gerbils soon, my cage is prepared, a few questions

[hanandchewie]

So on Sunday I went to my local Petsmart(which is about 3 minutes away from my house)to go looking for some gerbils, and get the last of the supplies I needed to bring Han and Chewie(that is what I'll name them)home. I didn't see any in the displays, though there were alot of cute hamsters and mice(even my mom thought the mice were cute).

We got a clerk to check in the back room to see if there were any gerbils there, and concluded there were not. She was nice enough to call all the other stores in the state and they all reported they didn't have any. We were told that the manager would try to put in an order, and that my dad should call them the next day. So my dad called them last night and talked to the manager. He said they didn't really do special orders for people, but they might be getting some more Wednesday or even today, so my dad is going to call them this afternoon and see if they got any in. On Sunday I had got the last things I needed(wheel, ball, food, bedding, a treat stick)and set up my cage. I think it looks quite nice - there is a klenex box in the corner with some toilet paper inside that I think they would shred up and use for a cozy bed, and my grandma bought for me a chew-hide-away log. I also hid some toilet paper tubes inside of the chips for them to chew aswell.

I am all ready to bring the little hoodlums home, but I have a few questions first.

1. My mom has had gerbils in her childhood and she says that I should let them get acclamated in their cage for a few days before trying to pick them up, and put my hand in there once and a while so they can get used to the scent. How long does it usually take them to trust your hand so I can cuddle with them?

2. I know the 4th of July is a LOOOONG way away, but I am worried about the fireworks. Will they bother my little guys? They even keep ME up, cause I go to bed early.

3. Is it ok to leave them alone for a few hours like if I have to go to a doctor's appointment?

4. Should I just fill up the bowl whenever it is empty or should I worry about portion sizes? I'm assuming they will eat when they are hungry and when they are full they will stop.

[SunshineGerbils]

Congrats on soon to be getting gerbils. If it is not to late, I would try to find a breeder or a shelter with gerbils for sale before going to a pet store.
It depends on the gerbil. It could take a day to several months.
Fire works most likely not bother them. That is not something to worry about.
Yes they can be left alone for a few days just as long as they have plenty of food and water.
Yes you should always keep the food dish full. If the food is not to high in fat then they will be fine. 6-7% is a good amount of fat. Good luck!

[brighttreegerbils]

Yes. Please check breeders first. Then check animal shelters. Pet stores should be a last option, not a first.

If you are in the USA, this: agsgerbils.org/Find/Breeders/ is a great place to start.

The benefits of adopting through a breeder are numerous. For one thing, a breeder can tell you birthdates, parents' names, genetics and lots of other cool information. They can also tell you the relationship of your gerbils to each other. Moreover, the health and longevity of gerbils from a breeder is likely to be superior to pet store stock and the gerbils are likely to be more human friendly. Also, a breeder will likely charge you much less than a pet store to adopt. Some breeders might even give gerbils away free!

Good luck!

-Matt