You may also offer seed mix periodically during this time.Īfter the first 4 weeks, you can offer small amounts of fresh or dried fruit, veggies, and seed blends as a small portion of the daily diet. Feed a basic diet of Oxbow kibble for the first two weeks, until your animal has adjusted to their new home. Oxbow Gerbil food should be used as the staple of the diet, but other things can be added to make sure the animals are receiving the optimal nutrition. Find a metal wheel that can accommodate your pet’s long tail to avoid injuries- before use, make sure to check for any slits or open slots that your pet could get caught in. We recommend a metal exercise wheel to make your habitat complete. Provide other chewable items in the cage, such as wooden chews or cardboard tubes and edible toys to satisfy their natural urge to chew and to keep their teeth worn to a comfortable length. A basic wood hiding place is vital to help them feel comfortable and secure.
Captive gerbils feel much safer with some sort of refuge. A standard ceramic food dish is recommended, as plastic dishes will be chewed and possibly ingested.
Provide 2 water sources for your gerbil in case one gets dirty or spilled a hang-on water bottle & a ceramic water dish is perfect. Better choices include aspen bedding or Carefresh bedding. Natural oils in Cedar can cause respiratory complications, and corncob may be accidentally ingested. Gerbils need a few inches of small pet bedding to dig in and to absorb waste. Gerbils may chew through the plastic bottom of a wire cage or the plastic habitat. We recommend a 10 gallon glass tank with a metal screen lid (secured by clips) for two gerbils. There are a variety of housing options on the market for gerbils: wire cages, plastic cages with a complex systems of tubes or a basic glass tank with a screen lid. Please remember, That Pet Place cannot guarantee the sex of any animal of any age because young rodents are so difficult to sex, nor do we guarantee that the gerbils you purchase will cohabit peacefully, even if chosen from the same tank. If you choose to keep a male and female together, expect a new litter of babies every four to six weeks for up to 18 months. When you purchase your pets, we recommend that you choose two gerbils from the same tank where they already “know” each other. Males are easy going, and you can keep four to six of them together in a colony provided there are no females present anywhere else in the vicinity (including in the same household). Two females who have never bred can live peacefully together, but no more than two. Gerbil communities are female dominant, and females are more aggressive. Usually, they can coexist peacefully with any other gerbils provided they have been housed together since they were about six weeks old. Gerbils are social animals and they prefer to be kept in groups. Add to this their size and minimal odor, and it is easy to see why they are popular pets. Their small size, friendly temperament, and easy maintenance make them an ideal pet for anyone willing to earn their trust. Gerbils are active, curious rodents that have been kept as pets in the US since the 1960s.
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