Gerbils on the Quay

GENERAL CARE:

The American Gerbil Society site has a wealth of knowledge on gerbil care. Click the "Care" link from their main page.

PAIRING:

Gerbils are social and should be kept in pairs so they do not get lonely. Males can live in groups of 2, 3 or more but females may fight when older if 3 or more are in the same cage. Females are the dominant of the sexes and tend to be more territorial if more than 2 are together.

It is ideal to buy 2 brothers or 2 sisters from the same litter. If you do not do this, you will need to introduce them through the split cage method. We will introduce the two pups we are adopting out. If one of your adult gerbils passes away, you would want to introduce a companion using the split cage process. An adult male can be introduced to 1-2 male pups and an adult female can be introduced to a female of the same size.

CHILDREN:

Gerbils are ideal for kids ages 8 and up. Our gerbils are adopted out at six weeks old, making them especially small and fragile, until they become adults at 13 weeks old. We prefer not to adopt gerbils to any child under age 7. We realize sometimes there are younger siblings in the family; younger children would require adult supervision at all times.

HANDLING:

Avoid handling gerbils high above hard flooring; sit or kneel while holding them. Young children should be supervised at all times. A gerbils should never be lifted or caught by its tail, especially on fabric surfaces where the gerbil will tend to pull hard against you. Doing so can cause the tail to come off. This is unfortunately one of the most common gerbil injuries. Though horrifying, the gerbils will live through it. 'Tails coming off' is a natural defense mechanism for the gerbil.

It is best to wash your hands before handling the gerbils to avoid being mistaken for food. They might nibble your hand if they smell something good on it. While your hand is in the cage, it is good to place it flat on the bottom of the cage. Be patient and wait for your gerbils to walk over your hand. One day it may feel comfortable enough to crawl up your arm. The more you chase them the less they will want to come.

THINGS TO CHEW:

Gerbils need to chew. Something to chew on MUST be in the cage at all times. Use shipping tubes, toilet paper tubes, food packaging boxes, or other cardboard boxes. Avoid newspaper where the ink rubs off easily. Glossy print on paperboard (like cereal or frozen pizza boxes) is ok.

WATER:

Fresh water should be provided at least twice a week. If going away for more than a day, put two bottles in the cage.

HAZARDS:

Temperature: Gerbils tend to do best in temperatures of 68-78F. Keep the gerbils out of direct sunlight, especially in warmer months.

Scents: Avoid room fresheners around your gerbils. Even the plug in fresheners can be fatal if next to the cage. If there is a mirror above your cage, be aware that mist from glass cleaners can fall into the cage and make your gerbils sick.

Escapes: Your gerbils WILL escape some time in their lifetime. It’s just a fringe benefit of owning them :) If you have any areas that are accessible to a gerbil, but not to a human, it would be a good idea to keep those duct taped off, as a precaution. Consider areas under the washer and dryer ( a favorite of our clan), dishwasher etc. Sometimes the bottom side of furniture has holes that they can get into. Also realize that the 'toe kick area' under bathroom and kitchen cabinets are sometimes open to the inside of the cabinet. Be sure that any mouse traps are inaccessible to your gerbils. First of all remove all other pets from the area! One way to catch them, since gerbils can't resist tubes, is to use long tubes to coax them inside. We sometimes use a transparent tube to catch ours. We had a gerbil under our dishwasher and we placed her aquarium on its side with food and water in it, while creating a barricade around the dishwasher so it could not escape anywhere else. It took about 8 hours for her to come out to get food and water, but when she did we were able to quickly tip the aquarium upright with her in it. "Caught at last!"

Cages: Allow the cage to cool to room temperature after washing. If you own other pets, be sure the cage top is securely fastened.

BREEDING:

Don't jump into breeding without first understanding that gerbils can breed every 26 days, meaning you will need to find homes for several gerbils every season. Also the pups will interbreed after 6-10 weeks making things even more interesting.