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Yes, mice can eat apples as a treat. The Vet Desk calls apple a perfectly fine option for most mice, and RSPCA Australia lists apples among fruit treats for mice. Give a piece about the size of your little fingernail, once or twice a week. Always remove the pips (seeds), core and stalk, which the ASPCA says contain cyanide.
| Safe? | Yes, as a treat |
| How much | A fingernail-sized piece per mouse |
| How often | Once or twice a week |
| Best served | Raw, washed, pips and core out |
| Watch out for | Pips, stalks, apple juice, weight gain |
Are apples good for mice?
Yes, in small amounts. The Vet Desk says apples are safe for most mice and not toxic, though a bit higher in sugar than many other snacks. RSPCA Australia names apples as one of its example fruit treats for pet mice.
The flesh is fine. The danger is in the middle: the ASPCA's entry on apple says the stems, leaves and seeds contain cyanide-forming compounds, and PetMD says mice should not eat fruit seeds or pits.
How much apple can a mouse have?
A piece about the size of your little fingernail, once or twice a week. The Vet Desk suggests apples only once a week or so in one place and a few times a week in another, so we go with once or twice and rotate with other foods.
The Vet Desk puts a mouse's whole daily food at 3 to 5 g (0.1 to 0.18 oz), and says a mouse needs at most 0.5 to 1 g (0.02 to 0.035 oz) of fruit a day. RSPCA Australia treats fruit as a treat, not a staple, and keeps all treats under 10% of a mouse's calories. The RSPCA adds that fresh food should come out of the daily allowance, not be piled on top.
How to prepare apple for a mouse
- Wash it. Rinse the skin well under the tap.
- Cut out the core. Remove every pip, the hard core and the stalk.
- Cut small pieces. Fingernail-sized, one per mouse, skin on.
- Offer it after the nuggets. The Vet Desk suggests giving fruit a few hours after the main food, so mice don't fill up on apple and skip their nuggets.
- Clear leftovers. PetMD says uneaten fresh food should be removed within 10 hours.
Apple pips, stalks and leaves contain cyanide-forming compounds, according to the ASPCA. If your mouse chewed through a core with pips, ring a vet for advice.
Skin, juice, dried apple and apple wood
- Skin: yes, washed. It adds a little fibre.
- Dried apple: a crumb only, unsweetened. Drying concentrates the sugar.
- Apple juice and apple sauce: no. Mostly sugar, often with added sugar.
- Apple pie, toffee apples, apple cereal: no. RSPCA Australia says mice should avoid sugary and fatty foods.
- Apple wood: yes, as a chew. Woodgreen suggests apple wood or other fruit tree wood for mice to gnaw, from an untreated tree.
Who should go easy?
Overweight mice, and any with loose droppings or a sensitive stomach, should skip fruit until they are well. PDSA warns that too many treats make mice overweight.
What to offer instead
Rotate apple with strawberry and the odd piece of banana, and lean on veg such as carrot and broccoli. See what can mice eat, the pet mouse diet guide and our pet mouse care guide.
Apple questions
Can mice eat apple seeds?
No. The ASPCA says apple seeds, stems and leaves contain cyanogenic glycosides, which release cyanide, and the Vet Desk says mice should not be fed apple pips. Remove every pip before serving. If a mouse has chewed several, ring a vet for advice.
Can mice eat apple skin?
Yes. The skin is part of the fruit and fine to leave on once it has been washed well. Cut the piece small so it is easy to hold and eat, and remove anything left uneaten within 10 hours.
Can mice eat apples every day?
We wouldn't. The Vet Desk says apples are higher in sugar than other snacks and suggests them only a few times a week at most, and RSPCA Australia keeps all treats under 10% of calories. Use vegetables for the everyday fresh food.
