diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/friendly/mouse.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/friendly/mouse.dm
index 80f104df886..1d644ad4ecd 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/friendly/mouse.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/friendly/mouse.dm
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@
 	icon_living = "mouse_[mouse_color]"
 	icon_dead = "mouse_[mouse_color]_dead"
 	icon_resting = "mouse_[mouse_color]_sleep"
+	update_appearance(UPDATE_DESC)
+
+/mob/living/simple_animal/mouse/update_desc()
+	. = ..()
 	desc = "It's a small [mouse_color] rodent, often seen hiding in maintenance areas and making a nuisance of itself."
 
 /mob/living/simple_animal/mouse/attack_hand(mob/living/carbon/human/M as mob)
@@ -129,7 +133,6 @@
 
 /mob/living/simple_animal/mouse/gray
 	mouse_color = "gray"
-	icon_state = "mouse_gray"
 
 /mob/living/simple_animal/mouse/brown
 	mouse_color = "brown"
@@ -139,13 +142,16 @@
 /mob/living/simple_animal/mouse/brown/Tom
 	name = "Tom"
 	real_name = "Tom"
-	desc = "Jerry the cat is not amused."
 	response_help  = "pets"
 	response_disarm = "gently pushes aside"
 	response_harm   = "splats"
 	unique_pet = TRUE
 	gold_core_spawnable = NO_SPAWN
 
+/mob/living/simple_animal/mouse/brown/Tom/update_desc()
+	. = ..()
+	desc = "Jerry the cat is not amused."
+
 /mob/living/simple_animal/mouse/brown/Tom/Initialize(mapload)
 	. = ..()
 	// Tom fears no cable.