1,000 pet mice in New Hampshire need new homes after "reproducing uncontrolled"

STRATHAM, N.H. - What do you do with 1,000 mice? That's a problem an animal shelter has to solve after the rodents rapidly reproduced and overwhelmed a pet owner in New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire SPCA said it took in close to 400 mice from a Seacoast man who was keeping them in "filthy plastic tubs." There were believed to be hundreds more at his home and many of the females were pregnant. The shelter said it expects the total number of mice to be close to 1,000.

"The mice were not separated by sex and were reproducing uncontrolled," the SPCA said. Animal and veterinary services director Savannah Alcerro said in a statement, "We have never seen anything like this."

"Fancy mice" up for adoption

The shelter said the critters they took in are not common field mice and are actually pet mice, or "fancy mice." They are described as "entertaining and easy to care for."

"Pet mice are typically friendly and curious. They are highly social and prefer to live in groups or at the very least in a pair," the shelter said. "They can be a bit more skittish than some larger rodents but can learn to be comfortable with handling."

The SPCA said it is reaching out to other shelters in the New England area to help take some of the newly acquired mice off their hands.

Help needed after mice surrendered

The pet mice are starting to go up for adoption. Anyone looking to adopt mice can click here for more information.

The shelter also said it is in "urgent need" of five-or-10-gallon glass tanks with lids to house the mice. 

"If you've got an old tank just collecting dust in your basement, we'd be so appreciative if you would consider giving it a scrub and donating it," the shelter said.

Tanks can be dropped off during the day outside the garage door of the adoption center at 104 Portsmouth Ave. in Stratham.   

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• New Hampshire News