Pet Gerbil Care

Gerbils make good pets. They are more active than hamsters and have active periods during both day and night. They are friendlier and more docile than other members of the rodent family. Since gerbils are desert animals, they do not urinate or defecate very often. This is their way of conserving water in their natural (hot) habitat.

Gerbils are relatively inexpensive to purchase and feed and require only minimal space and care. They also make good solitary pets. Gerbils enjoy interacting with humans, and the more a gerbil is handled, the tamer it becomes. Gerbils that are not accustomed to being handled may bite.

A small aquarium with a screen top is an ideal gerbil home. Aquariums are easy to clean, minimize drafts, and prevent paper or wood shavings from being kicked onto the floor. Gerbils are curious animals and sit on their haunches to view their surroundings. Gerbils also like to burrow. Give them plenty of bedding so that they can burrow. Enrich their environment with toys and tunnels. Paper towel tubes work well, as they can crawl in and chew them up.

Gerbil owners should feed their pet a commercial pellet feed made especially for gerbils. Fresh water from a hanging bottle should also be available at all times. Greens (lettuce) and seeds can be offered as occasional treats. Uneaten portions of greens should be removed before they rot.

If one gerbil is good, are two gerbils better? Gerbils should be kept single unless they are paired together at a young age. Even if they are paired young and then are separated for more than a few days, they won't want a reunion. The likely result is a nasty fight. If you want more than one gerbil, get them young and keep them together. If you don't want babies, then get pairs of males or females.

Gerbils are sexually mature at 2 to 3 months of age. The pregnancy lasts 25 days and usually results in five babies. Both mother and father are good parents and raise the litter together. Do not disturb the new family by cleaning the cage or handling any of them for the first couple of weeks. It is best for them to have food and water and privacy during this period.

One word of caution regarding picking up your gerbil. Don't pick up your pet gerbil by the tail. The skin can slip off, leaving bone exposed, and requiring the tail to be amputated. Pick up the whole gerbil in one or both hands."

Most gerbils live three to four years and have few health problems.