Buying guide · Mice

Best pet mouse hides and houses

Checked against RSPCA: Creating a good home for mice, RSPCA: Understanding mouse behaviour, RSPCA: Mice and company and 6 more on

Pet mice need at least one hide each, and every hide should have two or more exits and room for a mouse to turn round without getting stuck, as the RSPCA advises. Mix cardboard boxes and tubes, which they can chew and move, with one or two washable houses, and give them plain paper or hay to build nests inside.

Why do pet mice need hides?

Mice are prey animals, and the RSPCA says they prefer to have cover. In the wild they dig burrows and complex tunnel systems. A pet mouse with nowhere to hide is stressed all the time, and the RSPCA notes that barren open spaces are stressful in themselves.

Hides also keep the peace. The RSPCA says tubes and shelters with several exits let a mouse get away from a cage mate instead of being cornered. That is why exits matter more than looks: a cute house with one small door can become a trap if a bossy mouse sits in the doorway.

What makes a good mouse house?

A good mouse house is big enough, has more than one way out and is safe to chew. Check every hide against this list before it goes in.

  • Two or more exits, or one wide doorway plus an open side
  • Room for a mouse to turn round easily inside (RSPCA)
  • Doorways wide enough that no mouse can get wedged; Pets at Home's own listings warn about this
  • Safe to chew: plain cardboard, untreated wood, coconut, willow, hay or seagrass
  • No paint, glue strings, glitter or scent
  • Easy to wash, or cheap enough to throw away when soiled
Material Good Watch out for
Cardboard boxes and tubes Free, chewable, cool in summer; the RSPCA and PDSA recommend them Soak up urine; replace when soiled
Coconut shell or fibre Tough, natural, good for climbing on Check the doorway size
Willow, hay or seagrass Safe to chew, mice love pulling them apart Wear out fast; can't be washed
Plastic houses Easy to wash, last a long time The PDSA says they get warm and humid in hot weather; remove if chewed sharp
Untreated wood Sturdy, good to chew The MSD Veterinary Manual warns urine soaks into wood; scrub and dry fully, replace when it smells

How many hides do mice need?

At least one per mouse, as PetMD advises, and the RSPCA asks for several. We'd add one more than the number of mice, so nobody is ever left out, and spread them around the cage on different levels. Even if the whole group shares one nest to sleep, the spare hides are where a mouse goes when it wants space.

Watch your mice for the first day or two after adding a new hide. The RSPCA says new shelters can spark squabbles, as mice decide who owns them. If one mouse starts guarding it and chasing others away, add a second one beside it or take it out.

Mouse cage tubes and tunnels

Tubes are some of the best things you can put in a mouse cage. The RSPCA recommends cardboard tubes because mice can climb, chew and move them about. Toilet roll and kitchen roll tubes are free and the right size, which AFRMA, the American mouse and rat club, also suggests.

For bought tunnels, a diameter of about 10 cm (4 in) suits mice. That is the size Pets at Home lists for mice in its own tunnel range. Bigger tunnels are fine to run through but feel less safe as a hide. Woodgreen suggests plastic or card tunnels, and both work; plastic washes, card gets chewed and replaced.

A cage sold "with tubes" is a different thing. Tube systems clip onto small cages and can make them look big, but the mice still need open floor. Choose a cage that passes the size test in our guide to the best pet mouse cages, then add tubes inside it.

Mouse cage bedding and nest material

Hides work best on deep bedding, with nest material inside. The RSPCA asks for bedding at least 2 cm (1 in) deep so mice can dig, and suggests cellulose or shredded paper. Avoid sawdust, wood shavings and anything scented or coloured. Sources disagree on aspen: the RSPCA says avoid it and Woodgreen lists it as fine, so we'd stick to paper. Our guide to mouse bedding compares every type.

For nests, give plain paper, tissue or hay and let them shred it themselves. The RSPCA says to avoid cotton wool and fluffy products that separate into strands, because they can wrap round legs and cut off the blood supply.

How to set up hides in a mouse cage

  1. Lay deep bedding first. Fill the base at least 2 cm (1 in) deep, deeper in one corner for digging.
  2. Place the main nest hide. Put one hide in the quietest corner, away from the wheel, with nest material inside.
  3. Spread the rest out. Add more hides on the floor and shelves, at least one more than the number of mice, so no single mouse can guard them all.
  4. Link them with tubes. Lay cardboard tubes between hides and up to shelves, so a mouse can cross the cage under cover.
  5. Watch the first night. Check for chasing or guarding, as the RSPCA advises, and move or add hides if one mouse is left out.

At cleaning time, the RSPCA says to move clean, dry nest material back into the fresh cage, so it still smells like home. Our mouse cage cleaning routine covers this, and the mouse cage setup guide shows a full layout.

The best free mouse house is a small cardboard box with two holes cut in opposite sides. Stuff it with torn plain paper. When it gets soiled or chewed to pieces, throw it out and make another. Chewing it apart is part of the point.

Best pet mouse hides: our picks

We don't make pieces for mice yet, so these are from other shops we'd look at. Each one is listed for mice on the shop's own page, which we checked live in November 2026.

Pets at Home Coconut Fibre Hut

A small hut of coconut fibre with a cornleaf roof, about 15 × 15 × 16 cm (6 × 6 × 6 in), listed for mice and hamsters. Natural, chewable and sized right for a pair to sleep in. Check the doorway on arrival, and add a second exit by keeping it beside a tube.

See it at Pets at Home (opens in a new tab)

Woodlands Carrot Small Animal Cottage, small

A cellulose board cottage covered in meadow hay with a real carrot roof. The small size, 10.5 × 15 × 9.5 cm (4 × 6 × 4 in), is listed for mice. They will eat and shred it, so treat it as a chew-and-hide that you replace, not a permanent house.

See it at Pets at Home (opens in a new tab)

Pets at Home Igloo Hideaway, medium

A washable plastic igloo, 32 × 22 × 16 cm (13 × 9 × 6 in) in the medium size, which is listed for mice. Roomy enough for a group to share, and quick to clean. Swap it for cardboard in hot weather, as the PDSA says plastic houses get warm.

See it at Pets at Home (opens in a new tab)

Pets at Home Small Animal Fun Tunnel, small

An extendable plastic tunnel, 10 cm (4 in) across in the small size, listed for mice. Open at both ends, so it works as a hide with two exits. Washable, and you can bend it around the cage between hides.

See it at Pets at Home (opens in a new tab)

Oxbow Enriched Life Burrow Box

A box of corrugated card, willow bark and paper, listed for rats and mice. It suits mice that like to shred their house and build inside it. Oxbow does not give a size on the page, so check the openings when it arrives.

See it at Oxbow (opens in a new tab)

Oxbow Enriched Life Bamboo Play Pouch

A woven pouch of bamboo, rattan and jute, listed for rats and mice. Good as a second hide that doubles as something to chew and climb on. No size is given, so make sure a mouse can get in and out easily.

See it at Oxbow (opens in a new tab)

For things to do as well as places to hide, see our best pet mouse toys. For everything else a mouse needs, see the pet mouse care guide.

Mouse hide questions

How many hides do pet mice need?

At least one per mouse, as PetMD advises, and never fewer than two in any cage. The RSPCA asks for several hiding places so that a mouse can always get away from a cage mate. For a group of four, we'd use four or five spread around the cage, plus tubes.

Are plastic mouse houses safe?

Yes, if they are big enough and have a wide doorway. Plastic is easy to wash, which helps at cleaning time. The PDSA warns that plastic houses and tunnels get warm and humid in hot weather, so swap them for cardboard in summer, and throw out any plastic house a mouse has chewed sharp.

What is the best bedding for a mouse cage?

Paper or cellulose bedding, at least 2 cm (1 in) deep and deeper where they dig, as the RSPCA advises. Add plain paper, tissue or hay for nests. Avoid sawdust, wood shavings, scented or coloured bedding and cotton wool or fluffy nest products, which the RSPCA says can tangle round legs.

Can pet mice catch anything from wild house mice?

Yes. The RSPCA says to keep pet mice away from other rodents, including wild rats and mice, because they can carry potentially fatal diseases. If you have wild mice in the house, keep the cage lid shut and food stored sealed, and wash your hands before handling your own mice.

Is a mouse cage with tubes a good idea?

Tubes are great extras but a poor substitute for floor. Many cages sold with tube systems have very little open space inside. Pick a cage that passes the size test first, at least 80 x 50 cm (31 x 20 in) for three or four mice, then add tubes and tunnels inside it.

Why does my mouse not use its house?

Mice choose their own nest spot, and it may not be the one you chose. They may prefer a cardboard box, a tube or a nest dug into deep bedding. Check the house has a wide doorway and a second exit, then move it to a quiet corner. If they still ignore it, they are telling you what they like.

Sources

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