Hides and houses
Shelves and ledges
Foraging and toys
Cage accessories
Kits and bundles
Fairy forest
Spooky mischief
Sweetie stash
Game mode
Forest floor
Castles and cathedrals
What are good enrichment toys for mice?
Good mouse toys give a mouse a job. The RSPCA says pet mice need to be able to exercise, forage, play, climb, investigate and have some control over their surroundings, and that bare open space is stressful for them. Woodgreen, the PDSA and the MSD Veterinary Manual list the same core kit.
| What mice need to do | Toys that cover it | Who recommends it |
|---|---|---|
| Run | A solid, upright wheel about 20 cm (8 in) across | Woodgreen, RSPCA, PDSA, MSD |
| Climb | Ropes, ladders, hammocks, branches, climbing blocks | Woodgreen, RSPCA, PDSA, MSD |
| Chew | Untreated wood, cardboard, apple or willow sticks | PDSA, PetMD, Woodgreen |
| Hide and explore | Cardboard tubes, tunnels, boxes, houses | RSPCA, PDSA, Woodgreen |
| Dig | A dig tray or box, deep bedding | Woodgreen, RSPCA |
| Forage | Scattered food, treats hidden in hay or boxes | RSPCA |
Chewing matters for health too. The PDSA points out that mice's teeth grow all the time, so they need safe things to gnaw. For more ideas beyond toys, see our guide to pet mouse enrichment.
The wheel: the one toy every mouse cage needs
A wheel lets mice run far more than the cage floor allows, but it has to be the right one. Woodgreen recommends an 8 in (20 cm) solid, upright wheel. The RSPCA says solid and axle-free, and the MSD manual says the running surface must be smooth, not perforated, so toes and legs can't get caught. The PDSA adds that it must be big enough for a mouse to run without bending its back.
The RSPCA also says a wheel should never be the only enrichment. Our guide to the right wheel for pet mice goes through sizes and types.
Climbing toys and cage accessories
Mice are agile climbers, and the RSPCA says shelves and climbing frames help them move about with confidence. Hang ropes between shelves, lean a ladder up to a platform and fix branches across corners. Keep everything low: the RSPCA warns that mice can break limbs falling from height.
- Cotton or sisal ropes, checked for loose strands that could wrap round a leg
- Wooden ladders and bridges, untreated
- Apple or willow branches; the RSPCA names fruit tree branches
- Hammocks, washed at 60°C (140°F) with non-bio detergent, as Woodgreen advises
- Low shelves or platforms, solid rather than wire
Check ropes and fabric toys every time you spot clean. Frayed threads can wrap tightly round a mouse's foot or tail. Cut off loose strands, and throw away any rope or hammock that has started to unravel.
Foraging and dig toys
Foraging is the toy most owners forget. Instead of filling a bowl, scatter the day's food across the cage, so the mice have to search for it. Hide a few pieces inside a cardboard tube stuffed with hay, or in a small box filled with shredded paper. The RSPCA lists foraging among the things mice must be able to do.
A dig box is the other big one. Woodgreen suggests a dig tray or box. Fill a shallow container with deep shredded paper or plain coconut coir and sprinkle a few seeds through it. Our guide to what to feed pet mice says what to scatter, and what pet mice can eat lists safe treats to hide.
Free and homemade mouse toys
Many of the best mouse toys come out of your recycling bin. Use only plain card and paper, with no glossy print, tape, glue or staples.
- Tube tunnel. Lay toilet roll and kitchen roll tubes on the floor and up to shelves. The RSPCA recommends cardboard tubes because mice climb, chew and move them.
- Stuffed tube. Push hay or torn paper into a tube with a few pieces of food inside. The mice pull it out to find the food.
- Box house. Cut two holes in a small cardboard box and fill it with paper. They will hide in it, then shred it.
- Egg box forage tray. Put a seed or two in each cup of a plain paper egg box and close the lid.
- Dig box. Fill a sturdy, shallow box with shredded paper or coir and bury some food.
Rotate, don't pile up. Keep the wheel, main nest and water in the same place, then swap a few tubes, boxes and chews every week. RSPCA Australia says to change toys regularly, and a moved toy is a new toy to a mouse.
What mouse toys should you avoid?
- Wheels with rungs, mesh or gaps (MSD, PDSA)
- Cotton wool and fluffy fabrics that separate into strands (RSPCA)
- Painted, varnished or treated wood, including craft-shop wood
- Toys with small parts such as bells; AFRMA warns about these for rats, and mice are smaller still
- Toys with holes or gaps big enough to trap a head or leg
- Anything high up with a long drop beneath it
- Scented or coloured items
Best pet mouse toys: our picks
We don't make pieces for mice yet, so these are from other shops we'd look at. Each is listed for mice on the shop's own page, which we checked live in November 2026.
Oxbow Enriched Life 2 in 1 Quiet Runner, 8 in
A wheel with a stand that can come off to fix it to the cage. Oxbow says the 8 in (20 cm) size is for dwarf hamsters and mice, which matches Woodgreen's size. Check the track is solid all the way round before the mice use it.
Pets at Home Snuffle Forest Forage Toy
A hay-coated box of birch gnaw logs, about 19 × 13 cm (7.5 × 5 in), listed for mice. You tuck food between the logs so they have to search for it. Good for foraging and chewing in one.
Pets at Home Gnaw and Chew Apple Wood Sticks
Plain apple wood sticks about 23 cm (9 in) long, listed for mice. Cheap and simple. Pets at Home notes natural wood can splinter, so check them and throw out any sharp pieces.
Pets at Home Wooden Flexible Bridge
A bendy wooden bridge 60 cm (24 in) long, listed for mice. Use it as a ramp to a shelf, a bridge between levels or an arch over the floor to hide under. Keep it low.
Oxbow Enriched Life Apple Stick Bundle
A bundle of untreated apple sticks, listed for rats and mice. Oxbow says it comes apart into single sticks, so you can spread them around the cage or tuck them into tubes.
Oxbow Enriched Life Bamboo Ball Pit
A woven bamboo and rattan toy listed for rats and mice, which Oxbow suggests for scatter feeding. Drop food in and the mice climb in and out to find it. No size is given, so check the gaps on arrival.
For houses and tunnels, see our best pet mouse hides. To fit it all in, start with a cage from our best pet mouse cages and the layout in our mouse cage setup guide. Our pet mouse care guide covers the rest.
Mouse toy questions
What are some good enrichment toys for mice?
A solid wheel of about 20 cm (8 in), ropes and ladders, apple or willow branches, cardboard tubes and boxes, a dig box of plain soil-free coir or paper, and food scattered or hidden so they search for it. Woodgreen, the PDSA and the RSPCA all list these. Swap a few items every week to keep it new.
Do mice play with toys?
Not the way a cat or dog does. Mice play by running, climbing, digging, chewing and searching for food. The RSPCA says pet mice need to exercise, forage, play, climb and investigate. So the best toys are things to do, not things to look at: something to chew, a rope to climb, a box to rip up.
Are mouse toys safe to chew?
Choose ones made for small pets from untreated wood, cardboard, willow, hay or seagrass, as the PDSA suggests. Avoid painted or varnished wood from craft shops, small bells and loose parts, and fluffy fabrics. Pets at Home notes natural wood can splinter, so check chews often and throw out sharp pieces.
Can mice have hamster toys?
Usually yes. Mice and dwarf hamsters are a similar size, and most shops list the same small toys for both. Check the label: many say which species each size suits. Avoid toys sized for Syrian hamsters or rats if the gaps or holes are big enough for a mouse to get a leg or head stuck.
Do mice need time out of the cage?
It helps, though a big, full cage matters more. Woodgreen says mice can come out for an hour or more a day in a safe space such as an empty bath lined with towels or a pop-up play pen. Stay with them the whole time, and never pick a mouse up by its tail.
How often should I change my mouse's toys?
Swap a few each week and keep the core kit in place. RSPCA Australia says to change toys regularly. Leave the wheel, the main nest and the water where they are, and rotate tubes, chews, boxes and ropes, so the cage feels new without the mice losing their home.
Sources
- RSPCA: Creating a good home for mice
- RSPCA: Understanding mouse behaviour
- PDSA: The ideal home for your mice
- Woodgreen: Caring for mice as pets
- MSD Veterinary Manual: Providing a home for mice
- PetMD: Pet mouse care sheet
- RSPCA Australia: Essential tips on housing mice
- AFRMA: Environmental enrichment
