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Post by ryan on Jun 24, 2021 14:48:15 GMT -8
Hello, I am going to get ONE gerbil next monday and need to know a few things.
First of all, I am getting it from petsmart just want to put that out there, and i am only getting one as i cannot afford a large enough tank for two of them as the cost would be well over 80 dollars at the least. Yes i understand that they are generally bought in pairs but i am going to give a crapton of attention to this one.
Here is my first question, the tank i am getting is a 29 gallon tank, would this be suitable for one gerbil? also I am home everyday all day as i don't go anywhere so i am going to be with it pretty much 24/7.
Second question, what are your tips on taming the gerbil once i get it, i have seen many but would like to know more if you can offer them, even if they are tips i have already seen they are welcome.
third question is, Can i just use kaytee clean & cozy bedding or do i HAVE to mix in some other like aspen?
Any other things you can tell me are welcome, please give any and all advice you can, thanks!
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jun 24, 2021 15:25:03 GMT -8
Unfortunately if you can't afford a tank for two gerbils, you can't afford a tank for one. One gerbil doesn't really need less space than two. They may even need more space as they need more enrichment. Importantly, enrichment and human interaction never replace a gerbil companion. They just help to keep the gerbil distracted and occupied. Sometimes there are situations where we have to make do, like if a lone gerbil is very old or sick and can't be put through an introduction, or if one gerbil dies and we can't get another, but this isn't that kind of situation. It would be quite unfair to take a young gerbil from its littermates to keep it alone just because that's what we want to do. Many pet shops won't allow you to buy just one gerbil anyway.
A 29 gallon isn't very big. I really don't recommend it. If you are able and willing to let the gerbils out in a gerbil-proofed room or a playpen it may work for a pair but bigger would be strongly recommended. You could look on second hand selling sites for a larger tank going cheap.
There are a few good taming methods you could try. Most people start by just putting their hand in the tank, maybe with a treat on it, and letting the gerbils explore. You might then try sitting in a playpen with the gerbils and letting them climb on you. Some people put the gerbils in a small playpen or tub and practice scooping them up to get them used to that.
You don't always need to mix beddings together. Kaytee Clean & Cozy may be fine on its own (I've never used it) but most people mix hay into their bedding to help hold up the gerbils' tunnels.
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shab
member
Posts: 28
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Post by shab on Jun 24, 2021 15:38:33 GMT -8
Why would you only get one instead of an appropriate pair?
If it's only about money, then you are in the unenviable position of not being able to afford owning gerbils.
You would be starting a pet ownership with neglect to their needs. Please don't do this.
If you feel the need for a pet and can only have a solitary animal, a hamster would be far more appropriate.
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Post by teambenji543 on Jun 24, 2021 17:37:16 GMT -8
I understand that you might only want one, but its REALLY important to keep gerbils in a pair. Two gerbils don't cost much more than a single gerbil. You still need the same size tank, the same amount of bedding and you only need to give them a bit more food and water. I agree with LilyandDaisy about the tank size. a 29 gallon could work for two gerbils but bigger is better. Maybe you could add a tank topper? You could probably make one out of wood or something else. I know that Petco and Petsmart also have a dollar a gallon sale a few times a year. You could find out when the next one is and buy a tank for a cheaper price. About the bedding, you can use just the clean and cozy bedding, but that bedding tends to be expensive. I use wood shavings, they come in a giant bag and cost FAR less than paper bedding. You don't have to, but I find that if you mix some hay into the bedding then it holds tunnels much better. Plus my gerbils love to chew in the hay. To tame a gerbil, I like to hold out my hand in their cage. Sometimes I put a few treats in my palm, and it gets them used to climbing on my hand. When I got my two gerbils I sat next to their cage and talked to them for a while. It good to get them used to your presence and voice. Also maybe you could look into animal shelters near you? Its always better to adopt and not shop. Gerbils from Petsmart tend to be unhealthy and might have health problems. I just checked my shelter, and they have lots of gerbils for adoption. Maybe you could check out Petango or Petfnder. If you really have your heart set on one pet then I agree with Shab, a hamster might be better for you. Hamsters are solitary animals so you only need one. I don't know much about hamsters but they're really cute and cuddly. I've noticed that hamsters tend to be more laid back than gerbils. Gerbils NEVER stop moving while hamsters will happily fall asleep in your hand.
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Post by yeti218 on Jun 24, 2021 22:34:02 GMT -8
I'm just gonna build on some things the other posters already said, all of which I agree with completely.
It's just not ethical to buy a pet knowing that you're intentionally going to prevent them from having something essential to their well being (that they otherwise would have if you just left them in the store). And it's just not a nice way to treat creatures you're responsible to care for and claim to like.
So I really hope we can offer you some alternatives that work for you and your pets.
That said, I have some thoughts.
A hamster may be a good choice for you. I have 2 (in seperate cages) and I find them both so charming and fun. They are not as active as gerbils, but much easier to handle. I cannot pick up my gerbils, I have to trap them in a jar, but I can pick up my hamsters and carry them easily (keep in mind there are different species of hamster-with different behavioural traits). They are way less skittish than my gerbils which I really enjoy.
Hamsters also can be kept in diy bin cages, which is an affordable way to get a really good sized cage. These are not suitable for gerbils because they're more ambitious chewers. So a hamster may also fit your budget.
If you're set on gerbils, I have a few ideas.
You could keep an eye on fb marketplace, craigslist, etc, and try to find a used fish tank or terrarium. You can find some good deals. This way you could get the right sized tank for your gerbils.
These places often have people selling or giving away hamsters or gerbils as well, so you may be able to get the pets, cage and accessories all for a good price.
Now, I do need to talk about declans. Gerbils belong in groups. However, there are times when they stop getting along and you need to seperate them. If you honestly are not able to afford to deal with this, should it happen, then it's not responsible to get gerbils. It seems males are less likely to declan than females so keep that in mind.
Now - if you're still hellbent on getting a single gerbil, I think there is one way to do it that isnt cruel.
As lilyanddaisy said, there are times when a gerbil ends up alone for different reasons, because of a declan, losing a cage mate, and it's not practical to try to bond them to a new gerbil. Adopting a gerbil in this situation and keeping them alone is WAY different than taking a young gerbil away from its litter mates and preventing it from ever having companions. So you could keep an eye on shelters and online for someone rehoming a single, older gerbil and take that one in.
If you go with gerbils, you dont even need to decide which of these paths to pursue right away, just take a bit more time to save money, keep an eye online, pick up cheap supplies as you see things on sale, and get the gerbils when youre ready. I'd also like to mention that being able to pay for vet care, if needed, is another thing you should keep in mind when you're doing your budget.
I hope some of these suggestions are helpful to you. I hope you dont feel like were all ganging up on you, I just want you to understand that having a companion really is essential to a gerbils well being, so if you cant offer that it would be the right thing to do to just wait until you can.
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Post by ryan on Jun 25, 2021 1:48:36 GMT -8
Why would you only get one instead of an appropriate pair? If it's only about money, then you are in the unenviable position of not being able to afford owning gerbils. You would be starting a pet ownership with neglect to their needs. Please don't do this. If you feel the need for a pet and can only have a solitary animal, a hamster would be far more appropriate. alright i will get a hamster instead, quick question though, im going to get a dwarf hamster from pet smart, is the tank going to be big enough for that little guy? or too big and i would need a second dwarf hammy.
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jun 25, 2021 2:05:28 GMT -8
A hamster is going to need more than a 29 gallon tank. You need a minimum of a 40 gallon tank for a dwarf hamster. They're best kept alone as they usually fight in pairs.
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Post by ryan on Jun 25, 2021 5:45:36 GMT -8
A hamster is going to need more than a 29 gallon tank. You need a minimum of a 40 gallon tank for a dwarf hamster. They're best kept alone as they usually fight in pairs. i looked it up and the minimum is a 450 sq inch tank, and thats how big the 29 gallon tank is, and thanks for letting me know they are best without another hamster now i will just get the one. I don't have any breeders near me so again i am going to have to get him or her from pet smart and i plan on getting a winter white if i can.
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Post by PipSqueak on Jun 25, 2021 6:03:18 GMT -8
Why would you only get one instead of an appropriate pair? If it's only about money, then you are in the unenviable position of not being able to afford owning gerbils. You would be starting a pet ownership with neglect to their needs. Please don't do this. If you feel the need for a pet and can only have a solitary animal, a hamster would be far more appropriate. alright i will get a hamster instead, quick question though, im going to get a dwarf hamster from pet smart, is the tank going to be big enough for that little guy? or too big and i would need a second dwarf hammy. Hamsters need larger cages and some propel don’t recommend getting a glass tank. It is more expensive getting a glass cage than making a bin cage which is what I recommend. You just need to get a large bin cut a large square out of the lid and replace that with mesh. You need to give at least 8 inches of bedding. I recommend watching some videos by Victoria Raechel. Dwarf hamsters are more shy and fast than Syrian hamsters which are usually recommended as the first hamster you get. youtu.be/i5e-2yKLX2Q
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jun 25, 2021 6:07:37 GMT -8
A hamster is going to need more than a 29 gallon tank. You need a minimum of a 40 gallon tank for a dwarf hamster. They're best kept alone as they usually fight in pairs. i looked it up and the minimum is a 450 sq inch tank, and thats how big the 29 gallon tank is, and thanks for letting me know they are best without another hamster now i will just get the one. I don't have any breeders near me so again i am going to have to get him or her from pet smart and i plan on getting a winter white if i can. I believe a 29 gallon tank is 360 square inches but in any case, most people don't go by the 450 square inch minimum anymore. Space is important for all animals but we've found that with hamsters, their welfare is much more inextricably linked to their cage size than other animals. With some animals, you can make do with a slightly smaller cage with lots of playpen time etc, but it doesn't work that way with hamsters. The 450 square inch minimum was set by a popular forum at a time when large cages were next to impossible to find, and when a lot of members (and their parents - this forum had a mostly teenage userbase) were struggling with the idea of small animals needing such large spaces. It was a kind of compromise to encourage people to aim for something bigger than a tiny pet shop cage, whilst not overwhelming them with a recommendation that felt unattainable. It was never really adequate, and people knew that at the time, and there was huge controversy over it. People nowadays tend to agree on a 600 square inch minimum for a dwarf hamster. I have two dwarf hamsters in 600 square inch cages and they're fine, though when my Winter White hybrid was younger it was a challenge keeping her content in that space. Winter Whites can be particularly active and lively. Campbell hamsters are a bit less active but more likely to become aggressive in a space that is too small. Maybe if you find an elderly dwarf hamster that's lived in something smaller all its life, it might work, but otherwise I couldn't recommend it.
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Post by yeti218 on Jun 25, 2021 12:33:01 GMT -8
I have 2 Russian dwarf hamsters. One is old, and he is happy in his 600 sq inch terrarium. The other one is young, and he did not like being in a cage that size, he would pace the sides of the tank and try to climb out. I upgraded his cage and he calmed right down and stopped pacing and doing other stress based behaviour and does normal hamster stuff like foraging instead.
450 sq inch is the North American minimum, but other countries have higher standards and most hamster people agree that bigger is better.
Definitely agree with pipsqueak on the bin cage. Really good way to get a good sized enclosure on a budget, your hamster will thank you. The video pipsqueak posted is from a really well respected hamster Youtuber, you can check out her other videos for more information on hamster care.
I don’t entirely agree with Syrians being the best for beginners, although I haven’t had any so this is just what I’ve heard on YouTube. Syrians do seem to be the most popular, and I think they are the most social with humans, but I’ve heard they can be the most demanding. The most likely to be frustrated in smaller cages and constantly want more space. Also, since they are bigger, all their accessories are bigger which adds to the cost. But if you watch a few videos or read some articles on different hamster species, they all seem to say that these are just generalizations, and no matter what species you get you may end up with a hamster acts differently than you’d expect for his species. So there’s no guarantees.
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Post by ryan on Jun 25, 2021 14:40:08 GMT -8
Might have found a 40 gallon tank on facebook market place,depends on if it is taken or not. I hope it isn't then i can get the gerbils!
(Update: May have got ghosted, they haven't responded to me in a few hours since i asked if i can pick it up tomorrow morning instead of today since i can't go out this late today. But i hope that's not the case.)
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Post by yeti218 on Jun 25, 2021 15:17:00 GMT -8
Awesome, let us know if you get it. Where i live theres always people selling and buying tanks.
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Post by ryan on Jun 26, 2021 1:39:34 GMT -8
Ok I wasn't ghosted, they sent their address, going to get it at 10 am today, as for the reason why i am awake at 4am right now: Because that's usually the time i wake up because i live with my grandpa and he wakes up around that time so I got into the habit of doing it too.
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Post by ryan on Jun 26, 2021 2:15:33 GMT -8
Awesome, let us know if you get it. Where i live theres always people selling and buying tanks. I'm getting it, what should i use as a divider between the wheel/water/sandbath area and the bedding area?
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