I've kept both. Mice stink, even outside, and I never found any way around that. Mine were aggressive and bitey - I now fear mice.

Currently keep two male rats as pets, inside, in the same room as the snakes. I use a CritterNation wire cage with washable fleece for bedding. The fleeces get shaken out every morning to remove debris. I change individual fleeces out for clean laundered ones every few days - whenever one starts to smell. The boyz themselves have a (pleasant to me) woodsy/musky smell, but they don't stink up the room. Rats are underrated as pets. No, my snakes don't seem to mind.

Was originally planning to breed, but ordering from BigCheese is just easier.