when my daughter was about eleven she had a pet mouse named elizabeth. she got very old and wrinkled and died. think she was about two years, eighteen months old. debbie held her all afternoon until she died. we really missed her a lot. my daughter had trained her to stay on an area rug and when out of her cage she always did.we also had a guiena pig named flower, a rodent as well. very sweet and loving. i however do not want them loose in my house.