Post by Die Fledermaus on May 9, 2004 21:17:42 GMT -4
>> PESTS OR PETS?
By JULIA SZABO
May 9, 2004 -- You and your building's exterminator may view them as vermin. . .
>> It really gets me chapped when someone assumes what I will think, especially vis a vis rodents.
<<
. . . but some New Yorkers look at the species Mus musculus - better known as mice - and see beloved animal companions.
Case in point: East Village resident Mike Chiodo.
"They're beauties," Chiodo says of his colony of "supermice," some of which have won blue ribbons at mouse shows. "They're sweet, friendly and rewarding pets."
Fancy mice bear little resemblance to the common city mouse or its country cousin, the field mouse.
In fact, fancy mice have large, erect ears and come in over 40 colorful varietes, including long-haired, curly-haired, satin (with a glossy coat) or - just like cats - calico and Siamese.
What's more, unlike frightened, skittish "pest" mice, fancy mice calmly tolerate being petted and held gently in a human's palm.
Pet mice have much to recommend them to busy, cost-conscious New Yorkers: They're kept indoors, they require little space, and they're quiet and inexpensive to feed.
For exercise, you can provide them with a Habitrail - or give them recycled paper-towel rolls (for more info on mouse care, go to http://www.littlemouseclub.org).
Their only drawback? Their short life span of up to two years.
Mice are social creatures, so they don't like to be alone. They're best kept in pairs or colonies of three or more. But males (called bucks) often don't get along, so stick with females (called does).
Just don't think you can set mice free in the park to meet up with other mice; unlike their wild counterparts, "domesticated mice don't stand a chance of survival out there," says Chiodo, who adopts mice only to responsible owners (email mchiodo@nyc.rr.com). <<
www.nypost.com/living/20467.htm
There was a very cute mouse photo in the newspaper; check it out of you have it.
By JULIA SZABO
May 9, 2004 -- You and your building's exterminator may view them as vermin. . .
>> It really gets me chapped when someone assumes what I will think, especially vis a vis rodents.
<< . . . but some New Yorkers look at the species Mus musculus - better known as mice - and see beloved animal companions.
Case in point: East Village resident Mike Chiodo.
"They're beauties," Chiodo says of his colony of "supermice," some of which have won blue ribbons at mouse shows. "They're sweet, friendly and rewarding pets."
Fancy mice bear little resemblance to the common city mouse or its country cousin, the field mouse.
In fact, fancy mice have large, erect ears and come in over 40 colorful varietes, including long-haired, curly-haired, satin (with a glossy coat) or - just like cats - calico and Siamese.
What's more, unlike frightened, skittish "pest" mice, fancy mice calmly tolerate being petted and held gently in a human's palm.
Pet mice have much to recommend them to busy, cost-conscious New Yorkers: They're kept indoors, they require little space, and they're quiet and inexpensive to feed.
For exercise, you can provide them with a Habitrail - or give them recycled paper-towel rolls (for more info on mouse care, go to http://www.littlemouseclub.org).
Their only drawback? Their short life span of up to two years.
Mice are social creatures, so they don't like to be alone. They're best kept in pairs or colonies of three or more. But males (called bucks) often don't get along, so stick with females (called does).
Just don't think you can set mice free in the park to meet up with other mice; unlike their wild counterparts, "domesticated mice don't stand a chance of survival out there," says Chiodo, who adopts mice only to responsible owners (email mchiodo@nyc.rr.com). <<
www.nypost.com/living/20467.htm
There was a very cute mouse photo in the newspaper; check it out of you have it.
From what I have heard The Times and Frank Rich really pushed, speciously, their secular agenda with the Mel Gibson "Passion of the Christ" movie.
