Ask The Gerbils

Hi Herman and Hallie!

I’m thinking about getting a gerbil. There is this cage at Petsmart that I would like to get, but I don’t know if it would be okay for two male gerbils.

The cage is in a pack called the Deluxe Gerbil and Hamster Cage kit. It is a wire cage and comes with a bag of gerbil/hamster feed and some toys.

Would a glass fish tank be better. If so, how big?

Also, is Carefresh Colors Confetti Odor Control pet bedding okay for gerbils?

From,

- H.

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Hi H.!


Thank you for your letter. You have so many great questions!

Although gerbils can live in either a cage or a glass tank, I prefer a glass tank.

You can give your gerbils a deeper layer of bedding if they live in a tank. (In a cage, the bedding will fall out through the bars if you fill it too high.)

Also, gerbils love to dig and tunnel under the bedding. In a cage, they will kick the bedding out through the bars.

Also, it’s harder for gerbils to escape from a glass tank with a secure lid, so they can stay safer in a glass tank.

You can also give your gerbils lots of fun toys if they live in a glass tank. In the picture to the left, you can see my sister Liza rearranging the bedding in our tank around cardboard boxes to make fun hiding places and tunnels.

In addition to a wheel, you can give your gerbils lots of cardboard boxes to chew (without worrying that they’ll kick little bits of shredded cardboard out onto your floor), and you can give them lots and lots of bedding so they can have fun digging in it!

If you get a fish tank for your gerbils, it should be no smaller than 10 gallons. We really need at least that much space. If you can get a larger tank, your gerbils will enjoy the extra space. :)

Finally, the Carefresh bedding should be okay. Just like people, though, gerbils have different allergies to different things, so if your gerbils get runny noses or have any other problems, you can try a different type of safe bedding, such as aspen or corncob, too.

From your friend,

Hallie

Dear Herman,

My gerbil Jessica is very nervous. She stands in the corner of her tank and spends half the day trying to jump out.

I know I’ve only had her for a week, but she worries me. She gets along fine with her tankmate Belle (the little sweetheart), so that isn’t a problem. She darts to her house at the slightest noise. She’s almost been hurt when I try to hold her.

Can you help me? Am I just over-reacting because these are my first gerbils and Belle is the calmest gerbil I know?

From,

-G.


P.S. Tell Hallie I said hi!

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Dear G.,

Thank you for writing!

Gerbils are like people: Each one has a different personality. So Belle might always be calmer and tamer than Jessica.

The good news is that, even if Jessica is always a little bit nervous, you can do some things to help her feel safer. Also, some of Belle’s calm personality may rub off on Jessica over time.

To help Jessica feel safe, don’t chase her around the tank to pick her up. Since she gets scared easily, it might help to pick her up using a cup. Let her crawl into the cup, and then “spill” her out into your hand. As soon as she starts to act nervous, have her crawl into your other hand and then gently lower her back into her tank. This will help her learn to trust you and know that when she wants to go home, you will take her home, where it is safe.

You can learn more about the cup trick here:

http://homepage.mac.com/kyleekay/tip-of-the-week/tip032603.html

I hope that helps! Just remember to be patient with Jessica. She’s still getting used to her new home. :)

Your pal,

Herman