Ever since I saw the movie Ratatouille, I’ve been absolutely fascinated with mice.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have a momentary instinct to jump on a chair when I see one scurrying across my living room floor late at night, but then I become curious and want to see it up close.
I used to wonder why do some people think mice are cute, but now I have become one of those people! I can only explain so much on what I’ve noticed and why mice are so cute to me.
Why Do Some People Think Mice Are Cute
Whether it’s their perfectly formed little paws, their wiggly pink noses, those silver whiskers quivering with delight, or even their long little tails—mice are absolutely fascinating. They’re also incredibly intelligent. They can learn tricks, show affection, and they have personalities too.
Why People Keep Mice as Pets
Mice (and rats for that matter) make excellent pets. They satisfy a need in people to share life with another living creature.
Mice are social creatures, and they will happily snuggle with their owners when they have become tamed and have accepted being handled.
I love that mice can and will play games with their owners. They show an innate intelligence, and they can be stimulated with games like hide-and-seek, find the treat, and fetch.
Mice are also busy creatures, and they are always active in their enclosures, making for an interesting visual focal point in your home. With their curiosity and keen interest, mice have that x-factor, which attracts people.
With their small size and rounded body shape, mice always look like they are “babies” and not fully grown, which attracts people more than rats do.
This is why people find mice cute—it’s their small and chubby features.
What Is It About Mice That Makes Them Cute
Mice are cute. Whether you look at them in an animated movie or a Disney real-life drama, they make us want to cuddle them with their rounded bodies and tiny faces.
But what else is cute about mice?
Their Ears
Mice have rounded ears, which makes them even cuter to us. We are instinctively attracted to round shapes as these are not threatening.
Additionally, I just love how a mouse’s ears seem to glow when you hold them up to the light. The soft pink glow makes me think of babies, don’t you agree?
Their Whiskers
Perhaps due to countless children’s movies where we see mice with quivering whiskers or due to the way in which mice twitch their noses when they smell something, we are naturally drawn to those soft little facial hair that mice have.
To me, they are like exclamation marks that punctuate a mouse’s face.
Their Tail
A mouse uses their tail like an extension of its paws. They can wrap it around the ladders in their enclosure, and a mouse will also wrap its tail around the arm or a finger of its human handlers.
This action is innately vulnerable and triggers an urge to protect in us, making us find mice even cuter.
Grooming Habits
When we look at animals and see a kind of humanity in them, we instantly find them adorable and attractive to look at.
Likewise, when a mouse sits up in the enclosure, it dusts pine shavings from its fur and then cleans its whiskers with nimble little paws. This is typical human behavior a mouse engages in.
Self-grooming and buddy grooming are fascinating behaviors to observe. This is partly why people keep mice as pets — they are entertaining.
Mice are fastidious groomers, and they will spend hours cleaning their fur, grooming their tails and paws, and they will also help other mice to groom, which makes us see a sense of community and social interaction in our pet mice.
Perhaps this plays to a kind of voyeurism, but I certainly love watching the three pet mice I got my five-year-old daughter having a communal grooming session.
Oddly, since my daughter has had her mice, she now loves brushing her own hair and making her own bed.
Mice Are Soft
While most people know a dog is soft, a mouse is even softer and way more fluffy.
They have incredibly “buttery” bodies, and the lightness with which they sit on your hand or shoulder makes it feel like you’ve got a feather that’s come to life in your grasp.
The whisper-soft twitching of their whiskers is also quite endearing when they are sniffing at your hand and along your arm as they scamper along your body.
Their bodies are warm, which simply adds to the charm. Young mice have a natural nesting instinct, which means they will happily curl up in your pocket, stimulating a need to protect these tiny rodents.
Frequently Asked Questions about Why Some People Think Mice Are Cute
Can mice be cute?
Mice are seen as much cuter than rats thanks to the host of animated movies and programs on TV. We are conditioned to like mice from those early years when we watched Mickey Mouse, and as a result, we find mice cute.
Why do people like mice as pets?
Most mouse pet keepers will agree that mice are cute, clean, and social animals. They are intelligent and can amuse their owners for hours. With their animated habits, mice are fascinating and they teach young pet owners about family and connection, making them great pets for children.
Can mice bond with humans?
Mice are social creatures, and they easily bond with their human owners. They love interacting with people, which is also what makes them so cute.
The Final Cuteness
If you are still wondering why some people find mice cute, I would suggest that you go to your nearest pet store, ask if you can hold a mouse, and let their soft bodies, silky fur, and tiny faces melt your heart.
Who knows, you may have a new bestie to bring home!