I read with interest the short article on keeping mice as pets in the Classifieds (Sunday, 3 February 2008) and look forward to next week's continuation of this series.

However, as an unwitting mouse owner (I picked up 2 mice abandoned in a tank at a bus stop - one was pregnant and ended up giving birth that very night to 9 little ones), I am concerned that in this year of the rat, many will think it a good idea to buy mice as pets then 'dispose' of them when the year is up or when the novelty wears off.

It is unfortunate that mice are seen as 'throw-away pets' and people see nothing wrong in dumping them in the bin, flushing them down the loo, leaving them for dead helpless in an open tank or releasing domesticated mice back into the wild.

The poor creatures will die either way, whether crushed or suffocated, drowned or eaten by stray cats, or left to find their way in an unfamiliar place without the instincts that will help them survive.

I urge you to include in your next article on keeping mice as pets a reminder to people to be responsible pet owners.

Mice are pets, and keeping a pet is a commitment to care and love the animal.

Please encourage readers to learn as much as they can about these creatures before purchasing them, and discourage casual breeding of mice.

You may wish to remind readers that a male mouse and a female mouse kept together for however short a time will almost ALWAYS result in babies - usually 8 or more.

I would not have thought this needed to be spelt out clearly, but then again, I did pick up an abandoned and heavily pregnant mouse in the tank with a male mouse.

Having said that, mice are beautiful creatures and make lovely pets.

They are gentle and do not bite unless provoked.

They are also great fun to watch while they run around their home and do their mousey thing.

I just hope those considering mice as pets will remember that their fragile lives are entirely in their hands.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any clarification or even assistance in the articles on mice as I have become quite the expert!

Regards,
Michelle Chan