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If you’re a mouse owner, you’ve likely noticed that mice seem to eat pretty much anything. But what about grass? Is this something a mouse can eat?
Mice are able to eat grass and will do so if it is readily available in their environment. Mice are omnivorous, so they are able to eat a varied diet of which grass can be a feature.
Mice that live outside in the wild are regularly known to eat grass. They will also chew on certain wood barks and other mouse-pleasing edibles.
Mice are very opportunistic and will eat all sorts of foods, it is a matter of survival. Mice are omnivorous, so they have a varied diet, which is a mix of meat, grains, vegetation, fruit, and fresh water.
Mice that live indoors with you as pets prefer a high-carb diet and will require more carbs, vegetables, some fruit, grains, and store-bought specialty foods. However, a mouse will never say no to a bit of boiled egg or a dried worm or two (and potentially some grass if there’s not much else on the menu that day!)
Read on for key bits of info about mice, grass, how they eat, how to influence what they eat, and more.
Mice Learn to Adapt to Their Environment
Mice are very adaptable, and that is why when an outdoor mouse invades your home, they are not too particular about what they eat. Your dropped crumbs and tidbits are a real treat to them. That is why a lot of people avoiding mice will ensure that food stocks are well sealed.
They can bust into your grocery cupboard and enjoy the smorgasbord you might have on offer. Nibbling away on dried pasta, rice grains, flour, biscuits, or anything else they can get their paws on.
What to Feed a Pet Mouse?
Having seen the wide variety of foods mentioned above, you are probably wondering which diet to feed your pet mouse.
We always want the best for our pets, so it’s important to consider a healthy diet. Beyond mice kibble (which we’ll get into below), a treat like carrots can really energize your mouse. Just give those carrots a good wash, cut them up into smaller pieces, and disburse the little bits all over your mouse’s cage. They’ll love foraging and finding bits and pieces as they go along.
This is important, as mice are designed to forage for food. It keeps them busy, and also keeps them fit. You will rarely see an obese mouse. If you do, it’s due to health problems or old age.
Let’s look at what makes a diet healthy for your mouse.
Pet stores stock a lot of foods that are pre-prepared for mice. These types of kibble, or mice muesli, will cover most of their dietary needs.
Included in these mixes are things like grains, rice, and barley, as well as soy protein for starters. We can become quite eager when we have first obtained our pet mice, and we might be tempted to feed them human treats. But pause that thought for now, since several human foods are toxic to mice.
Many store-bought foods contain a mix of seeds, pulses, grains, and beans, and this is good for your mouse. These foods also have various presentations of the same types of foods. For example, the same ingredients can be compressed into blocks and given to your pets.
Some pet owners prefer these blocks, as it ensures their diet is more holistic. They cannot pick and choose which parts to nibble on, but instead, they’ll nibble on the whole block.
Don’t feel sorry for your mouse, though. There are plenty of goodies and treats they can eat aside from their main meal, and with most of them being healthy, this isn’t a problem.
Once you add fresh fruit, some veggies, and other treats, you will have the perfect mouse diet.
Treats That Mice Love
You might be shocked to hear that your mouse will love some types of dog biscuits. In fact, many kibbles contain these already, but nothing beats a good dog biscuit for a nibbly mouse. Mice will nibble on anything, and this includes wood barks of a certain kind.
In the world of mice, even curly kale is a treat! This is handy because kale is very nutritious for them. A nice juicy grape, some delicious strawberries and a dried worm thrown in is the perfect delicacy for a mouse. While mice love some animal products to eat, pet mice do prefer a higher carbohydrate diet, such as a bit of dried pasta.
To keep their teeth healthy and to please their constant need to nibble, a bit of any fruit tree wood is a mouse crowd-pleaser. Mice have a habit of chewing like crazy; when a home is infested with mice, a telltale sign will be chew marks.
Mice teeth, unlike ours, grow constantly and renew, so to keep them in order, they need to be filed down. Mice do this by chewing harder objects, like the wood mentioned above.
As mentioned earlier, mice survive primarily on prepared kibble, which you can find at most pet supply shops, but you can make your own. If you are on a bit of a budget or just want to be more involved in your mice’s diet, then here are the simple principles of mice muesli.
Mice Muesli
Mice muesli is very easy to make, just throw in some dried rabbit or rat food, some dog biscuits broken down, noodles, pasta, and a spot of breakfast cereal, and you are ready to go. You can also add a tiny bit of water, but only a small amount.
Just be aware that there is not too much salt or sugar in their cereal. Look for cereals without chocolate or other artificial flavorings. Not only are these bad for your mouse, but mice have a super keen sense of smell, and they will find these types of ingredients abhorrent. A high sodium and sugar diet is a guarantee that your mouse will be overweight.
Some Points to Remember When Creating a Foraging Situation
If you are encouraging foraging, ensure your mice cages are kept clean and the food is not left to rot. Changing their litter often is key. Most litter is inexpensive and can be replaced quite frequently.
You can also make your litter out of kitchen paper towels. They are very absorbent and can help soak up moisture and smells.
Specialized litter is a bit fancier than that and can absorb smells more readily. You also do not want your mouse getting ill from eating old food left lying about.
Not only do mice enjoy variety in taste, but also in texture. From the soft juicy strawberry to the brittle pasta, it gives them the satisfaction they love in each and every meal.
Mice adore a mixture of foods, as we have discussed. Muesli will form the base of their foods, and then on top of that, some vegetables and fruits. Plus they get to enjoy treats, here is where you have to be a bit more careful.
Human Treats are Not Always Mice Treats!
Human treats that are delicious to us may sometimes be highly toxic to pets. Chocolate is one of them. Don’t be tempted to share sweets and chocolate. The high sugar content is very bad for mice. Also, contrary to what a lot of people think, mice don’t really like cheese that much.
They might eat some cheese, but the strong smell of cheese repulses them. Given a choice of kale to nibble on and cheese, they will choose the kale. Other foods that are bad for your mouse are onions, also because of their pungent smell. Potatoes, whether raw, baked, or mashed, have been known to kill mice as it swells up in their tummies, causing them to choke.
Some vegetables can be tolerated but in smaller amounts. Make sure you do not overload your mouse with a particular food, as this can cause tummy problems.
Learning what your pet can and can’t eat and then letting them sample the good stuff to see what they enjoy is the best way to go.
This is all part of the fun of owning a pet. Once your pet feels comfortable and trusting of you, they’ll reward you with love and affection.
