Do Guinea Pigs Attract Mice? (How to Prevent Mice Around Your Guinea Pig Cage)

So you have a guinea pig at home, but you’ve noticed an accumulation of mouse droppings around the enclosure and the food containers. Is it normal to have mice around a guinea pig cage? What does this mean for your guinea pig? Do guinea pigs attract mice? 

Guinea pigs themselves do not attract mice, but leftover food or a soiled and unhygienic living space will. Damp and soiled bedding put guinea pigs at risk of attracting mice. A healthy and balanced diet and regularly cleaning feces and urine from the cage can help prevent mice infestations.

Soiled living conditions and leftover food can attract mice to guinea pig enclosures, especially in the winter months. Keep reading to learn more about why you are finding mice around your guinea pig and what you can do to get rid of them.

Why Are Mice Attracted to Guinea Pig Enclosures? 

If you are finding mice around your guinea pig, it’s not necessarily the fault of your guinea pig alone. Mice are not attracted to clean and healthy guinea pigs; they are attracted to their living environments under certain conditions. 

Your guinea pigs’ living environment could be attracting mice due to the following:

• Wet and urine-covered bedding
• Uneaten food 
• Accumulation of feces and urine 
• Soiled or discolored bedding
• A warm, cozy enclosure 

Mice are attracted to damp or wet areas, organic matter, and warm areas, which are easy to find in a guinea pig cage. They will also search for a warm, comfortable space to live in, which your guinea pig’s enclosure provides. 

Bedding absorbs urine and creates a moist, warm environment that most mice love. They also will be attracted to any leftover food found in the enclosure. If the soiled bedding and uneaten food are left too long in the cage, it may start to smell and draw in unwanted mice or attract flies.

Are Mice Dangerous For Guinea Pigs?

Mice are extremely dangerous for guinea pigs as they can pass on deadly diseases to piggies and other pets. 

Wild mice are exposed to many potential diseases, and being around them can cause great harm to your guinea pig. The following deadly diseases are transmitted through mouse urine, feces, and bodily fluid.

• Salmonella
• Lymphatic choriomeningitis
• Tularemia
• Leptospirosis

Salmonella is a bacteria that can be spread to humans and other animals from infected mice or guinea pigs. 

Lymphatic choriomeningitis is a virus that can also be passed to humans by an infected animal. There is no treatment, but you can protect your piggy by getting proper vaccinations. 

Tularemia is a severe infectious disease found in mice that can be spread to unvaccinated guinea pigs. If left untreated, it could lead to death. 

Leptospirosis has extreme symptoms that could quickly result in death. 

If you notice that your guinea pig is acting strange or shows symptoms of illness after being in contact with a mouse, take your piggy to the vet immediately. 

How Do You Get Rid of Mice In Guinea Pig Cages?

If you are finding mice around your guinea pig, it’s best to take all the measures you can to rid the space of them. 

Luckily, you can do quite a few things to reduce the number of mice around your guinea pig’s cage. 

Most importantly, keep the cage clean. If you already have mice around, you will need to do a deep cleaning with a pet-friendly cleaner or vinegar and water. 

Once the enclosure is completely clean, you will need to follow a daily cleaning routine. This means daily cleanings of bedding, feces, and uneaten food. 

If you notice soiled bedding or droppings in the cage, remove them promptly. This will prevent any mice from being attracted to the decomposing organic material. If you use fleece bedding, ensure the fleece is wicked properly so the urine is not pooling on top and contributing to the mess.

Apart from cleaning the cage, you can also change a few things about the enclosure itself, such as:

• Use peppermint oil in the area – not directly around the guinea pig cage to avoid irritating your piggy’s lungs
• Place the cage on a table up off the ground
• Avoid scattering food around the cage – place veggies in a designated bowl and remove any uneaten fresh food after an hour
• Try to fill or block off any holes that they may be using to enter the house

Mice do not like the smell of peppermint oil, and spraying the area is a great way to deter them from your guinea pig enclosure. 

You can also place your guinea pig enclosure off the ground and place food in the food dish to make it more difficult for the mice to reach it and avoid having food buried in bedding. 

How Can I Keep Mice Away From My Guinea Pig?

You can do many things to keep mice from pestering your sweet guinea pig. First and foremost, keep the cage and your guinea pig clean! 

Clean the cage daily and ensure that your guinea pig is grooming himself regularly. Remove any feces and soiled bedding, and be sure to remove any uneaten food after an hour or two. You can even give your guinea pig a bath or brush out all matted hair.

Daily cleaning is key, but you should also deep clean the cage at least once a month. 

On top of cleaning, you can also use the following strategies to keep mice away from your guinea pig: 

• Use humane mouse traps
• Use peppermint oil
• Place the cage at a good height
• Keep food in tightly sealed containers
• Get a cat or dog

A great way to get rid of mice and keep them away is to use humane mouse traps and peppermint oil.

You should also keep food in tightly sealed containers in hard-to-reach places to prevent mice infestations. And as a last resort, consider getting a cat or a dog to keep the mice away! Mice do not generally like living in the presence of predators. Just remember to never leave your guinea pig alone with them. 

All of these methods will reduce the number of mice in your house and around the cage, but it is crucial that you follow a strict cleaning routine to ensure your guinea pig is happy and healthy. 

Final Thoughts

Guinea pigs are pretty hygienic, but their enclosures can get messy fast, attracting house mice and other unwanted pests. So if you don’t have one already, be sure to abide by a strict cleaning routine and keep food secure to ensure your guinea pig can stay happy and healthy in a comfortable mouse-free environment.