How To Care For A Pet Gerbil

Gerbils are not very expensive, so you can buy them at very affordable prices at your local pet store. However, if you know somebody who is giving away baby gerbils, then you can usually get one free. Many people who have baby gerbils just want to get rid of them, so will be glad for you to take them off their hands.

If you live in the UK, you can find pet shops in your area in The Thompson Local.

If you live in the USA, you can find pet shops in your area at The Pet Shop USA.

Try and avoid people who are giving away one-year old and two-year old gerbils. A gerbil's lifespan is only 2-3 years, so you don't want to get one that is likely to die after a few months.

You shouldn't get just one gerbil, because gerbils are creatures that will get very lonely if left alone. It's best to get two gerbils, and obviously make sure they are the same sex as you don't want them to start breeding (or do you?).

If you are going to get more than two gerbils, make sure that you have a cage or tank which is big enough for them all, otherwise it will become very overcrowded.

I want to list all the reasons of why it is better to get a glass tank rather than a plastic cage. Glass tanks are often more expensive than plastic cages, but it is definitely worth paying the extra. I have had experience with both types of gerbil homes, and these are the reasons why I much prefer glass tanks to keep gerbils in.

There is less mess.
Gerbils kept in cages will kick the woodshavings and bedding out of the cage. Not good if you have a nice clean carpet.

There is less chance that your gerbils will escape.
My gerbils escaped twice out of a cage. You will be surprised at the way gerbils will find how to escape from their homes.

It will last longer.
If you get a plastic cage with metal bars, plastic ledges, and other plastic parts, you will find your gerbils chewing and nibbling away at the cage until it is almost unrecognisable as a cage. I had a cage with six gerbils in, and the cage had about six plastic platforms. After a few weeks, there was hardly anything left of the platforms, because the gerbils had practically ate them all away!

You should feed your pet gerbil every morning. Throw away any old food that is left in the food bowl, and replace it with new food, filling up the bowl. A gerbil will only eat as much as it needs.

You should also empty the water which is in the water bottle, and fill up the bottle with completely fresh water.

Every week, for example, on a Saturday, you might want to give your gerbil a treat in the form of gerbil chocolate or other treat. You can get mini gerbil chocolate buttons at your local pet shop.

You should clean out your gerbil's cage once a week, or whenever it looks too dirty or starts to smell.

To clean out your gerbil's cage, follow these simple steps:

1. Take your gerbil(s) out of the cage and put them in the spare cage.

2. Take all accessories out of the cage (food bowl, etc).

3. Empty all woodshavings and bedding out of the cage into a binbag or bin.

4. If the cage/tank is dirty, give it a rinse with water. Do not use any washing up liquid or detergent.

5. Make sure the cage/tank is dry, and then refill it with woodshavings.

6. Put a handful of nesting bedding in the place where the gerbil(s) has chosen their nest.

7. Put the accessories back in.

8. Put the gerbils back in.