Thinking of getting gerbils

[hoodedfurball]

I have been thinking of getting a pair of gerbils, but I need to know what all Im getting into! I have had rats FOREVER... hamsters and mice to. Right now I have two empty coats cages, both of which though I feel may be in appropriate for gerbies.. one is a mouse sized one, way to small for even a mouse! (tis my mouse quarintine cage) and the other is a chinchilla/rat cage

www.petco.com/product_info.asp?web=0&tab=6&SKU=5226811226&cm_ven=lnk&cm_cat=70&cm_pla=5226811226&cm_ite=5226811226

im afraid though the bars are to far apart. anywho, I have seen many people using tanks, but since the weather is very hot here in the summer (about 110f) I lean away from them...

So whats a good size cage for gerbs? male or female? would a martins cage work?

www.martinscages.com/products/cages/hamster/

what are good brands of food? can they eat rodent blocks like the mice/rats/hams? how are they to tame? what are common health issues? whats the best age to get them at? is two ok? would one be lonley? XD ACK!

I have been reading up online, but I just wanted to pick everyone sbrains here! lol.... I already provide dusting SAND for my other rodents for play time... (Ferdinad the hamster LOVES it! lol) So any help is appreciated!!

[hoodedfurball]

oh, and I have been reading that gerbs love to dog, So if they had a low pan cage, I was thinking of providing a storage container (about 1/2 of the cage floor width/length) full of digging materials

And is Yesterdays News ok for gerbils? i have been using it for my other rodents

[Ritzie/Admin]

Welcome to the forum! ;D

I would give them a tank or Duna cage. But i you do ot want this, the rat cage is the best. It has a deep.....how do I say this in English....floor..?!

You need indeed to get two, as only one is not good for them. They are very social animals, that need companions.

If you're used to hamsters, you will see gerbils are not much different in care and taming. Taming goes the same way as with hamsters. (I've had Syrian hamsters for years, before I started with gerbils.) Feeding, water, bedding, etc. is quite the same as with hamsters.

A storage container with digging material is a good idea in my opinion.

I don't know Yesterdays News, they do not sell it in the Netherladns as far as I know. Maybe someone else here knows about that.

[doomgerbiluk]

I do keep gerbil in wire vages BUT prefer tank type cages.
Dunas are good


Storage boxes can be converted


If your worried about ventilation use a microdrill ( afine hobbbyists drill) to drill tiny holes around the top, they must be small or the gerbils will chew at them and create VERY big holes.



water bottles can be fixed so:


just drill a whole and use garden wire
Wire cages are not good for digging but gerbils do like the high shelves.
the bars will cause bald noses though




Ventilation is less of a problem with gerbil than other rodents. Gerbils have adpated to be very efficient in their use of water, meaning a very small urine output. the smell from most rodentd comes in great part from urine mixed with bedding. This means ventilation is much less of an issue than with, for instance, rats or syrian hansters.

[mafff]

Hi Furball.

first I want to welcome you to the forum.

secundly Gerbs are Great fun 2 have as pets you already had rats/mice/hams but Gerbs are mutch active and exploring that those little furballs.

as tank/cage it's best to get a tank but a smaller cage will sefice i'll show you mine!

This is my cage that i used before my tank!

my cage:this is a great size for 2/3 Gerbs they have nice room to move in and with some toys they have great fun.

This is my tank!

in a tank they have allot of space to cover so there are never bored with some extra toys and some changing once a month it's a new home with new capability's every month.

I prefure the tank it looks good they can move far better and you can see the Gerbs allot better (atleast I whant to see them istead of a Red Bar )

4 your other Question's I can't give you anything more the others have already awnserd them.

hopefully it helps you to make your choise.

Gl and let me know if your getting some Gerbs.

Grz Arne

[sweetie]

Hi Fur,

Welcome to the Forum. Now where to begin. Tanks are in my oppinion the best and dunas as well. If you have another cage, you could use it to put on the top of the tank with a connector as another level. The more room they have the better.

As for yesterday's news, if you are referring to newspaper, it is bad for gerbils. the chemicals in the print are harmful. I would also stick to Aspen, Corn Cob, or Carefresh bedding. Pine and Cedar have heavy oils in it.

The food you could either mix your own (there are recipies in the food section) or you could buy Premixed. If you buy premixed foods, you will need to pick out the sunflower seeds and use them sparingly as treats. I like the Ecotrin 8 in 1 mix. I am not sure if you have that available where you are.

Taming.... Every one has thier own definition of tame. I would keep in mind thier general characteristics and make your own judgement.

Boys VS girls.... again your call. My boys are laid back and my girls are higher energy but they all have thier own characteristics to love. ;D

Hope this has helped.

[RitzieAnn]

I use the "8 in 1" brand of food. My gerbils love it! I get it at Wal-Mart. It's like $2 something and it lasts for good amount of time.

Martins cage... eh.... I don't really like them, in function, they're alright, but your rat chage is the same, and it looks a LOT nicer. PLUS it has a deeper bed. Actually, that pan looks pretty good as far as digging. Mine don't dig very deep, they'd just rather move the bedding then dig in it. And, if they kick it out through the bars, you could always just "weave" a cereal box into the bars. You'll have to probably change it every week or so (depends on how much they try to chew... but then you've just added a few inches- consider it a kick-guard! ;D

And the wheel that's in the rat cage, I have a wheel similar, and my babies can't walk on it. They're 4 weeks. I weave newspaper or cereal boxes in it, and put masking tape on the outside of the wheel. THis way their feet don't slip through. My female was running super fast before I did that, and she grabbed onto it because she was running too fast, and she flipped in circles. It was hillarious once I found out she wasn't hurt!

I got Keebler first, I had him alone, (this was before I heard everything about them being in pairs.) I finally got my female 2 months later. Keebler was fine before I got her, but it's so sweet how he snuggles with her. He really loves her! I think Keebler was fine by him self, but at the point, I didn't have a job, and I had him out all the time. I still take them out every day for a little while, but I think if he were still alone, he wouldn't be as happy.

It's up to you if you get male or female... but if you're just starting out, make sure they're of the same sex! And cardboard! WOW! We don't really need a cardboard recycling box anymore. Pretty much all that's left in it is the pieces that have the glue and stuff on them! (and boxes that didn't have food stuff in them)

They are a lot like having hamsters and rats. My boyfriend has a rat, and his sister has a hamster (and his brother is getting two of my gerbil pups!) but the hamster and the rat don't chew as much as my gerbils. The rat has a toilet paper roll and 1 chew stick that we gave him the day we brought him home (1 month ago) and the stick hasn't been touched, and the toilet roll is still more than half there! And the hamster, she chewed the twine that held up her chew toy, but she doen't chew her chew toy. My gerbils chew it all! Just stay away from plastic, and you'll be fine! ;D (I almost got a duna when I got Keebler, but I'm sooo glad that I didn't because he shreds plastic like none other... )

Good luck! Keep us posted!

[hoodedfurball]

Yesterdays News is a pelleted paper product for small animals cages and cat litter boxes-

www.yesterdaysnews.com/other_litter.asp#bedding

i use the small animal one for my rats, mouse and hamster. it works GREAT for them, but i dunno about gerbils. The rat girls love to dig in it, and make piles in the corner of their cage.

Those Duna cages are very cool, havnt seen them around here, but I havnt really looks either! It would appear from the pictures gerbils need less space per animal then rats or mice in a group, is that true? or maybe Im looking at the pictures wrong. Making a cage looks like fun. was gunna build my ratties a cage, but ended up convering a bird cage was more in my budget.

In my rat Coast cage, I have run plastic folders through the bars to make it feet/tail safe. I do like the deep pan on it, the rats love to dog in it, but again, Im worried about the bar spacing.... that would be the last thing I need, a loose gerbil! lol.

ok... I have been looking around the area for gerbil books, but no one caries them... almost like trying to find rat books!! oi.. Thank you all so much! I willhave to scan around here some more

[RitzieAnn]

Where are you at? PetsMart has books, as well as PetCo, and try the library! You could always go to a store, and put a gerbil up to a rat cage similar to yours. The people there are usually friendly enough to help you out (maybe not smart, but friendly) I've heard about Yesterday's news. I don't see why it wouldn't work. Is it dusty? If it works for mice and hamsters... then I'd think it would be plenty fine for Gerbies

[hoodedfurball]

the yesterdays news is the least dusty litter i have ever used, which is why i switched (my mouse kept getting eye infections from digging in his litter)

I work for a PetCo currently the only thing is that... well.. Gerbils arnt really welcome in our area? even though half our staff HAS them.. we cant sell them... so we dont really CARRY anything for gerbils...

Having the gerbil isnt a problem, getting it and stuff for it is the hardest par for me... he he.... I guess i could always get a Duna or something and then if my big cage works out, return it. right?

thank you all so much again for all the help!! Im learning so much!!

[RitzieAnn]

Where on earth do you live?!?!?!? PetCo with NO gerbie stuff? Well, hamster stuff is pretty much the same thing... I'm very confused about your area of living... Why are gerbils NOT welcome?

[hoodedfurball]

Here in california.. their illegal... because of potential ecosystem destruction.. which as my manager says :you just have to go to Nevada!"

Found a discount bookstore with some grbil books, so i bought one. very fun stuff!!! thank you all for all the information

[ecoa]

Arne I like your setup.