GERBIL WEEK: Must Haves!

Today is the fourth day of the WEEK OF THE GERBIL!

We love our furry little friends and we all want them to be healthy. But what do they need to be healthy? This blog has all of the things that are completely necessary to your gerbils' health.

Gerbil Must Haves!
To properly care for your gerbils you will need these things!

• Cage/Habitat: Gerbils seems similar to hamsters right? Can't I put a gerbil in a hamster cage? NO. Hamster and mouse cages are not gerbil friendly. Gerbils chew much more than hamsters and mice and are more likely to completely destroy a cage designed with hamsters and mice in mind. They also need to create their own tunnels instead of playing in human made plastic tunnels that they will chew to pieces. Your best bet for a gerbil cage is to get a tank (around 10 gallons) and put a wire high rise on top of it. You can fill the bottom of the cage with bedding for burrowing and place food, water and a wheel at the top on the high rise. There are also specially designed gerbil cages you can buy. Just make sure the cage is roomy and chew proof. You will need to put a large amount of bedding in your cage. (If using a tank with a high rise, it is a good idea to fill the tank at least half way with bedding for them to burrow and make tunnels in.) Aspen wood and paper bedding work best.
• Food: Gerbils gotta eat! Feed them gerbil food! You can purchase gerbil food at almost any pet store. The best is a mixture of seeds and pellets. They should get fresh gerbil food every day. You can also feed them Timothy Hay, Millet Snips, Wood Chews, certain fresh fruits, certain fresh vegetables, and a variety of treats.
• Food Bowl and Water Bottle:  I would recommend a small ceramic bowl for your gerbil's food. Ceramic bowls are chew proof and are heavy so they won't be turned over easily. Gerbils should be given fresh water daily and it should be offered from a water bottle, never a bowl. Gerbils should never get wet or be allowed to drink dirty water and a bowl of water will make both of these possible. Glass, chew proof bottles work best.
• Running Wheel/flying saucer: Since gerbils have a lot of energy to burn they need a wheel to run on. The wheel should not have openings as the gerbil can get his/her tail and feet caught in it. Chew proof wheels are available, though a bit harder to find and often more pricey, but they are worth it.
• House: Chew proof houses can be purchased for little hide outs. They are often made of ceramic. Wooden houses work well too, though not entirely chew proof. The house should be big enough to allow each gerbil (if keeping more than one) to fit in comfortably together.

This is everything your gerbil absolutely needs in order to be happy and healthy! Next post will be about things your gerbils wants!

-Tracy