If you are new to gerbils, here are a few things you should do, and keep in mind.
WHERE SHOULD I GET MY GERBILS?
I don't reccomend getting gerbils from a pet store if you can avoid it, as they
aren't in the best health and care for the most part. Breeders are a good place
to get them from. You should get two of the same sex, unless you plan to breed
yourself. Be sure to check and see if they are healthy. There eyes should be
big round and plump, but not bulging. Their coat should be sleek, with no mats,
or sores. And the tail should be straight with no kinks, and it should have a
tuft of hair on the end.
MORE THAN ONE?
Of course :). Gerbils are very social animals, and enjoy the company of other
gerbils, but after 10 weeks of age, it's a bad idea to introduce new gerbils.
The best way to introduce them, is to split a cage in half, and place one gerbil
on one side, the other on the other side. Every couple of hours switch the sides.
After a day or two of this, you can remove the divider. Fighting may occur, and
if it does, split them up immediately! But in most Cases, no fighting will occur.
HOUSING
How should you house your gerbils? I prefer to use an aquarium because gerbils
can make easy work of those plastic cages by chewing them. For a pair of gerbils,
a 10 gallon tank should suffice, but more room can be better. You should put plenty
of wooden toys in the cage, as well as a "nesting box". Almost anything will do
for a nesting box. I use a terracotta pot (flower pot) that i cut a hole in as
an entrance. You should use Aspen bedding as cedar and pine lead to resporatory
problems, and put something in the cage to make a warm nest (i use cotton from the
pet store). Many people believe that this unrefined cotton can get wrapped around
a gerbil and sever a limb, but this has never happened to my gerbies. If you have
any concern, just use toilet paper. A hanging water bottle should be present for
drinking, and should not be placed over thier nest. Water should never be placed
in a bowl as it will get dirty, and all over the cage. You should provide a food
bowl for them, and don't worry if it gets covered with some litter, it will be ok.
I like to change thier food bowl daily, but you can wait untill you clean the cage
if you like. The cage should be cleaned once a week, unless it just gets to smelling
bad.
WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY GERBILS?
You can get gerbil seed from pet stores, and this works quite well, but I also
like to have a tupperware dish of unsalted, uncooked sunflower seeds (like what
you get for birds) so that I can hand feed them. You may want to give them some
greens, but too many can make them sick. So be sparing with it. And NEVER leave
greens in the cage.
HANDLING
You should avoid picking up your gerbil by the tail, as it can easily break off.
if this happens, it will heal, but make sure it doesn't get infected. You should
never hold your gerbil too high, as it could fall, and get hurt. Daily, you should
put your hand in the cage, and let them get used to you before you pick them up.
Movement around the cage should be slow, so you don't frighten them.
