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A few questions about gerbils

Annie's piggies

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I don't have gerbils but am looking to have some in the future. There are still a few things I am unsure about and would like to know.
Answer what you can.

Q1. Can you join two bin cages together for them to make a bigger cage because most bins are small ?

Q2. Is it best to get a pair of females or males ?

Q3. When are they most active ?

Q4. What do they eat ?

Q5. And to top it off what good bedding do you recommend to use or what mixture ?
 
Hi I have gerbils and shall try and answer some of your questions
1 Am I right in thinking that bin cages are made from plastic? If so, they won’t be suitable for gerbils as they love to chew so will chew their way out

2 It doesn’t matter whether you have males or females. I’ve had both and they are equally as friendly. Males do tend to grow a bit bigger than females

3 gerbils are not nocturnal so they can be active at anytime during the day / night

4 Mine eat a muesli mix specifically made for gerbils that contains peanuts, sunflower seeds pea flakes corn and other bits and bobs

5 I use dust extracted wood shavings but paper based bedding can also be used. They also love a sand bath
 
Wow thank you for the feed back.😊
Didn't know they could chew through plastic like that !
Are there any good fairly cheap reccomdations on the cage that is big enough but still escape proof !?
If I ever did get gerbils i would love a big cage for them as in the past with other pets I have made the mistake of getting to smaller cage, so if I ever got gerbils I would want to get one where they can have a good run and dig, but also one that's is very much so escape proof as my syarin hamster years ago escaped out of his cage four times !
Most cages are to small and are way to highly priced !
 
Wow thank you for the feed back.😊
Didn't know they could chew through plastic like that !
Are there any good fairly cheap reccomdations on the cage that is big enough but still escape proof !?
If I ever did get gerbils i would love a big cage for them as in the past with other pets I have made the mistake of getting to smaller cage, so if I ever got gerbils I would want to get one where they can have a good run and dig, but also one that's is very much so escape proof as my syarin hamster years ago escaped out of his cage four times !
Most cages are to small and are way to highly priced !

In terms of cage, you’re better off with either a gerbiliarium or a glass fish tank. Both can be filled with bedding to allow them to dig :)
 
I know this is a little late but I thought I could contribute. :)

1) Besides the obvious issues with plastic, sometimes gerbils will become territorial and one gerb could prevent the other gerb from crossing over. This could result in declanning at worst. Best to get a 29/40g tank (basically at least 18” tall for plenty of bedding).

2 &3) already answered

4) It should be some sort of seed mix/muesli with a GA of ~15% protein, ~5% fat, and ~10% fiber. I would recommend Bunny Dwarf Hamster Dream, which is also suitable for gerbils. Rodipet also makes some great mixes but I don’t believe they’re fortified so you’ll need to add some other fortfied food to prevent malnutrition. Other treats like oats, sunflower seeds, millet, flax seed, barley, and wheat are all appreciated.

5. You’ll want something that can hold burrows really well. I hear Aubiose is good as well as Fitch and Megazorb. Be sure to have at very least 25-30cm of it—they love burrowing and it helps them thermoregulate. :)

To add, plastic should never be used as gerbs are big chewers and it could cause impactions. Wooden chews/toys/hides should always be provided so they can chew on something healthy.
 
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