What water is safe for mice to drink?

by Clementine Mon 16 Nov 2020, 9:10 am

So I've heard that tap water is unsafe for mice, as it contains chlorine. But how about the filtered water that is dispensed through your refrigerator? Is that ok? Or do you have to let it sit for 24 hours to dechlorinate it? I'm getting mice really soon, and I just want to make sure I have all the facts right. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

by M O U S E Mon 16 Nov 2020, 4:19 pm

I use tap water, and I haven't noticed any difference, but it's something we both should look into I suppose! I would imagine water from a fridge would be fine, since it's meant to drink. These are only speculations though.

by River Mon 16 Nov 2020, 5:20 pm

As far as I'm aware, it depends on the area you live in and what your water source is. I could be mistaken. Fridge water is filtered so that's what I use for the majority of my pets. Smile

by SarahAdams Mon 16 Nov 2020, 6:54 pm

The tap water in my area tastes horrible after it's sat for even a minute, so I have a Brita water filter jug. I give my mice water from that since I fear they might not drink the yucky tap water.

by Clementine Mon 16 Nov 2020, 9:29 pm

Thank you both! Your advice really helped me

by Oreoandfriends Mon 16 Nov 2020, 10:45 pm

I use bottled spring water for all my rodents just to be safe (you can get 1 gallon jugs of it for less than a dollar each and they last a long time)! Most people have no issues with tap water but I’m just paranoid about mine. If you wanted to be extra safe/more environmentally friendly you could buy something like a brita filter to make sure nothing bad gets through from the tap water but it’s not necessary. Hope this helps! Smile

by Clementine Tue 17 Nov 2020, 2:15 pm

Thanks for your input!

by chiroptera Fri 20 Nov 2020, 12:52 am

When I lived with a fridge that had an in-fridge filter, that's what I used for my mice and I didn't have any problems with it (even when it was probably over due for a replacement filter lol). I currently use tap water and haven't seen any problems.

That does raise another question though - does anyone know if water conditioner is safe for mice? It's safe for reptiles, fish, and invertebrates, which makes me think it's probably safe for mice too, but I don't think I've ever seen it discussed before.