Mice are nocturnal, which means they are most active at dusk, after dark and at dawn. They developed this sleep pattern as they evolved to help protect them from larger predators that would more easily spot them during the day.

Handle your mice during the evening when they are most active. If you handle them during the day, they will be sleepy and may even resist being handled by biting or nipping you.

Because mice are most active at night, place their cage away from where you sleep. Otherwise, the noise they create from scurrying around or running on an exercise wheel will wake you up.