# How to dye mice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 19, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606 "2010-01-19T20:20:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/61 "2010-01-22T20:13:41Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > A _mischief_ of mice, apparently. Thanks. That’s definitely the best one. Googling the problem (which of course I should have done before posting) also reveals herd, horde, and colony. Now, regarding the OP, does (do?–I’m in uncharted grammar waters here) two mice make a mischief? ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/62 "2010-01-24T00:48:40Z")
No, they’re pretty well behaved. (Although now we’ve got different problems. Roommate just found out that she won’t be allowed to bring her mice with her on the plane when she goes on Passover break. She’d like me to look after them for the week. I have two cats. Yeah). ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/63 "2010-01-24T01:36:35Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > This is the SDMB - it’s what we do. Sorry, don’t mean to beat a dead, tagged, glowing mouse but this is _brilliant_! I should start on the T-shirt graphic. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/64 "2010-01-24T03:02:49Z")
> [@Malleus](#): > > Roommate just found out that she won’t be allowed to bring her mice with her on the plane when she goes on Passover break. She’d like me to look after them for the week. I have two cats. Yeah. Well, that’ll take care of the mouse identification problem, at least. “Mice? What mice? [purrrr…]” Then when your roommate replaces the mice she can get ones that she can tell apart. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/65 "2010-01-24T03:09:42Z")
I should warn you guys that you made Roommate cry with your “cut off their tails” jokes. She may have a nervous breakdown from reading **Kimstu** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/66 "2010-01-24T03:14:19Z")
Oh well, on the other hand, the cats will be happy. Can’t please everybody. 🙂 [Dear **Malleus** ’s Roommate, we are just kidding and sincerely hope your beloved Sophie and Alba will lead long and happy lives even if one of them is a funny color. Love, The Straight Dope Message Board] ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/67 "2010-01-24T03:24:02Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > This is my new project, I think - an enormous herd of mice dyed cyan, magenta, yellow and black (or I might just buy naturally black ones) - then train them to behave as an gigantic VDU. > > (That is, unless I can get glowing mice in red, green and blue) Just dunk them in the contents of several broken light sticks… ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/68 "2010-01-24T03:55:44Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > This is my new project, I think - an enormous herd of mice dyed cyan, magenta, yellow and black (or I might just buy naturally black ones) - then train them to behave as an gigantic VDU. > > (That is, unless I can get glowing mice in red, green and blue) It’s been done. [Sort of.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw) ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/69 "2010-01-24T08:29:15Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > No, they’re pretty well behaved. > > (Although now we’ve got different problems. Roommate just found out that she won’t be allowed to bring her mice with her on the plane when she goes on Passover break. She’d like me to look after them for the week. I have two cats. Yeah). I’ve had hamsters and cats at the same time. The cats have always watched over the hamsters intently. The trick is to not let the rodents run around the place freely, as the cats think that this is a great opportunity to practice their pouncing. Instead, get one of those plastic ball thingies. Insert rodent, close ball, let rodent run around the place. Watch rodent run the ball up to the cats. Enjoy the look of frustration on the cats’ faces. Watch cats jump up on chairs, to get away from the nasty, nasty rodent. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/70 "2010-01-24T14:22:29Z")
I had one of these balls with my first mouse… he used to chase the dog in it. It was one of the most entertaining things ever. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/71 "2010-01-24T17:43:31Z")
I want to get a mouse/hamster and a rodent ball now. **PlainJane** , I’ll take one of those t-shirts when you start production. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/72 "2010-01-24T21:59:55Z")
I want to get and rodent ball AND a cat, now! And I already have a parakeet! Hey, maybe he would like to get in the ball and chase a cat! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/73 "2010-01-24T22:38:12Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > It’s been done. [Sort of.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw) Heh - cool video. The complex display bits are pretty obviously fake, but they clearly went to a lot of bother with the whole setup - I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/74 "2010-01-24T23:56:18Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Well, that’ll take care of the mouse identification problem, at least. “Mice? What mice? [purrrr…]” > > Then when your roommate replaces the mice she can get ones that she can tell apart. You could always get a mean dog to make sure the cats don’t get out of line. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/75 "2010-01-25T01:20:01Z")
My sister brought her rats over one holiday. We had a kitten. They actually played together nicely (or at least with no bloodshed), although admittedly we were watching very intently and it was probably for less than a half hour. And at the time, the cat wasn’t that much bigger than the rats. (My parents have pictures. Unfortunately I don’t.) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/76 "2010-01-25T01:27:43Z")
> [@missred](#): > > And humans. 😛 Like my grand daughter, fer example. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/77 "2010-01-25T01:30:47Z")
This query made two pages, so far? There is hope for the world. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606/78 "2010-01-28T04:51:53Z")
Although the subject of tattoos has come up and dismissed, e.g. my rice-sized transmitter idea was greeted with a deafening silence, I have found an even better method that dispenses w/ the need for a transponder: Use [LED tattoos](http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/11/the-illustrated-man-how-led-tattoos-could-change-the-face-of-humanity/). Either write their individual names, or just one, Sophie, say, and figure that the other must be named Alba. The LEDs move when they are stroked, for good measure. They already are used in mice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dye-mice/525606.md?page=3)