Last updated on January 29th, 2023 at 07:59 pm
Keeping guinea pigs requires careful attention to their nutrition, hygiene, and their cage.
You may be surprised to find that there is a mouse in your guinea pig’s cage.
Of course, it is very unpleasant and you immediately think about what to do to remove the mice from the guinea pig’s cage.
How to keep mice out of guinea pigs’ cages?
In order for there to be no mice in the cage of guinea pigs, regular cleaning of the cage and removal of food remains is necessary.
In today’s article, you will learn how to drive mice out of the guinea pig’s cage and what to do to prevent them from appearing in the future.
What to do to keep mice out of guinea pigs’ cages?
In order for there to be no mice in the guinea pigs’ cage you will need to do the following things:
- regular cleaning of the cage
- do not leave leftover food in the cage, it is best to remove them immediately or within a few hours
- always put the food for the guinea pigs in food containers, do not scatter it around the cage
- A mouse trap and peppermint oil help to get rid of mice
- cat litter or urine
- eventually getting a cat
How to protect guinea pigs from mice?
To keep mice out of your guinea pig’s cage you will need to do certain things. Mice are obviously dangerous to your guinea pigs, so you should take the following measures.
A clean cage
Guinea pigs’ cages should be kept clean to reduce the chances of mice.
If the guinea pig’s cage is dirty and unclean, the chances are higher that it will attract mice, which will then be difficult to remove.
Clean the cage regularly, you will know best when to clean it by its smell.
Thorough cleaning of the cage, whether it will be once a week or once a month, the cage itself will show you, in addition, it will be necessary to clean the remains of food and the like twice a week.
Do not leave food in the cage
Leftovers attract mice with their smell, so you should not leave them for longer than 24 hours, it is best to remove them immediately.
Or put food in an airtight container so mice can’t smell the food and come to the guinea pig’s cage.
Food is the main factor that attracts mice to come to your pet’s cage.
Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil is a great way to keep mice out of your guinea pig’s cage.
Mice do not like the smell of this oil and they will avoid your pet’s cage.
You just put oil in a few places in the cage and the smell will make them avoid the cage and go to other places.
A trap
You can also use a humane mouse trap which is an effective way to catch mice that come into the guinea pig’s cage.
A humane trap for mice does not kill mice, but only catches them, that’s why it is called a humane trap.
Then you can take them and transport them away from your home, for example, release them somewhere in nature to continue living.
Cat litter or urine
The smell of litter or cat urine will prevent mice from coming into the guinea pig’s cage.
If you put wet urine around the cage of the guinea pigs, the smell of it will not be felt for a day by us humans, but the mice, will feel that smell for a long time and they will not come to the cage.
This method is good if you do not want to bring a cat into the room around the cage, so that the guinea pig is not afraid of the cat.
A cat
Cats are the most dangerous enemy for mice and this can be a great solution to clean the room around the cage with guinea pigs.
Mice are too afraid of cats and you can be sure that if you put a cat in the home you will no longer see mice.
Mice can smell the cat and you will never see them near the guinea pig cage again.
Do guinea pigs attract mice to the cage?
No, guinea pigs do not attract mice into their cage.
The food, bedding, and water are things that attract the mice to come to the cage.
These three things that we have listed are always needed by guinea pigs, and unfortunately, they are the same challenge and desire for mice as well.
Mice have very good senses and they smell the food in the guinea pigs’ cage and come for it.
Also, the bedding attracts them with its smell to come inside and hide in it in the cage.
Are mice dangerous to guinea pigs?
Yes, mice are very dangerous for guinea pigs and therefore you must be careful and remove them from their cage in a short time.
Mice are territorial and may fight with guinea pigs for food and cage space. Even mice can hurt a guinea pig or scare it and cause it stress.
In addition to being ready to fight, mice can also transmit a large number of various infectious diseases to the guinea pig.
Some of those diseases are:
- tularemia
- leptospirosis
- salmonella
Such infectious diseases can be transmitted by mice even without coming into direct contact with guinea pigs.
It is enough to transmit the infectious disease to your pet through the urine or feces of mice.
Such infectious diseases are dangerous to the life of guinea pigs and therefore you must act quickly and practically and remove mice from your pet’s cage.
The more time they are in the cage, the greater the danger for the guinea pigs and their health and life.
Can a guinea pig kill a mouse?
Yes, guinea pigs, if necessary, can kill a mouse that appears in their cage.
Guinea pigs are peaceful animals that rarely kill other animals unless they have to defend themselves.
Guinea pigs are stronger than mice and if they feel a threat to their life they will attack and kill the mouse.
Are ultrasonic repellents good for keeping mice out of guinea pigs’ cages?
Many guinea pig owners try to repel mice with ultrasonic repellents, which emit high-frequency sounds that are inaudible to humans and that mice can hear.
The sound waves should dissuade the mice from entering the guinea pigs’ cage.
However, experience shows that these sound devices do not work with all types of mice, and therefore there is not much accurate information on how effective they are.
Therefore, it is best to use other proven methods to remove mice from your guinea pig’s cage.
Read more: Can Guinea Pigs Get Flystrike? (How To Get Rid)
Conclusion
When mice get into your guinea pig’s cage it can be a very unpleasant picture for you and your pet.
Mice don’t come because of guinea pigs, they usually come because of leftover food and dirt.
Mice are very dangerous because they can transmit infectious diseases to guinea pigs and endanger their lives.
That’s why it’s best to always pay attention to the basics that keep mice out of the cage, such as cleanliness and hygiene of the cage and removal of food scraps.
You can also use a mouse trap, and peppermint oil and if nothing helps, then bring a cat into the room with the guinea pig cage.
Read more: Do Guinea Pigs Attract Cockroaches? Let’s Discover