GERBIL

Choosing and buying your gerbil

A healthy gerbil should be:

Bright and alert

Have no signs of discharge from eye, ears, mouth and nose

Have a clean anal area

Have a glossy coat with no bald patches and no have sores on the

skin

Should have no signs of breathing problems

Should move around the cage easily

Should feel well covered and not bony

Housing

Always purchase as big a cage as possible. The size of this will depend

upon the number of animals you wish to keep. Some of the larger hamster

cages are suitable and your local pet shop will be happy to give you advice.

An interesting and welfare friendly way to house gerbils is in what is often

known as a gerbilarium. This is usually a large fish tank with a vivarium or

mesh lid filled to a depth of 15-20cms with a mixture of peat, shavings and

hay.

The gerbils will create a network of burrows in much the same way as they

would in the wild. This is fun to watch and stimulating for the animals but

makes handling difficult. The contents of the gerbilarium will need to be

changed every few weeks.

Traditional style cages need to have quite a deep layer of shavings and the

whole thing will need to be cleaned and disinfected weekly.

Gerbils will appreciate a weekly silver sand bath.

Gerbils are naturally nervous and must be provided with a house or nest box

to feel secure. This should be lined with soft small animal bedding.

Cardboard or plastic tubes to run through are much appreciated. Wheels

should not be added as gerbils can injure their tails using them.

Whatever type of cage or enclosure you choose it should be kept in a quiet

part of the house, out of direct sunlight and protect from draughts. A normal

room temperature is best; fluctuating or extreme conditions must be

avoided.

Feeding and Water

There are many prepared foods that are suitable for gerbils, but

those that contain a lot of sunflower seeds should be avoided. It

should be offered in a small, heavy bowl and changed daily.

Fresh foods like apple, carrot and other hard fruit or vegetables

can be given in small quantities. Always remove uneaten fresh food daily.

Special gerbil treats are available and it is a good idea to add vitamin drops

to the water. Although they are desert animals, fresh clean water should be

available at all times in a drinking bottle.

Like all rodents, gerbils

teeth grow continuously, making chew toys

essential. Mineral stones, wooden toys, hide chews (sold for dogs) and hard

cardboard tubes are all useful for this reason.

Food bowls and water bottles should be cleaned each day.

Handling

Regular handling will help your gerbils become tame but care and patience

may be needed. The easiest way is to scoop them up so that their body is

cupped using both hands. Alternatively, you can grasp them gently but firmly

over their back with one hand, and the other holding the base of the tail.

Never pick up your gerbil by its tail.