Gerbils Care Sheet

Gerbils are small rodents, with long furry tails with a tuft of fur at the end. They are larger than mice, but smaller than typical hamsters. There are many different species of gerbils, but the most common species sold in pet stores is the Mongolian gerbil. The Mongolian gerbil is a born burrower and will develop networks of tunnels with food storage and nesting material. Gerbils are 4 to 6 inches long, excluding the tail, and have a life span of three to five years. They go through several sleep/active cycles in the course of 24 hours, although they do tend to be more active at night. These rodents rarely bite or fight, are easy to keep clean and care for, and are relatively easy to handle. These qualities make the gerbil and ideal family pet.

The gerbil is a curious, friendly and nearly odorless rodent, which makes it a very popular pet. They tend to be easily tamed and are not as skittish as some other small rodents. They originally come from a dry habitat so they are designed to conserve water and this leads to scant urine and dry droppings. This makes it fairly easy to keep their cage fresh and clean. Gerbils are very curious and will explore anything. They are social animals and do not do well as a solitary pet. Keeping a same sex pair (litter mates usually do well together) is much preferred. If you have a single older gerbil, it can be difficult to introduce a new one because they can be quite territorial. Several types of cages are available which are suitable for housing gerbils. Many of these units come equipped with cage furniture such as exercise wheels, tunnels and nest boxes as added luxuries. Such accessories, as well as sufficient litter depth within which to burrow, are desirable for the pet’s psychological well-being. Cages should be constructed with rounded corners to discourage chewing. Gerbils will readily chew through wood, light plastic and soft metal, so recommended caging materials are wire, stainless steel, durable plastic and glass. It should have a solid bottom and be escape proof. Gerbils are curious and active creatures and the larger the cage the better. This will also leave you room to be creative with furnishings and toys. When choosing which type of cage is right for you and your gerbil, remember these few things. If you chose a wire cage, the spacing of the wires should be 1/2 apart and the cage should be at least 12x24 inches. Gerbils also have a tendency to kick the bedding out when they burrow, making a mess. They can also chew on the wire resulting in sores on their noses. If you think a plastic cage is the way you will go, remember that they do not hold up very well to the gerbil’s chewing habits and you may end up buying a new cage within a short period of time. The type of cage that most owners prefer is an aquarium. A 15-20 gallon aquarium is perfect for a pair of gerbils. A lid is necessary because it provides ventilation and since gerbils are able to jump very high, it prevents them from jumping out of the cage. Gerbils have no concept of height and will jump off anything. Aquariums also allow for a deep layer of bedding so the gerbils can burrow. When furnishing your gerbil’s house, remember that gerbils are very active and will require a lot of physical and psychological stimulation. You should provide a lot of materials for climbing and enrichment. Keep in mind the gerbil will chew everything you put in its cage, so make sure toys are non-toxic and not harmful if accidentally ingested. Some choices for toys are thick pieces of wood or branches for chewing, stable rocks, ladders, ramps and platforms for climbing and crawling and cardboard boxes or tubes for exploring. Gerbils have teeth that grow constantly, so you will need to keep something in their cage at all times for them to chew on. Thick pieces of wood do a very good job at keeping their teeth worn down. If you would like to include a wheel in your gerbil’s enclosure, be sure to get a plastic wheel that does not have any spokes. A gerbil’s tail and small feet can get caught in a wire wheel and cause serious damage. Gerbils also need a nest box to feel secure. They will hide out in it and use it for sleeping. A sturdy wood or ceramic nest box is preferable to plastic because chewing could quickly destroy the plastic. The wood will likely get chewed but tends to last longer than plastic. Clay pots can also be used and make a great nest box. Your gerbil’s cage and accessories should be thoroughly cleaned once a week. Cages are sanitized with hot water and nontoxic disinfectant or detergent and then thoroughly rinsed. Make sure the enclosure is completely dry before refilling with bedding. Water bottles and food dishes should be cleaned daily with soap and hot water. When deciding where in your house to place the cage, there are a few things to know. Their cage should be placed in a bright, draft-free room with a constant temperature between 68 and 72 degrees. It should be out of direct sunlight and placed somewhere near household activities. It is best not to put your gerbil’s cage in your bedroom because of their late night jogs on their exercise wheel. When lining the bottom of your gerbil’s enclosure, you should choose a clean, non-toxic, absorbent and relatively dust free bedding. Some recommended types of bedding are shredded paper, aspen shavings, kiln-dried pine shavings, cotton, shredded tissue paper or a recycled newspaper product. Avoid sand, corncob, and cat litter because burrowing in these can cause abrasions to the face. Cedar shavings are also not recommended because of the potential for respiratory or liver problems. You should cover the bottom of the cage with 3 inches of bedding to provide a good base and allow your gerbil to dig and burrow.

As with any pet, good quality food and clean, fresh water must be provided at all times. You will want to choose a high quality, pelleted gerbil food that contains 18-22% protein. There are also seed diets that are formulated for gerbils, however these diets should only supplement the basic rodent pellet. Gerbils prefer sunflower-based diets to pellets, but these seeds are low in calcium and high in fat and cholesterol. When fed alone, seed diets often lead to obesity and potential nutritional deficiencies. Small amounts of fruits and vegetables can be used as treats, but too many may cause diarrhea. Other supplements to the diet may include sugarless breakfast cereals, whole wheat breads, pasta or cheese. You may also offer an occasional insect treat, such as a mealworm. Treats should not exceed 10% of their total daily food intake. To keep your pet trim, feed your gerbil only what they will eat at the time, however this can be difficult because gerbils will take their food and bury it around their cage. Water should be provided in a water bottle equipped with a sipper tube. The sipper tube keeps the water free from contamination. Because gerbils will also chew on their water bottles, you may want to buy a metal guard to protect it. Your gerbil’s food dish and water bottle should be emptied, cleaned and refilled with fresh food and water daily.