[The picture is from Chewy, the copyright belongs to the original author]

The North African fat-tailed gerbil (spaghetti mouse) has coarse fur. It looks like a hamster. Its tail is especially large, like a club. This is similar to a camel's hump. The tail is usually very swollen, like a small "reservoir". They keep food and water in their tails. A healthy spaghetti mouse should have a fat tail. They live mostly in the northern Sahara Desert. They are active at night. They like dry and hot places. Their long tails help them live in the desert. Their noses are sharper than hamster noses. Their back legs are longer. They can jump very well. Spaghetti mice are not very curious. When you put one on your hand, it just sits quietly. It shows little interest in things around it. It will not try to run away.

The rat with a body shaped like macaroni is quite round. It has thick, smooth, fine fur everywhere. Its color is a shiny earthy yellow. Its face is rather round. It has a slightly pointy pink nose. It has two round pink ears. The tail looks like a pink mini baseball bat. Its paws have ten fingers. Its feet have ten toes. An adult rat is about 10-13 centimeters long. The tail is about 5 centimeters long.

Analysis of the appearance of macaroni mice:

How macaroni looks mainly depends on its shape, color, and size. It does not relate to its fatness or greasiness. We will not talk about that here. Most macaroni look alike. But if you look closely, you can see some differences. This discussion uses general beauty standards. A good-looking macaroni face is like a steamed bun. It has a short nose. The side has a nice curve. The opposite is a pointy face. It has a long, sharp nose. It looks like a mouse.

Usually, the spaghetti rabbit's back fur is dark gray. It gets lighter yellow or brownish yellow near the tail. Spaghetti rabbits with pretty fur are more light yellow. Their bellies are pure white. The opposite is darker fur, often blackish. Some special breeds are naturally black and gray. The tail should be very thick. Nutrition affects this, but genetics also matters. With bad genes, more nutrition will not make a very thick tail. Spaghetti rabbits with short tails look cuter.

Macaroni with good body structure are usually quite sturdy. Overall, they look wider. They gain weight easily. They look like a small ball, which is very cute. A clear bump on the back like a hunchback could mean the mouse is too thin. It could mean poor bone growth. You should notice this. With a poor body structure, the fur is often very oily. Healthy macaroni fur is very fluffy. It stays clean even with bath sponges and bedding. Very oily fur that stays dirty after washing could mean a health issue.

How to choose a healthy spaghetti mouse:

Picking a healthy mouse requires remembering one thing. Like hamsters, each chinchilla needs its own cage. They cannot live together. A seller might say it is best to buy a pair or more to keep together. Be careful. This seller might not be reliable.

Pet trading has two types: domestic breeding and commercial breeding. The chow chow mice are the same. Domesticated mice have better living conditions. They have lower reproduction rates. They have better bodies and behavior. They meet humans more from a young age. Their prices may be higher. Commercial breeding mice are usually for profit. Their living conditions are poor. Many mice live together. Inbreeding is a risk. They eat cheap food. Most die within a week after purchase. Survivors do not grow well either. Their fur looks greasy and dull. They have bad tempers. They fear people and may bite. The line between domestic and commercial breeding is blurry now. You still need to be careful. Do not rely only on price when buying. Check the seller's situation carefully before purchasing.

Many people ask the seller for a mouse video. Sometimes the mouse you get is different from the video. The seller might have stolen another person's video. Before buying, check the seller's old photos. A blurry video is a warning sign. A constantly changing background is a warning sign. Watermarks are a warning sign. You should be cautious.

One small tip: ask the seller to do specific actions you request. This checks if the video is real. To pick a mouse with a good temper, ask for a video of it using its paws. Quiet mice that do not struggle usually have better tempers. Mice that sleep on your hand are even better. If you are generous, choosing it is a smart decision. A one-month-old mouse over 20 grams is relatively healthy. Look at the parent photos too. This shows if the mouse will be chubby later.

[The picture is from Animallama, the copyright belongs to the original author]

Before preparing to raise mice, learn and prepare some things early:

Cage:

You need a suitable cage. Bigger is better. It should be at least 45 centimeters long. Spaghetti mice tails are very fragile. They get hurt easily climbing high or getting stuck. Do not use wire cages. Do not use acrylic cages with decoration holes. Choose imported brand cages. Climbing boxes are good. Custom-made storage boxes are good. The best choice is easy for watching and interacting.

The cage does not need many things. Basic items are enough: food bowl, water bottle, hiding place, running wheel. Summer needs a ceramic nest inside. Winter needs some added cotton. Cold weather needs a heating pad.

Bedding:

Bedding is the material on the cage floor. We suggest using sand. Macroni mice tend to get oily. Sand stops them from being too greasy. We suggest CooliSand. It is a bit expensive. But you do not need to change it often. Prepare a sieve. Remove feces and garbage every week. Usually replace it every two months. Replace it if there is a bad smell. The old Supreme Sand was not good. It is not suggested now. Other cat litters are not good. Hamster sand is not good. If you want to try, you can do it yourself.

For bathing sand, spaghetti mice need baths sometimes. If they get oily, use volcanic ash-based cat litter. Blue Cloud or Bitter Sweet are examples. This is not a must. When mice are oily, they can roll in it. Then they become fluffy. Usually one bag is enough. It decays slowly. Never use this sand as bedding. Otherwise mice breathe dust every day.

Diet:

Ratines need high-calorie food. They especially need vegetables and grass. They like sunflower seeds. They should not eat too many. Too many seeds at one meal is unhealthy. Their noses seem able to catch insects. But most times they prefer eating some vegetables. The amount is very small. Ratines like water more than Mongolian sand rats. Remember to give them enough water.

Wild spaghetti rats eat plants and insects. Domesticated ones need special rodent food. Mongolian gerbil food works. Hamster food works. They can also eat some insects. Mealworms are an example. Crickets are an example. Weevils are an example. If you dislike feeding insects, give some cat food. Small fish flakes can replace insects. Vegetables and fruits are also okay. Carrots are an example. Broccoli is an example. Apples are an example. Do not give too much. It can cause diarrhea.

Besides these, spaghetti rats need extra vitamins. Winter especially needs more. Like other rodents, they need to chew their teeth. Owners can give them chewing wood. Chewing stones are also good. Fruit trees are an example. Birch trees are an example. Willow trees are an example. Hazel trees are an example. Maple trees are an example.

The feeding method for pasta is like hamsters. It is like other small animals. They all tend to make more oil. Choose bathing sand carefully. We suggest a mix of chinchilla bathing sand and hamster bathing sand. The sand ratio should match your pet's specific situation.

Reproduction:

Breeding chow chow dogs is quite hard. A male dog getting a female dog pregnant is not likely. Chow chows become sexually mature at about two months old. A female dog's pregnancy lasts about 19 days. Weaning starts about 3 to 4 weeks later. During pregnancy and milk feeding, female dogs are more easily annoyed. They might attack puppies or males. Keeping them apart is best. If not separated, pregnant or milk-feeding females might attack males. Sometimes they argue with each other. They make sharp noises. They bite tails. Tails get covered in bite marks.

A female mouse giving birth needs some cotton wool for warmth. She should stop all other activities. Do not use a feeding bowl for food. Put food directly on the wood chips near her. Try not to bother her as much as possible. Give her clean drinking water.

Chickpea mice like toys. They especially like wheels. But avoid surprising them suddenly. This is extra important when they just woke up. Do not approach them too fast. This could make them bite you, like hamsters do.

[The picture is from IFLScience, the copyright belongs to the original author]

Care instructions:

Spaghetti mice love to climb. But be careful. They might fall during climbing and break their tails. Their tails have bones inside. Picking a cage is important. Avoid cages decorated with wire mesh. This could easily hurt their feet. Do not put the cage in direct sunlight. Do not wash it with water.

Pasta rats are not dogs. Do not put them on a leash and take them outside. Many green belts today have pesticide sprays. Outside is not safe. Please be careful for your pet's safety.

Their lifespan is like a hamster's life. Usually it is not more than three years. For self-bred mice, female mice should stop having babies after one year old. Macaroni mice become sexually mature at about 3 to 4 months. Delaying breeding time is possible. Males in good health can breed fine until one and a half years old. But sometimes female mice will not mate with weak males. You must think about each mouse's personal condition.