Customer Q&As
QA
Customer & solutions Give your mice an active lifestyle!
Mice care
● Children’s toys, such as mini dollhouses and early learning toys, can offer great hiding places and nesting opportunities. ● Wheels — your mouse’s cage doesn’t need one constantly so don’t feel guilty mixing it up. Have it in some weeks, and remove it for a while during others ● Ropes and ladders. These can be purchased or homemade. Even some dog tugger ropes are ideal! ● Plastic houses and hides. ● Hammocks — these can be homemade or purchased ● Apple or willow tree branches and twigs for climbing on.
Choosing the right mouse bedding The wrong bedding for your mice can have a very negative effect on their health. Wood shavings or sawdust can be extremely harmful to your mouse’s skin and airway, and can give you an allergic reaction too!
How can I help my pet mice settle at home? Woodgreen say: They absolutely love to climb and explore their surroundings, foraging for food and digging in bedding materials. They need a much more interesting home than a small cage with a house and wheel.
Creating the right environment for your mice The cage you choose will need space for you to add lots of activities for them to climb and explore. Your mice will also need a floor space they can do lots of running around on and bedding that they can dig and forage in.
The ideal cage design for a single or small group of mice When choosing a cage, remember these minimum sizes: ● Depth: 50cm ● Width: 80cm ● Height: 35cm ● Bar spacing: 6mm is the safest size
Keep your mice happy and occupied Mice are extremely energetic and agile. They enjoy running across ropes and can manage heights and angles quite well with the aid of their tail. Make sure you provide them with toys and activities to keep them fit, healthy, and happy. It doesn’t need to be expensive. Homemade items, children’s toys, and even a kitchen roll tube will be much appreciated by your little pet.
Your mice will enjoy: ● Plastic or card tunnels and tubes. Some tunnels allow you to build big mazes with them and even a loop-the-loop! ● Card boxes, such as shoe and cereal boxes.
Dog health
Certain small breeds, such as the Yorkshire Terrier, may be more prone to a luxating patella.
Hind leg lameness I have a Scottish Terrier-cross. He’s very fit and happy and enjoys two walks a day. However, I have noticed that when he is on his walks he sometimes ‘skips’ and carries his left hind leg as if he is avoiding putting any weight on it. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain though, or much bothered by it. Should I get him checked over by my vet?
Vicky says: This sounds like a luxating patella. Your vet can assess the severity of the problem and whether surgery would be advisable for your dog. When a dog’s kneecap moves out of its normal location, it is known as a luxating patella (luxating meaning ‘out of place’ or ‘dislocated’). The owner of an affected dog may notice a skip in their dog’s step or see their dog run on three legs. Then, suddenly, he will be back on all four legs as if nothing has happened. The condition is graded from 1 to 4, depending on its severity. Sometimes a luxating patella can be treated with physical therapy and medication. However, surgery may be necessary if your dog’s condition is severe and causes him significant pain. Vicky Payne BVetMed, MRCVS is a holistic vet based in East Sussex.
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Below are bedding materials that are safe for your mouse to snuggle in: ● Small-cut, shredded paper. Easy to use, and best of all, it’s free! Use shredded paper to line the floor. ● Finacard. A shredded card material, good for the base of the cage. ● Cardboard squares around 1 cm square, ideal for the base of the cage ● White, soft tissue paper bedding is suitable for mouse bedding. Please avoid the cotton wool type, as this can be dangerous to your mice.
How to clean out your mice Keeping your mouse cage clean is key to preventing serious health conditions, such as respiratory problems. Mice, in particular males, can be very messy and will generally not choose a main toilet area. To help keep the odour at bay, use a small dustpan and brush or damp cloth to remove excessive build-ups of wee and poo daily. Carry out a full clean of the entire enclosure once a week, ensuring you also clean all toys and activities with pet-friendly disinfectant. Take the opportunity to add a few new toys in the cage for interest, like a new apple branch or box for your mice to explore.
WoodgreenPets Charity helps pets and people at every step of the way. As well as being a safe haven for vulnerable pets in need of urgent care and a loving new home, Woodgreen provides expert advice and hands-on support to petowners in need of a guiding hand. With almost 100 years’ experience in rehabilitating and rehoming pets, the charity is committed to making sure that pets have the best lives possible. This vital work is only possible thanks to the generosity of supporters. Find out how you can make a difference to pets in need at woodgreen.org.uk
Cat behaviour
Feline separation anxiety
Do cats get separation anxiety? During lockdown, I began working from home and spent lots more time with my cat. I’ve since returned to the office a couple of days a week and it seems to have affected my cat. She seems more anxious when I am not around and shows more destructive behaviours — not major damage, but she never, ever does any damage usually. Could it be me heading back to work? She seems fine when I am around.
Clare says: I must admit I used to be sceptical about the existence of separation anxiety in cats. That was until I came back from holiday several years ago to find that my Siamese cat Jimmy had pulled a big patch of his fur out! Research has since demonstrated the existence of feline anxiety and has helped increase our understanding of it. However, it’s also important for us not to be too quick to label a cat as suffering from ‘separation anxiety’ when his behaviour could equally be attributed to another cause. If your cat is naturally clingy, follows you from room to room, and generally insists on being with you at all times, it is possible that he might perform behaviours consistent with separation anxiety when you’re not at home. These include soiling, especially on items associated with your scent; urine spraying; over-grooming, and destructive behaviour. On the other hand, going back to work after an extended period at home might just
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15/06/2022 09:36
