Ask The Gerbils

Hallie and Smurf are happy to answer your questions about taking care of, playing with, taming, or getting to know your gerbils. However, if you have questions about breeding or gerbil babies, you should ask an experienced breeder, not Hallie and Smurf. For breeding questions, please see the American Gerbil Society or a site such as the Gerbil Breeding & Development page.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Dear Herman,

I am 10 years old, and I was wondering if it is a good idea to put cat litter in my gerbil’s cage? My aunt has a hamster, and she puts it in there, so is it safe for my gerbils?

Sincerely,

Tyler




Dear Tyler,

Thank you for writing to me! My granddaughter Hallie is going to help me answer your question. :)

We don’t know exactly what type of cat litter your aunt uses, but we would guess that it wouldn’t be very good for your gerbils.

When cats use a litter box, it can smell pretty strong, so usually cat litter has stuff in it to cover up the “cat smell.” A lot of times, the stuff they put in the cat litter can hurt our little gerbil lungs.

It’s best to use a nice, safe bedding for your gerbils. Our favorite type of bedding is corncob bedding, which you get in the bird aisle at the pet store. Other good beddings are Carefresh Ultra or aspen shavings.

Please tell your gerbils hello!

Your friends,

Herman & Hallie