Pets411care Basic Gerbil Care

PETS411CARE BASIC GERBIL CARE
Love your gerbil with proper care.

A pet gerbil is a comment. It is very important to take real good care of your gerbil.Gerbils are great pets to have. They do require a good amount of care. Gerbils live up to three years. They are small and come in many different colors. gerbils are part of the rodent family.

Always remember that your veterinarian is your best source of information on your animal’s health care.

FOOD AND WATER:

Gerbils need proper food and fresh water daily.

Your gerbil will need fresh clean water everyday. It is also very important to wash the water bowl or water bottle out because bacteria and algae can grow in a bowl or bottle. Bacteria and algae can lead to health problems which can lead to a huge medical bill. Just by taking the time and providing your gerbil with a clean bowl or bottle of fresh water you will help keep him or her healthy. Water is the most important thing in any animal’s life.
Use distilled water if you are unsure of the bacteria or chlorine levels in your tap water.
You can get a water bottle from the pet store. If you use a bowl you will need to clean it everyday because they do go to the bathroom in the water.

Gerbils eat anything from meats, vegetables, fruit, to nuts. Carrots are good treat to give your gerbil because hard foods help their teeth. Gerbils love hard bowled eggs. Watermelon rinds are high in nutrition, so they make great treats on hot days.
Put fresh grass in their cage everyday and take out the old grass.
Pet stores carry gerbil food with nutritional pellets.

Treats need to be limited- gerbils can die at a young age from obesity. It is a good idea to keep their food portions small.

Day old food that was not eaten should be removed from the cage to prevent any illness.

Don’t feed:
Orange or anything citrus
Nothing with mold on it.
They do not eat cheese.
No peanut butter it is every bad for them.
No chocolate
No milk

HOUSING AND BEDDING:

You will need a good size cage because gerbils can grow up to 18 inches.
Gerbils do better in wire cages.

Aquariums don’t provide proper ventilation which makes your gerbil more susceptible to illness. You will find that you will need to clean the aquarium more frequently too.
You need a 3/4 inch 3/4 inch wire mesh cage. A cage about 3x3 feet or bigger, bigger the cage the better, 16 gauge (galvanized steel mesh).

Nest Box
A nest box should be provided, store-bought or home made. Cardboard boxs will make a good nest box, although they chew them up and urinate on them. So you will need to replace cardboard boxes often. Cardboard boxes are great to keep your gerbil busy as he or she shreds it to pieces.
Gerbils love hanging pouches for sleeping in.
Big coffee cans or baskets work great. Some people use clay pots.
Some pet stores carry real nice nesting homes for gerbils.

They will need bedding. They love to shred paper. You can put grass or rose petals which help the cage to smell nice.
Cloth can be used for bedding like an old T-shirt.
Letting your gerbil tear the bedding up gives them something to do. They know just how they like their bedding to be.

Gerbils get sick very easily from a dirty cage. Their cage needs to be cleaned every week. Gerbils themselves are generally quite clean, and you will see them cleaning themselves on a regular basis.

Do not put pine and cedar in your gerbil’s cage. They cause heath problems for the gerbils.

VETERINARIAN AND HEALTH:

One of the first things you should do when you first get a gerbil is set a veterinarian appointment and give the gerbil a complete check-up.

Talk to your veterinarian about nutrition.

Your gerbil should get regular veterinarian check-ups just like any other pet.

If your pet is showing any signs of distress or you suspect your pet is seriously ill, CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN immediately.

Get more info on Wound Dr. to speed healing of pet wounds

Get More Info on PetAlive Natural Moves for Pet Constipation and Digestive Health

Get more info on PetAlive Ear Dr. for Ear Infections and Ear Mites.

HOLDING AND HANDLING:

You can pick up your gerbil by the base of their tail not by the tip of their tail. The skin of the tail can tear at the tip.
Don’t grab your gerbil by the middle of their waist cup both hands under your gerbil to pick him or her up.

PLAYTIME AND TOYS:

Gerbils are so intelligent that they need something to stimulate their mind or something to play with. To keep your gerbil mentally healthy you need to get them toys. They need stuff to chew and to climb on.

Gerbil’s teeth are always growing, to help with this problem you should provide them with a sterilized bone or sticks to chew on.

Ropes are a great toy for the cage. Having a rope tied from one end of the cage to the other gives your gerbil something to climb on.
The same toys sold for a parrot are great for a gerbil.

To keep your mouse fit you will need an exercise wheel. Wheels come in different sizes, and plastic or metal.

TRAINING

You should take your gerbil out everyday and hold him or her. At first your gerbil will pee and poop on you because it’s scared, but after some time has gone by your gerbil will learn that you are not going to hurt it. Then you will really be able to enjoy the interaction you have with your gerbil. Gerbils can learn to come when they are called and they do learn tricks. By working with your gerbils you are providing them with mental stimulation that is very important to your gerbil’s mental health.

Once your gerbil is trained you then can let him or her out of the cage for a little bit of exploring time. You will need to keep watch over them while they romp around- there are several things that a gerbil could get into around your home that is dangerous, so please keep an eye on them. You should limit the area that they can explore.

Some people set up a whole room just for their gerbils to play in. They cover the plugs and any holes, since gerbils can get through just about any hole. They will even make their gerbils a jungle gym.

Don’t ever hit your gerbil. Learn to be patient with your gerbil.

The training does not happen overnight it takes time.

COMPAIONSHIP:

You will need more then one gerbil.
Gerbils are social animals so you should buy two or more gerbils of the same sex to live together. Males get along with other males they where raised with or their brothers. So buy the males young and at the same time. Females get long even if they were not raised together.
Gerbils live in colonies in their natural environment.

BEFORE YOU GET YOUR GERBIL
Make sure you have everything on the list first.

Shopping List:
Water
Water bottle
Food
Food bowl
Wire cage (a very big one)
Nesting box or can (their little house)
Hanging pouch
Nesting material
Rope and toys
Another gerbil to be their friend
Treats
Get the gerbils checked out by a veterinarian

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ONE LAST TIP…
The whole family should help in the care of a gerbil.

There are many great books that give more detail on the proper care of gerbils. This web page only gives the basic on gerbil care. You will need a book on gerbils that provides more detail information.

Do you have a great gerbil tip or stories to share? Just fill out the form below.

Gerbil Tips or Stories
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