Hairless Mouse

Coat and looks how to spot one

Hairless (hr gene)

The show ideal is a mouse with as little hair as possible and thin, glossy, slightly see-through skin that is smooth and unmarked. Some wrinkling of the skin is allowed, the ears are large and smooth, and the whiskers can be very short or absent altogether. Pups are born with a coat and shed it quickly in their third week.1

Personality what they are like

Shares the typical fancy mouse character: quick, curious and busy, best handled calmly and close to the ground.5

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very active, mostly at night and around dawn and dusk. Offer a solid running wheel, tubes, ropes and climbing items, and scatter some food to encourage foraging.567

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

No brushing needed. The AFRMA standard asks for toenails to be kept short, trimmed if necessary. Spot-clean the cage daily and check the water bottle every day.16

Home where they are happiest

An escape-proof, well-ventilated cage with dust-free bedding, paper or hay for nesting, hides with more than one exit and climbing items, kept out of draughts.6

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Complete mouse nuggets as the main food, with small amounts of fruit and vegetables and fresh water available at all times from a bottle.7

Company who they like around

A sociable animal that should live with other mice in a stable, compatible single-sex group; females usually settle together more easily than males.8

The story where it all began

Hairless mice come from the hairless (hr) gene, which has been studied by scientists as well as kept by fanciers. Fancy breeders took it up as a show coat, and today the AFRMA lists Hairless among its eight standard coat types.1

Recognised by the official bits

American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association (AFRMA)

Hairless is one of the eight standardised AFRMA mouse coat varieties; it may be shown in any recognised colour or marking.1