably be able to find some different colors. Very Happy

by hesitantbullets Mon 15 May 2017, 8:33 pm

Rodents rock! wrote:
hesitantbullets wrote:
Rodents rock! wrote:I believe even if you get two more PEW females, you would see some sort of subtle difference to be able to tell them apart. Not to worry
i know that there should be something for me to tell them apart but i'm still paranoid i'd get them mixed up, it would just be very confusing and i'd prefer not to have to deal with that

I normally shop at PetSmart where I live, which only carries males. I've been in the Petco here and have seen some other color mice besides PEW. I remember once I saw a little Siamese one there. So you will probably be able to find some different colors.

okay thank you! i will check out my local petco when i have a chance. i know that the petsmart around here only sells PEWs, but i haven't been to petco since before i gained an interest in mice so i never checked

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