1. Preparation

　　Before accepting mice, you need to understand the most basic mouse handling skills. Treat mice as gently as possible, especially if you are pregnant, about to be born or planning a new breeding program. You can read a book called "Genetic Standardized Mouse Handbook" to communicate these skills to the animal facility management center and implement them.

　　2. Choose the right room for mice

　　Depending on the degree of immunity and immunodeficiency of mice, you may need a room with different levels of health. For example, severely immunocompromised mice need a healthy room because they are easily infected with large numbers of normal pathogens and bacteria waiting to invade. Even symbiotic bacteria can cause diseases in some severely defective mice, such as NSG (NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ-005557). However, some mouse models require mice to have a "dirty" environment to form an appropriate phenotype. For example, IL10-deficient mice will develop colon cancer (such as C3Bir.129P2(B6)-Il10tm1Cgn/Lt-004326).

　　3. Water and food supply

　　Most mice work well under a normal diet (with a fat content of 6%). However, many inbred mice of wild origin feed on a low-fat diet. Some mice, such as B6 (000664), require special diets to show specific phenotypes, such as diet-induced diabetes and diet-induced atherosclerosis. If you use these diet-induced mouse models, make sure you have the diet you need.

　　Mice can easily get drinking water under any circumstances. It is important to remember that some mice may be accustomed to drinking a bottle of water. If your facility has an automatic watering system, make sure to use a kettle during the first week of the facility until the mice adapt to the new watering system. We recommend using acidic water and adjusting the pH to 2.5-3.0 with hydrochloric acid to better control the Pseudomonas infection.

　　4. What must be done to adapt to the new environment

　　In order to adapt to the new environment, it is very important to give newly introduced mice at least one week before the start of the experiment. Use the following tips, your mouse may be suitable for experiments.

　　1) Minimize noise and vibration. Noise and vibration can stress the mice and reduce their feeding ability.

　　2) Minimize odor interference. Perfume and other pungent odors can interfere with the eating response of mice and induce stress responses.

　　3) Put on gloves and use pliers. If you change the cage to another cage, or change the cage frequently, changing the gloves frequently and disinfecting the gloves and pliers can minimize the odor between different cages.

　　5. Add some decoration in the cage

　　Don't underestimate the role of decoration. The decoration can alleviate the stress response of mice and improve their feeding ability. For example, it is decorated like a bird’s nest or a shepherd’s tent, and it is also useful for food at the bottom of the cage. Experimenting with new mice is very exciting. However, if you have never used experimental mice, the experimental process may not be so pleasant. The more you know about the mouse model used, the smoother your research will be.