Mouse Circus

Awhile back, I came across a real, live mouse circus that actually puts on performances even to this day. I wrote to the owners...

I LOVE your mouse circus! I was thinking it would be a great way to promote understanding of mice, since I meet so many people that have total misunderstandings of mice and rodents in general...

I was wondering if you would mind sharing some of your ideas for building materials for a circus set up? I'm in the United States, and looked at your photos, but am not sure what you were using for many of your props...

Thanks!

Trish Lewis
Fargo, North Dakota

The owners responded...

I'm glad you like our Mouse Circus. It has been going eight years now and provides us with a reasonable income! We go to shows (fairs) festivals etc and the committees pay us so we don't have to charge for entrance. I would suggest that if you want to set up a small mouse circus for promotions, that you get hold of a tray-type arrangement, flat bottom with about 6 inch sides big enough to put some wheels and a few toys into. Put some sort of bedding on the bottom to hide the poo. We use wood shavings but our wood shavings here in Aussie are different to the USA ones. They have been pressed and baled to squeeze out the dust. They don't seem to bale up pine shavings as these are used to animal bedding and I guess this must be the reason. You will need some wheels (the wire ones are the best) and some swing arrangements. My husband Andrew makes all the equipment for the Circus and it's taken years and many thousands of dollars to set up. If you wanted a commercial one you would have to pay us to get the full details!!!!! We have a campervan, a special trailer for the equipment and we keep around 300+ mice. We have a new yellow and red canopy with Aussue flage and twinkling lights. The Circus has a sound system and lights wired in as well so that people get the full package. A small detail - always use female mice for any promotions as the males smell to high heaven and fight! We discovered that early in the piece, they would arrive bleeding for a performance and then proceed to do their "men brawling behind a pub" routine during the performance. In fact we do have a "pub" in the Circus, you may have seen it, the Cat and Rat is made out of a purpose built pot like a broken tea pot and they like to pour out of the spout to the amusement of the spectactors.

Cheers
Diana
Lacock Mousery