Since the dawn of time, humankind has constantly wondered one simple question? Do mice fart?
The mystery has been locked away since civilization began. But now we finally have the answer to this most curious question. Yes, mice do fart. And the way that they fart is so cute that you will laugh and coo instead of becoming disgusted.
Do mice fart?
Strange noises
You have owned a mouse for several months, and everything is going great. Your mouse loves their new home, they play with all of their toys, and every meal that you provide for it is like a feast that almost never ends. However, there’s something strange about your mouse. While you have been bonding with your new furry friend, you hear strange noises throughout your room in the middle of the night. The peculiar noise comes in a variety of sounds, but they all originated from the direction that your mouse’s cages are in. You have no idea what it could be. You’re hoping that it’s not the stomach of your mouse. That will mean there is a stomach disease within it, and he or she will have to go to the vet.
The truth is noisy
However, these noises do have something to do with the stomach. Actually, it has to do more with the intestinal system of your mouse. I have come to solve the mystery for you. The strange noises that you were hearing or actually mouse farts. Yes, you heard me right, mouse farts. Mice do possess the ability to fart and also burp. Mice can fart because they’re mammals who have a stomach and intestine. All of the animals in the rodent family, along with many other types of animals in the world, have the ability to fart.
Why do mice fart?
There are several reasons why a mouse could fart. It may surprise you that these reasons are not very different from humans’ reasons for why we fart.
1. Your mouse breaths in while they eat.
If your mouse is breathing while it eats its food, it could be taking extra air that does not lead into the lungs. Because their esophagus is open and food is going down into their stomach, the air will go the same way. Excess air in the stomach will eventually go to the intestines and come out through the rectum as a fart.
2. There is a lot of extra fiber in their diet
When a mouse eats a diet full of different fibrous foods, this means that they have a healthy diet. But it also means that there could be gas build up in their stomach and intestines. The gas build-up is not harmful; it is a product of all of the different foods interacting with the mouse’s stomach acid. Especially if you’re mouse eats beans. Just like humans, mice can develop farts because they eat beans. Of course, it only applies to cook beans.
3. They’re having gastrointestinal issues
If your mouse has an upset stomach or they eat something that they should not have, they’re going to do build-up gas in their stomach and intestines. Depending on what they ate, this gas could be regular, or it could be extremely painful. However, the gas should not last for more than a few hours. If you notice that your mouse has continuous gas for a day or more, you may want to take him to the vet.
4. Your mouse has high blood pressure
A study from John Hopkins University revealed that when a mouse farts, certain farts help control their high blood pressure. If you’re ever around your mouse’s cage when it farts, you may smell an old or rotten egg smell from the cage. It is the stink within this fart that helps mice regulate their blood pressure. The stink is caused by a number of bacteria in the mouse’s colon, which is then removed by the fart. With his bacteria removed, the blood vessels within a mouse can relax. When their blood vessels are contracted, it causes the mouse’s blood pressure to skyrocket.
So if you smell a smelly fart from your mouse once in a while, you may want to pull back on certain foods. But if you continuously smell a rotten egg smell from your mouse’s cage, then your mouse could have chronic high blood pressure. It is only by going to your veterinarian that you can know if they do high blood pressure and what you can do about it. If they do have high blood pressure, you will want to cut back on the fatty foods and increase the number of vegetables and fibrous foods in your mouse’s diet
I thought mice couldn’t fart?
This is a very common myth online. Many websites that specialize in mouse care state that a mouse cannot fart. However, this is very much alive. It could be assumed that no one has ever seen a mouse fart because mouse farts are not loud, and people don’t always watch them all the time. But mice do possess the ability to fart. If they did not, they would be an extreme build-up of gasses in their stomach whenever they eat something.
Is there a way to prevent mice from farting?
If you notice the mouse farting quite a lot and would like to stop it, there isn’t really much you can do. Like humans and many other animals, farting is just a part of life. Perhaps you could cut down on any extra fibrous foods in their diets like beans and brussel sprouts. But beyond that, there isn’t much you can do.
Conclusion
- Mice do have the ability to fart, and they also can burp
- An excess build-up of gas causes their farts
- There is a number of reasons for why a mouse could fart
- A mouse could eat well they breathe, have gastrointestinal issues, or eat a lot of fibrous foods like beans
- It is a common myth that mice cannot fart. However, this is not true.
