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How To Care For Gerbils

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How To Care For Gerbils

The pet gerbil, or Mongolian gerbil, makes a great pet, especially for young children. Like many rodents, gerbils need the right bedding, food, cage, and toys to be kept happy. Care for the gerbil properly, and he will be an enjoyable pet to look after and raise. The pet gerbil, or Mongolian gerbil, makes a great pet, especially for young children. Like many rodents, gerbils need the right bedding, food, cage, and toys to be kept happy. Care for the gerbil properly, and he will be an enjoyable pet to look after and raise.

Step 1: Background information

The pet gerbil, or Mongolian gerbil, originates from Mongolia and Northern China. Their natural habitat is arid desert conditions. They can grow up to 12cm in length, and live from 3-5 years.

Step 2: Buying

When buying a gerbil, especially for a child, it must be young so that it is easy to tame. Too young though and it may have nutritional and behavioural problems.

Perform a health check on the ears, teeth, feet and fur. You want to avoid bare patches, parasites, diarrhea, arched backs, and swollen joints. Always consult a reputable breeder..

Always look for a clean sparkly eye and a zest for life!

Step 3: Behaviour

Gerbils are social by nature, so avoid keeping them singularly. They should be introduced at a young age. A gerbil that is properly handled and treated well will usually not bite, and then only as a last resort.

They are an inquisitive animal and are active both day and night; bare in mind though that they are not really a pet to be cuddled.

Step 4: Handling

To pick up your gerbil, always grip firmly at the tails base and support the body as you lift. Never pick up at any other point of the tail, as there natural defence against predators is for the tail to detach, and it won't grow back!

Step 5: Housing

Barred cages are fine for a gerbil, but glass ones are even better. They love to dig, so provide a clean dry sand (not builders sand), mixed with hay to keep it aerated.

Cover the area separate from the sand with aspen or similar. Never use pine shavings or newspaper, as recent research suggests they may be toxic to rodents.

Provide a hide such as a wooden or even cardboard box, and fill this with hay, and a safe willow or fruit tree branch for climbing along with some toys.

Gerbils are largely odourless, so if the cage starts to smell, clean it thoroughly.

They are also great jumpers so ensure the lid is secure.

They must be kept at least at room temperature. To keep the temperature up, try using a reptile heat mat, or a low wattage bulb.

Step 6: Food

Gerbils only need a small amount of good quality food. Mixed rodent food is ideal, perhaps with some insects for protein, and some pieces of fruit. Give them a few sunflower seeds and peanuts as treats.

For water, drinking bottles are best. Use bottled water when possible, or add a water conditioner and vitamins to tap water.

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Tips & Comments
  1. randomtree33

    u know NOTHING about gerbils, NEVER pick up a gerbil at any point of the tail! IDIOT!

  3. TheSuzi1996

    Also, lol! A gerbil can live for up to SIX years if cared for extremely properly.

  4. TheSuzi1996

    Oh yeah and by the way, gerbils are reccomended for older children

  5. TheSuzi1996

    No no no no no. Acording to other reaserch, he's got it all wrong! Gerbils are very clean animals, so they don't smell very much. They preserve most food and water because their wild habitat is deserts so they produce very little waste. Picking them up from any point of the tail is very dangerous, because it could come off just as easily as picking it up at any point of the tail. You actually have to work to get the gerbil to come to your hand. It isn't always the best idea to pick it up straight away because this can make it scared abd then it could have a fit. You need to get the gerbil used to you before trying to pick it up.

  6. holly1

    That is wrong picking them up by their tale cus u could inger it and gerbils can not live without there tails cause that is wat kjeeps them balenced

  7. LilZooloagist

    Im Only 13 And Im near Anough quallifide To Be A Zooloagist And Im Not Dissing Him But ... He Doesnt Know Much LOL Dont Pick Up By Tail What You Do ou Stick Your Hand In And Let It Walk On To Your Hand Or You Gentley Pick It Up By Its Belly The Put You Hand On Its Bum And Cup It n Your Hand So It Doesnt Jump About, Yes Glass Tanks Are Great But Not Alll That Sand U LKayer It With Peat Then Sawdust The Peat Agian The A Thiclk Layer Of Sawdust :> But Do Put A Sand Bath In, You Can Buy Chinchilla Dust Sand 4 Them They Love It, And By The Way i Dont Even Have A Gerbil I Have Jirds, They are Like Gerbils But Smaller Fatter And Have Smaller Earsm Thanks Hope I Helped ( Well i Did More Than The Man Did ) Bye !!

  9. kimberleyanddarren

    you should pick the gerbils up by ANY part of their fragile tails, they can be cuddled and dont need all of that sand, i have a sand bath for mine like a chinchillas and they love it, they dont like it when half the floor is covered in sand, here it is very expensive to buy that sand also so i would say a chinchilla box is better.

  10. f5f2607f-4c04-3ff3-852f-ff0008cac928-NLR5

    Doesnt this person at Ameyzoo know a thing about rodents??? Yeah right he has been doing this for 30 odd years. He really needs to learn a few things, any rodent absolutly HATES being pick up by the tail, and if the gerbil does get frightened then you will have a tailess gerbil for the rest of it life. Also as an added marning glass aquariums at totaly unsafe if you have cats in your house, trust me i have had the experence!!!