I feel ya! I've had the pet rats too.

That's why I quit feeding my BP on a schedule when I used to feed live. Mine is an adult so growing is not an issue here. I wait for my girl to go into feed mode now.

If you are going to keep the mouse, Aspen or pine will help keep the odor down for a few days and they like making a nest and hiding their food. If you can't get mouse/rat food, gerbil food will suffice.