How can I make gerbils less reliant on me to entertain them?

[fluffy501]

I give them cardboard, new treats and hay nearly every day but they go through the cardboard quickly and seem to spend alot of time wwiting on the middle cage level by the door for me as if they wnt to come out or maybe they just sit there because there's a better view of seeing me in general?

I let them out (well one of them) a few times a week but I don't want to/ can't every day. I only let one out most because that's the most excited gerbil - the other one gets scared too easily aswell. Also its the one I let out the most that hangs round the door waiting for me alot

What else can I do but put new cardboard in often? They have a wheel but don't use it

[imjessiegee]

Okay. Firstly, cut down on the amount of hay. Handfuls of hay a day isn't healthy. I give mines 3 handfuls every week. I actually just went and bought alfalfa cubes which are hay cubes for them too chew on.

My gerbils love waiting at the door of the cage (middle level of my Gerbilarium). I think they just love to nosey and watch what I'm doing everyday. Even if I do open the door, they run down the stairs lol.

You need to take them ALL out atleast 1/2 hours. I take mines out when I'm cleaning their cage, sometimes when I'm not busy. But with school and stuff, I just use cardboard, spread some food around their cage etc, enough too let them not be bored.

Good luck.

[crittercrazy]

How much bedding do you use? My gerbils spend most of their time burrowing, but if they don't have enough bedding then they wouldn't be able to.

I understand having a gerbil that gets scared easily- but as Imjessiegee said, you need to take that one out as well. What type of an area do you let them out in? If you do a bedroom, bed, or playpen, maybe instead try using a bathtub, or a playpen that is in a somewhat dim area. This might reduce the stress for that gerbil. Also try putting out hidey-houses, boxes, things to hide in, etc..

Make sure they have plenty of wood to chew. . . maybe make/buy them a wooden den or such. My gerbils love those and spend a lot of time in them/chewing on them.

And if they spend a lot of time watching you, that's not necessarily a bad thing. They are very curious so they could just be wondering as to what you are up to.
Hope that helps!!

[gerbillover9612]

Why is hay unhealthy? xxx

[gerbilgrl89]

How big is their accommodation? My last pair had a 2.5 foot tank with a topper. It was the biggest setup any of my gerbils had ever had and they certainly seemed the most content, but they still need stimulation and free running time. I'm currently working on a 3 foot tank with a massive topper for my next pair, so it will be interesting to see how demanding they will be.

Anyway, I think ensuring they have a decent setup with deep substrate is the first step. If you don't have enough cardboard (you should be offering at least 2 cardboard tubes/boxes a day) ask your friends and neighbours to donate theirs. Moving the gerbils toys around is good enrichment too.

[fluffy501]

Wow, good replies thanks

I only give a small handful of hay a day, they don't seem to eat it I think they just chew it and put it in their bed. 1 or 2 hours is a lot to let them out a day- I do roughly 30 minutes every few days with the adventurous one and every so often take the other out too, I only have two, both girls. Why is hay bad for them? Are you sure it is?

I don't take the scared one out as much because its really difficult to catch, if I start to move (slowly) towards it it won't let me get within a certain distance of it. And I end up scaring it from repeat failed attempts to catch it and it stresses me out too. If that one isn't very enthusiastic about coming out in general then isn't it OK to not take it out as much?
I have them on the bedroom floor and there's lots of dark places they hide, but maybe somewhere with no small spaces would be good for the nervous one. They've got a wooden house they used to chew on but I dont think they do anymore - but they sleep in it. I did buy wooden chews and sticks from amazon but all the prices are ridiculous recently so they might be missing them. Is wood from outside safe for them?

I don't know how big the tank is but its full to the top of bedding- they do dig a lot too but not as much as they used to, I think theyve dug every place so aren't as interested now maybe. I do think they'd probably like a bigger house but they seem generally really happy and I don't want to upset them by moving everything.
Moving things around is probably a good idea- I've been thinking they should have a new permanent tube but too much toys means there's less space for digging

I think I give them more than two boxeses/tubes a day, maybe I've made them too demanding....

[crittercrazy]

I don't think a small handful would be unhealthy. Imjessiegee, did you say it was unhealthy because hay can be dusty? I would think that would only be a problem if you were giving them a lot of it.

I totally understand- I have a gerbil that way, it seriously takes me an hour to catch her sometimes. It used to anyway. I started putting her in a bathtub with some toys instead of my bedroom, and problem solved! She doesn't freak out as much, and its much easier for me to catch her. Could you try that maybe?
As for the wooden chews- I understand that too! I rarely buy wood for my gerbils, a cleaned off branch works just fine. I just wash it off, then freeze it overnight. I would avoid using pine or cedar branches; since that type of bedding is bad I'd assume the wood would be too.

If you get the dimensions of the tank, you could look up a calculator that would find the volume of it. Too small of cages could cause gerbils to be bored/declan, so it would be good to know. And as long as you have six or more inches of bedding, that should be fine.
Do you think we could see a picture of the tank? Maybe that way we'd have some more ideas.

[lizb]

I have a question about the six inches of bedding "rule". My three boys have recently upgraded to a 20L tank, which is 12 inches high. With 6 inches of bedding, they can put their paws on the edge whenever I take the lid off. So, I worry about escapes. How should I prevent them from jumping out?
PS I KNOW they should have more room, but the 20L is all I could afford financially and space wise. (Also, as stupid as this sounds, I live on the third floor so carrying a heavy tank to my room is not an easy feat.)

[imjessiegee]

Sorry I didn't reply. I read that hay can cause wet tail? Sorry if I didn't seem clear enough. I didn't know how much you were giving them. Opps.

[crittercrazy]

Lizb- my tanks are twelve inches high as well. Whenever I open the lid, I'm already handling the gerbils anyway so its easy for me to keep an eye on them to keep them from escaping. But you would need to make sure that the lid is not chewable.

Imjessiegee- I've never heard that, though that doesn't mean its not true. I don't give my gerbils a handful a day, but I do give them a lot and don't have problems with it. So I guess I don't know for sure on that one.