If housed together for life they may end up like the two I just took in that had been housed together for 13 years. The female is constipated so bad she can only go when I massage her or let her take a swim. Each time she goes its enough for at least 2 mice, that is adult mice, I feed her weanlings. The male is also recovering from issues. Neither would come out of their hide much when they lived together, they constantly were in the same hide there. Now in their own cages they come out almost every day, the male is going on his own, the female is slimming down but I have to watch her for signs of illness from the constipation. I am amazed she did not die from eggbinding being so bad. She was forced to breed twice a year every year since she was 2. She will never be bred again. A healthy corn kept in her own and fed properly can, with luck, breed as long as 16 years, I have heard of 18 year old females still producing if in good health. Please consider the fact that if one gets ill you will have no way of knowing which it is and will have to pay to take both to the vet. That can cost more if you can only get to one of those vets that charge per animal for the office visit even if he sees them at the same time. While this pair never ate each other, I would not want to be forced to have babies every year just because I was capable. The Amel is the male, the snow is the poor female.