Caring for your Gerbil
About Your Gerbil
Gerbils, or the Mongolian Gerbil, were first discovered in 1866 by a French biologist. Since then, gerbils were introduced into the UK as laboratory animals, however, they soon established themselves as desirable pets. There are over a dozen different species of gerbil all residing within a subgroup of the rodent family.
The inquisitive nature of the gerbil makes it a popular pet. These desert animals are natural burrowers and are happiest tunneling underground. Gerbils will nibble constantly on all kinds of surfaces, and will shred items to make nesting material. These are daytime animals who enjoy human companionship and in return will provide hours of entertainment and enjoyment.
Bringing Your Gerbil Home
Before you get your new gerbil home and settled you are going to need a few essential items, in order to care for him or her properly.
Essential Items
Rotastak, aquarium or Gerbilarium, feeding dish, gerbil mix, water bottle, gerbil toys, treats, vitamin supplement, bedding, gerbil book, litter.
Am I the right pet for you?
Gerbils are very active, curious animals and provide entertaining and lively company for slightly older children. They are adapted to live in the desert and therefore produce a minimum of urine and faeces and, provided they have a good supply of food and water, they can be left for a few days if you are away. Gerbils live for 2-4 years.
Where do I like to live?
Gerbils can be kept in a multi-stacking system or gerbilarium. In the wild, gerbils live in burrows and you can recreate this for them with a glass aquarium or gerbilariums (30-50 gallon capacity), filled with clay soil or fine peat to 35 cm depth. Put in some stones to give their tunnel support and cover the whole tank with wire mesh. Give the soil an occasional sprinkling of water and change it every few months. Add some sticks, toys, tunnels and a bedding material such as Nestledown or shredded paper.
Gerbil Health Care
A healthy gerbil will be active, playful and inquisitive with soft, shiny fur, bright eyes and clean nose. Signs of illness are listlessness, ruffled hair, mucus or crustiness around eyes or nose and loss of appetite.
The teeth should not be visible when the gerbil's mouth is closed and there should be a fine covering of hair around the ears.
Gerbils may develop upset stomachs and diarrhoea if their diet has too much fat or carbohydrate and not enough roughage.
If the diarrhoea is severe it may be caused by a more serious infection and you should consult your vet.
Gerbils may develop sores around the nose or mouth from burrowing in rough cage material or rubbing against cage bars which they will do if bored. Change the cage material and/or provide toys and exercise equipment, such as tunnels and sticks. If sores persist, soothing ointment can be obtained from your vet or Pets at Home. Gerbils need to groom regularly to keep their coats clean and healthy and, if necessary, this can be stimulated by providing a bath of find sand (e.g. bird sand) and increasing the temperature.
Gerbils' teeth will continue to grow throughout their lives and if they get too long eating can become difficult. Mineral stones provide good material for them to chew on. If you have any concerns seek veterinary advice immediately.
Gerbil Food
Pets at Home sell gerbil mixes which contain such things as wheat, oats, barley, sunflower seeds, corn, pumpkin seeds d dried grass pellets. This will give your gerbil a balanced diet with all the minerals and vitamins he requires. Gerbil treats are also available and can be given once or twice a week. Gerbils love sunflower seeds and will select them in preference to other foods, but give sparingly as too many can cause stomach upsets and obesity.
Muesli:
The traditional muesli mix incorporates the vitamins and minerals that gerbils and mice need in various different ingredients e.g seeds, grains and vegetables When you feed your gerbil check if there is any food left over and you should be soon able to tell if your pet is selective feeding and leaving certain bits every time. If so, you could try feeding a little less food at feeding time so they eat the whole lot before being refilled, or, if it is becoming a serious problem switch to an extruded diet to ensure your gerbil gets a balanced diet.
Click here for our range of gerbil food
Fresh Foods and Treats
You can give your gerbil small quantities of fruit and vegetables such as cabbage, celery, carrot, apple and turnip. If you are not feeding vegetables, you might like to add a few vitamin drops to the water supply. A mineral stone helps to keep your gerbil healthy and keeps his teeth worn down. Do not feed hay as this can damage a gerbil's pouch.
Water must always be available from a water bottle with a stainless steel drinking tube.
Socialising & training
Gerbils are social animals and will be happier in groups or pairs although they can be kept on their own. Gerbils should never be kept with other small animals. If you want to keep more than one, you should buy them together from the same cage. If you try to introduce a single gerbil to an established breeding pair or colony they are very likely to fight
Allow your new gerbil a couple of days to settle down before you begin to handle him. Talk to him and put your hand in the cage to allow him to smell it. When you do handle him, make sure he is awake, then pick him up slowly by cupping both hands around him gently but firmly. Do not hold him high in the air as he may escape from your hands and fall. It is best to handle him close to the floor or a table top. Never pick him up by his tail as the skin may strip off. Occasionally a gerbil will have a fit when handled. If this occurs, place him back in his cage to recover. Once they are tame, gerbils will enjoy being handled and should eventually come to you to take food from your hand.
Playing
Gerbils need plenty of exercise and things to keep them busy. Ensure that there are plenty of toys and stimulation available in the cage. Gerbils especially love to dig and burrow so make sure plenty they have plenty of bedding. Card board tubes and boxes can provide great entertainment, as well as alternative products available in store.
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Care Leaflet
Click here to download the gerbil care information leaflet: