Gerbils are busy, curious and energetic small animals, they can be tricky to handle as they like to run around, so care should always be taken with young children to ensure there are no escapes. Gerbils like to dig and will make very intricate burrows and tunnels. Gerbils are very sociable animals and can be kept in same sex pairs or small groups.
Food and Diet
Our gerbils in store are fed on Geri gerbil, they should stay on this until they are 16 weeks, after this they can be transitioned onto another food such as Selective Gerbil, which is a nutritionally balanced pellet food. It can reduce the chances of your gerbil just eating the few things it likes and leaving the rest, which can lead to them not getting all of the nutrients they need. At 16 weeks you can also start introducing treats and vegetables, but this should never replace the rest of their diet.
Gerbils are a prey animal and are extremely fast. When handling your gerbil we recommend you rub your hands in their wood flake so that your scent matches theirs, then you can scoop up your gerbil, using a firm, but gentle technique. Never grab a gerbil by its tail as you could drop them, which will be an extremely stressful and painful experience for them.
Living Conditions
Gerbils are a diurnal species and are usually awake during the day, this makes them very good as pets as they are often up to something like digging burrows or tunnels, chewing their toys or running around.
Gerbils need a large enclosure with a deep base so that they can have a thick layer of woodflake and hay. Gerbils are burrowers by nature and require a large glass or plastic enclosure with around a foot of woodflake so that they can build tunnels, burrows and nests. We would also recommend providing hay for your gerbil as they like to have a chew on this and it can help keep them warm. Hay is also full of fibre so it helps to keep their gut moving and helps with digestion.
We also stock a wide selection of gerbil treats, toys and accessories.
Health and Wellbeing
You should regularly health check your gerbil when you are handling it, you should check that their eyes are bright and alert, the nostrils should be clean, their bottoms should be clean too. If you notice your gerbil has diarrhea you should stop any treats and fruit and veg for 48 hours and just give normal food. If it continues after this time, we would advise you get them checked by a vet. You should also check your gerbils' teeth and nails do not become overgrown, we sell a range of mineral blocks and other wood chews that will help keep their teeth short. If they do become overgrown, we recommend a vet visit. We sell nail clippers that are suitable if their nails become overgrown.
If you have any questions about the pet you have just purchased then please feel free to give the store you purchased them from a call.
We hope that you enjoy your newest companion and that you have many happy years together.
