homeschoolmama
Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2005
- Posts
- 535
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2005
- Messages
- 535
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
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.