Just wanted to share some photos of my gerbil playpen.
It’s made with thin mdf and gorilla tape. I got a 4x8 ft sheet of mdf for 30$ at the hardware store, and had them cut it for me on site (I think most big hardware stores offer this service?). I had it cut into 6 strips each 4 ft x 16 inches.
Didn’t end up needing all 6, as 4 lengths turned out to be a big enough space and less cumbersome to move around.
One corner of the pen isn’t taped shut, which allows me to fold it all the way up, but the walls are heavy enough that this doesn’t seem to be an escape risk, and I keep that corner in the corner of room and supervise them when they’re in it. Also use an old rug as the floor for the playpen to protect the carpet from gerbil mischief.
Anyway, I put toys and cardboard and hideouts in for them. One of them (Shark) spends most of his time running around and playing in boxes and scratching the walls. The other one, who tends to be the shyer, more easily spooked gerbil (earning himself the name Chicken) likes to climb up my legs, he turns out to be the braver of the two in the playpen and lets me handle him more. When I put them back in their enclosure, Chicken immediately goes to their den and takes a long nap, which makes me wonder if the playpen time is too overwhelming for him. I’ve been letting them have 30-45 minutes of playpen time a day.
My Gerbils Whisky & Soda (named by my dad! ), late 70s Blacky 1984 - 18/1/88 Avon 4/6/20 - 26/12/22 Blake 4/6/20 - 16/2/23 Gan 20/1/23 (adopted 19/3/23, 3rd cousin to A&B) Vila 20/1/23 (adopted 19/3/23, 3rd cousin to A&B)
That looks great! Is it very heavy/difficult to setup and take down? I've been wanting to replace my cardboard diy playpen for something that can lie flat and slide under my bed.The cardboard one folds into a big 3D triangle that takes up most of my closet. But it can't be too difficult to put up and take down since I can't leave it up at all when not in use.
That looks great! Is it very heavy/difficult to setup and take down? I've been wanting to replace my cardboard diy playpen for something that can lie flat and slide under my bed.The cardboard one folds into a big 3D triangle that takes up most of my closet. But it can't be too difficult to put up and take down since I can't leave it up at all when not in use.
It’s not very difficult to set up or put away, but it’s definitely heavier than cardboard and a bit unwieldy. If I was looking for something I could set up and put away daily, I would probably keep looking to be honest.
Love the playpen idea. My more nervous gerbil who also happens to be the submissive gerbil (doesn't always follow) is also the bravest and most confident outside the tank. She's by far the most curious and adventurous. I have a theory that being away from their usual home levels the playing field and gives the submissive gerbil a lot more confidence. The dominant gerbil, who may need to feel in control, may feel a bit more unsure of themselves. It reminds me of some human relationships and behaviour tbh!
Love the playpen idea. My more nervous gerbil who also happens to be the submissive gerbil (doesn't always follow) is also the bravest and most confident outside the tank. She's by far the most curious and adventurous. I have a theory that being away from their usual home levels the playing field and gives the submissive gerbil a lot more confidence. The dominant gerbil, who may need to feel in control, may feel a bit more unsure of themselves. It reminds me of some human relationships and behaviour tbh!
That’s interesting it’s not just my guys. Plausible theory as well.
Both my guys are doing a good job at coming out of their shell and not being as stressed in the playpen. First few times I had them out they both spent a lot of time running around the perimeter and scratching at the walls. They now spend a lot more time engaging with the toys and chewing cardboard.
I’d be interested to hear what other people do for out of the tank time for their gerbils. What kinds of toys do you give them? How long do you keep them out of the cage? How many times a week? What times of day? How do they act?
Post by LilyandDaisy on Oct 1, 2020 9:15:55 GMT -8
Being out of the tank definitely levels the playing field. Lily and Daisy only ever squabble when they're free roaming and they do relate differently. In the tank, if Daisy picks an argument with Lily, Lily will immediately give in, but outside the tank, she's more likely to argue back. It's not too serious in their case but it's something to keep an eye on.
When I use a playpen I put in a wheel, lots of tubes and tunnels and places to hide, assorted cardboard, a sand bath and some climbing toys (not too close to the edges so they can climb out!) If you throw a blanket down untidily sometimes they like to burrow under it and in the creases as well. If yours are nervous you could try adding a house from their tank, as it's a secure and familiar place to hide. I would say your playpen looks a little bare, so some more things in there might help.
It depends on the gerbils how long you should keep them out. If they're nervous, I would keep it short, 10-15 minutes, and build it up slowly. If they're not too nervous, you can keep them out as long as they seem happy and interested. I find mine will either eventually run out of things to do and will just sit still or run around randomly, or they will suddenly become really destructive and start chewing blankets or my clothes, and that's when I put them away. I usually let them out in the evenings just because that's when I'm available. I find mine are often active in the mornings but seem very "busy" with gerbil stuff and probably wouldn't be interested in coming out to play. They're more playful in the evenings. How often depends on the gerbils too. Some evenings they're quite happy doing their own thing in their tanks, other evenings they're restless and bored. Lily has a little house at the top of the tank that she sits on to tell me she wants to come out! So, 10-15 minutes in the evenings 2-3 times a week is probably a good starting point for yours, but you can adjust that as they become more comfortable and you learn more about what they enjoy.
It is pretty sparse in the photos, although I’ve added some more toys and cardboard. Although, I do think more cardboard would be appreciated. I wasn’t sure about putting a towel in because I thought they’d chew it, but I guess if I supervise them and take it away if they start chewing that might be fun for them. Thanks for the idea.
My gerbils are little old ladies now and the nervous one had a slight stroke losing some use in her right foot. She's recovered amazingly well and got back the mobility in her foot but they both sleep a lot now so I don't get them out very often. They were nearly two so still active when I first got them so I gave them a run in the bath twice a week building up from 10 to 30-40 minutes. If they'd had enough they let me know by jumping up the sides of the bath. Now they just fall asleep in their house! They love the bark covered wooden houses connected by a tunnel (they may contain nails so I only use for playtime). I use a Nager 120 x 50 cm hemp mat on the floor which fits the bath perfectly. They may not be safe to use in their tank as they fluff up (debatable I believe, they are used in Germany) but I think they're okay just for playtime.
I also used a 45 cm square cardboard box wedged in an office chair a couple of times a week and let them come in and out as they pleased down a bendy ladder attached to their topper. I put in a Chipsi 90 x 45 cm hemp mat folded in half. They especially liked it if I put tunnels and a box (shoe boxes are good, I made a couple of holes for entrances) under the top layer so they had an "underground" bit as well as a top layer. I put their large wooden wheel on top and sometimes an open shoe box filled with bedding and forage, (amazing what you can fit in a 45 cm box)! They both seemed to enjoy this but especially the most nervous little gerbil who often spent a couple of hours going in and out and sometimes even fell asleep in there. Also, the dominant gerbil seemed to appreciate being able to go home whenever she wanted and probably enjoyed it more than the bath.
I imagine energetic youngsters might need more space and more exercise so I'd have to think again if I had younger gerbils and look at some other ideas such as a large playpen.
So I built a walkway so the gerbils can travel between the playpen and tank (only when supervised of course). It’s made out of clear plastic tubes that are usually used for a workshop dust collection system. I used some corrugated cardboard to make a runway in it so it’s not slippery.
I decided to build something like this because Chicken was refusing to come out to the playpen. He won’t let me pick him up and learned not to go inside the teleportation teapot or other vessels when I was around. I theorized that he might come out more if he could choose when to come, and when to return.
It took Shark about 5 minutes to figure it out and run down to the playpen. Chicken sniffed the tube, watched his brother run off into the unknown, and immediately went to hide in his den. After about 45 minutes, he got up the courage and came to join Shark in the playpen. They both seem to really love it and spend ages running back and forth. It’s big enough that they can turn around in it and pass each other.
Last Edit: Oct 23, 2020 17:03:08 GMT -8 by yeti218
Good idea that, I was wondering about how to connect my gerbils cage to a play pen (if I have one in the lounge), that would be 1 way to do it! Where would you get those 'dust collection' tubes?
My Gerbils Whisky & Soda (named by my dad! ), late 70s Blacky 1984 - 18/1/88 Avon 4/6/20 - 26/12/22 Blake 4/6/20 - 16/2/23 Gan 20/1/23 (adopted 19/3/23, 3rd cousin to A&B) Vila 20/1/23 (adopted 19/3/23, 3rd cousin to A&B)
, I might do the same.
), late 70s
