What is your scheduled gerbil rota

[imjessiegeee]

What is your a edited gerbil rota such as

-how often do you feed your gerbils
- how often do you freshen their water
- how often do yours feet treats ie. Hay?
- how often do you clean them and when
-how often do they get out

Sorry for so many questions, just like to nosey!

Also, can gerbils eat cheese and lettuce? I have some stored in the fridge ?

[ninestone]

Food:
I check the food dish 2 days after filling it. To ensure they get a balanced diet, I don't refill it until its mostly gone, which is usually 2-3 days after filling it.

Water:
Twice a week we clean and refill the water bottle.

Treats:
Pretty much every day they get some treats, especially sunflower and pumpkin seeds set aside when we refill their food dish but also fresh veggies, mealworms, pieces of cereal, and/or pieces of nuts (pecans or almonds mostly)

Cleaning:
Twice a week we clean the wheel, potty jar, and sand bath bowl (& refill with clean sand). Having the potty jar and sand bath keeps the rest of the cage cleaner, so we started cleaning every 3 weeks; before we cleaned every 2 weeks.

Get Out:
It depends on our schedule (and theirs). If we're not running around to kid activities and other things it can be nearly every day. We never wake them up to come out, so if their sleeping while we're home (and not asleep ourselves!) they won't be out. We make sure they have some run around time at least once a week.


Cheese & Lettuce:
Gerbils can eat small amounts of cheese, and also hardboiled eggs. Harder cheeses are probably better.

I wouldn't recommend feeding them iceberg lettuce, and NEVER feed them cabbage. It can cause gas buildup which can kill them. We usually feed them a spinach leaf, a piece of carrot, or brocolli (either stem piece or floret). You can search the forum for a list of safe foods, as well as the internet.

[PurpleSheep]

Food: We feed all our pets every night at around 7pm (they get annoyed with us if we are late). They are scatter-fed so we just chuck a handful of food per gerbil in the cages.

Water: They get fresh water every night and the bottles get cleaned once a week.

Treats: They get fresh veg every other day, depending in what we are cooking - usually carrot, peas, courgette, broccoli or cauliflower. They get sunflower seeds and peanuts occasionally, about once a week. Hay is part of their bedding (mixed with woodshavings), so isn't really a treat for them.

Cleaning: We have three bin cages and we clean one a week, so they get cleaned every three weeks. We do spot cleans in-between as well.

Time out: Depends on how the gerbils feel - one of our girls is extremely energetic,so she is out most nights, sometimes for several hours. The others come out whenever they seem keen to play. We also take them out for short amounts of time for some fuss every day.

Cheese and lettuce: I read gerbils should only have very mild cheese and small amounts. We tried it once but our gerbs weren't particularly interested. As Ninestone said, they can't have iceberg lettuce, but round lettuce or similar is fine in small amounts, as it's very watery. Our girls love lettuce so it's a big treat for them.

[xxxamybxxx]

Food: Scatter feed a handful most nights depending on how much is lying around

Water: They get fresh water every night, i wouldnt like to drink water that had been in a bottle more than 24 hours and i dont think they should have to either

Treats: 2 of my guys are tiny and 1 of them has a tumor in his ear so they get quite a few seeds and nuts and meal worms to try and fatten them up and because i feel sorry for tot, Jelly baby on the other hand is fatttttt so his treat is more the occassional seed or worm and peas because he loves them!... They get veg once or twice a week.

Cleaning: 4-6 weeks for the main tank and "as needed" for the poo shelf and other surfaces that get soiled.

Time out: About 1-2 hours a day 5-7 days a week, i work until 10pm most nights so once or twice a week by the time ive got in im toooo sleep play a round of "catch the gerbil" to get them out of the tank.

[blanknote]

Food: Scatter feed daily

Water: Usually I change their water every other day

Treats: They usually get something at least once a day, mostly mealworms and pumpkin seeds. I put a layer of hay in their cage when I clean it out

Cleaning: Every 2 weeks full clean out, I replace the cardboard on their tank topper (which they use as a toilet) at least twice a week.

Time out: I aim for at least once a week, but it really depends on my schedule and their schedule (sometimes they aren't up much when I am home and awake).

[eaturbyfill]

I feed every other day, clean and change bottles twice a week, treats a few times a month, and the last two depend. My 29 gallon with 3 gerbils has to be cleaned less frequently than my 15 gallon with two. I have had some gerbils exhibit aggressive behavior towards their companions after being out of the tank, so we only get out the ones we know are docile for playpen enrichment once a week.