Rats and mice are inexpensive pets. Mouse and rat care is fairly easy, and they are responsive to handling. Mice and rats adjust to the routine of the family and are active both during the day and night. Rats and mice come in a whole rainbow of colors and coat types. You should purchase your mice and rats from a reputable pet supplier. Look for ones that are young (4-8 weeks of age) in a clean cage with fresh water and food, eyes and nose should be without discharge, and the mice and rats seem friendly.
The average life 
span for a mouse is 1-2 years and 2-3 years for a rat. Though, rats and mice are not long lived, they do require appropriate mouse and rat care. There are several types of enclosures for mice and rats. Aquariums and habitrails with the proper ventilation as well as wire cages make excellent houses. Rodents can easily chew through wood and thin plastic so make sure that the enclosures are escape proof or check them frequently. Make sure that the bottoms of the wire cages are solid to prevent damage to the feet and make sure that the spaces between the metal bars are close enough together for proper mouse and rat care. Make sure that you provide distractions in the enclosure such as exercise wheels, wooden bird toys, paper tubes for chewing and PVC pipes for tunneling, etc.
Providing a good quality rodent pellets provides nutritious mouse and rat care. Typically these pellets are 14% plant protein and 5% fat with the remainder as roughage for good digestion. Seeds such as sunflowers should be given as treats since seeds are not as nutritious. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be provided including bananas, broccoli, and salad greens. Make sure that any fresh food provided is removed the next day so that it does not spoil and rot in the cage. Rats and mice typically eat at night. Fresh water from a sipper bottle should be provided at all times.
Pet rats and mice can be housed singly or in groups, but with groups make sure that you provide more than one source for food and water. Having more than one mouse or rat will allow them to be less bored when not able to be interacting with you. All cages should include a deep layer of plain, non-cedar, unscented wood shavings. Nesting boxes can be provided and nesting materials should be made of paper (not newspaper which has inks that can get on the fur and when ingested can make the mice and rats sick), kleenex/napkins or hay. If you follow good mouse and rat care, you should change the shavings weekly to prevent odors from feces and urine.
Mice and rats 
can be easily tamed with gentle and consistent handling. Mice and rats should be scooped up from the bottom and restrained gently with the tail between a finger and the palm. Hand feeding also helps to promote taming. Rats and mice can be trained with positive reinforcements (treats). They can learn to respond to their name, to come and perform simple tricks. Some believe that you can even house train a rat.
Rats and mice are great pets but parents must be prepared to supervise the day-to-day care so that the animal is not neglected through ignorance or loss of interest by children. Owners must ensure that pets receive proper mouse and rat care when they are ill, and must watch their pets to detect signs of illness.
