Can mice eat celery?

Is celery safe for mice?

Celery is not toxic, and it does not appear on any of the "never feed" lists we checked, which name foods such as chocolate, onions, garlic, rhubarb, raw potato and citrus. But the advice is not to bother with it. VCA Animal Hospitals tells owners of pet rodents, mice included, not to give iceberg lettuce or celery, because both are mostly water with little nutritional value.

Other sources are a little softer. Unusual Pet Vets includes celery leaves, though not the stalk, on its everyday list for rats, and Supreme Petfoods lists celery as an occasional food for rats but does not mention it for mice. So the sensible middle line, and the one we follow, is that celery leaves are an occasional nibble, the stalk is a rare one, and neither should replace darker greens.

How much celery can a mouse have?

Very little. A mouse eats only about 5 g (0.2 oz) of dry food a day, and RSPCA Australia says fresh vegetables count within that allowance. Filling a mouse up on watery celery leaves less room for the food that does the real work. One leaf, or a piece of stalk about 5 mm (¼ in) across, now and then, is enough.

How to prepare celery for mice

1. Pick the leaves first. The leafy tops are softer and string-free, which makes them the better part to offer.
2. Wash it. Rinse under cold running water.
3. Strip any strings. If you use stalk, pull the long fibres off the outside. On an animal this small, a long string is a choking and tangling risk.
4. Cut it tiny. A piece about 5 mm (¼ in) across is enough.
5. Clear up. PetMD says to remove uneaten fresh food within 10 hours.

Leaves, stalks, cooked celery and celery salt

• Leaves: the best part; listed for rats by Unusual Pet Vets.
• Stalk: mostly water and stringy. Rarely, and always de-stringed.
• Cooked celery: skip it. It is usually cooked with salt, butter or onion, and PetMD lists onion among foods mice must not have.
• Celery salt, soup and juice: no. Salt and seasoning do not belong in a mouse, and juice is never a swap for fresh water.

Which mice should skip celery?

Skip it for mice with soft droppings, young mice just weaned, and any mouse that is underweight or a fussy eater, since watery food can stop them eating enough of their main diet. Our pet mouse health guide covers the signs of a mouse that is not eating well.

What else can mice eat instead?

For a crunchy, watery extra, a little cucumber works in the same occasional way. For real value, use kale and broccoli. See what can mice eat for the full list, our pet mouse diet guide for portions, and our pet mouse care guide for everything else.