looking for GOOD info on gerbils

[homeschoolmama]

Hello everyone! Wow, I haven't been on here in forever.

My daughter has been asking about adding a new friend (couple, really since we'd adopt a same-sex pair) to our home. She's 9, and if anyone remembers she's the one that singlehandedly tamed our rescue-piggie Oreo so I'm not worried about a pet going uncared-for in her room... we're all in there at one point or another during the day as it is. Whichever critter we DO decide on her won't be coming home until August, so we've got plenty of time to research & create the "perfect" home for them but could anyone here help us with what that perfect home might be?

We have just started looking into gerbils, but everything we find seems to conflict with everything else! So thinking that maybe someone here might have experience with the little guys, we're coming here first. Does anyone know the BEST way to house/feed/care for gerbils? Here's what we THINK we've found as "the best" advice - but please, if we've got something wrong or there's a better way out there could you let us know? Just like with our piggies, we'd like to make the best possible home for them. Thanks so much!
love,
mom

• Gerbils are social, like piggies. Plan to adopt a same-sex pair... NOT a trio or more!
• They seem to have an “average” lifespan of 3-4 years but can live longer.

• Gerbils are picky eaters so their bowls should NOT be refilled until they're nearly empty. Pellet-food seems to be more balanced than seed-mixes, though it looks as if a mix of 70/30 pellets & seed mix would be best... with the sunflowers picked out & reserved for hand-taming. Gerbils can also have fresh fruits/veggies... the list looks pretty similar to the piggies' safe-list... but they can also eat unsweetened breakfast cereal, cheese & eggs? (REALLY? they're not herbivores?)
• It looks like a cage-cleaning every 2 weeks is average, unless the water bottle leaks.
• Daily handling is extremely important. Play with them daily, in a safe place.
• Combine an aquarium & wire tank-topper with plenty of ramps/tubes for climbing; the larger the better. (we are considering a 12x24” 20-gallon aquarium/topper for 2 gerbils... is this adequate?)

• Gerbils love to burrow. Place 3-4” of aspen shavings in the bottom of the aquarium.
• Add a glass water bottle & heavy ceramic food dish. (do they need one per gerbil like piggies, or will they share?)
• Add a nest house – preferably wood or hay. (again, do they need one each or will they share?)
• Stock up on toilet paper tubes & a few other chew-toys.
• They will also need soft bedding... shredded paper or hay is best. Do NOT get the soft wooly bedding from the pet-store! (what KIND of hay?)
• Exercise wheels are fine, but MUST be solid (no bars) so their tails stay safe... and a hamster ball is good to put them in during cage-cleaning seems okay.

[willow2]

Hi most of that looks right!

Gerbils are best feed on a pelleted mix, picking out sunflower and peanut seeds to offer as treats is a good idea too, you can hide them in toilet roll tubes with hay!
We put there food all over their cage to encourage their natural behavior, if you put it in a bowl the chances are they will sit in it and carry all the food to their nest/ food store.
Only give them fresh veg in tiny amounts every few day as they can get diarrhea. Gerbils are NOT HERBIVORES, most dry food mixes contain enough protein for them but some people give meal worms as an occasional treat, cheese isn't really good for them you can give tiny amounts but not regularly, as with all food remember their stomachs are tiny!

A tank is the best cage for them, the bigger the better. Make sure that the wood is well covered in wire, (put the wood on the outside) there are lots of good plans on other sites. Don't use wood shavings as gerbils can get asthma and other problems even on aspen We use megazorb in one tank and peat in the other but there are plenty more out there, give them lots of bedding and put clean rocks, tunnels and flower pots in the bottom to help them make stable tunnels. For their nest we use plain untreated toilet roll-they love shredding it up. We then give them a pile of hay, they love chewing it and drag bits to use in their nest too.

They will share a nest sleeping on top of each other and looking very cute!

For play time the bath is perfect! Just cover the plug hole, your daughter can sit with them without fear of them running away (They move REALLY fast, faster then any guinea pig or hamster!)

when we first got our gerbils we also had a problem with conflicting advise but my vet and friends with gerbils really helped me!

Good luck!

Minty and Lila's carer!