#exactly like what happened on r/rats when the mods would threaten; ban; and insult people pointing out the obvious abuse of

[swagging-back-to]

most mouse owners;

you should only keep 2 mice in a 75 gallon tank!!!

also if you put them in a 75 gallon tank they get anxious and skittish and have social issues and fight eachother!! 75 gallons is too much space for 2 mice!!!! but also it's abuse to put them in anything smaller than a 75 gallon!!!

also you shouldnt keep more than 4 mice at a time bc then they fight and kill eachother and 'fracture' as a colony!!!!1111!!11!!!! but you shouldnt keep less than 4 bc then theres [insert problem here]

like yall seriously know jack shit. full on. jack shit. it is honeestly laughable how many mouse owners will spout all of this bullshit depsite having no experience at all. blatantly contradict themselves in the same breath and they play a huge game of telephone, vomiting up whatever the last myth they heard was.

let's go through these myths one by one, shall we?

you should never have only two mice. period. the minimum amount of mice you should keep to have a functioning mischief and colony is 5. i speak from experience. look at their biology and wild counterparts' behaviors. they come from HOUSE MICE. meaning they live in very large colonies in small spaces like the gap in your walls. if they get down to <5 of course theyre going to be scared. theyre in constant survival mode bc it's like theyre the last two mice left alive on earth, in their minds.

they dont. and if they do, it's bc the owner is failing to provide any clutter or a proper amount of enrichment and hides. it is PURELY on the owner and their own failings. If your mice are skittish in a big tank it's bc you didnt decorate it properly or YOU HAVE TOO SMALL OF A GROUP OF MICE. (or that you never bonded with them, all of these are the OWNERS FAULT.)

again. the MINIMUM is 5 mice to have a happy and healthy colony. i've kept groups ranging from 2 mice up to 12 mice. guess which ones were the most dysfunctional, stressed, and scared. ding ding dinggggg it was the groups of 2 and 3. my groups of 8+ mice have always been the happiest, most sociable and stable, and healthiest. only my smaller groups (5 or less) have ever 'fractured' and had territory issues. NEVER have my large groups done it. the only people you will ever see spreading this myth are people who have had, at most, four mice at a time. You will NEVER see anyone who has had a large colony say it.