Gerbils

About Gerbils

Gerbils as Pets Among the more lazy of the rodent family, gerbils are much more friendly than mice or hamsters and are a better choice for children. Good in pairs as long as they are of the same gender. Unlike other rodents some gerbils have no tails and some have tails that will reach 4 inches at adulthood. They typically live to be 2 or 3 years old, but rumors have the max age at 5 or 6. They can reach a maximum length of 4 inches. More of a pack rat than hamsters and can be friendlier as well. Tend to get bigger than hamsters, yet smaller than rats. They can live in a medium sized cage and are less demanding than hamsters on a whole. Gerbils are among the best pets you can have in the rodent families.

If they are gained when they are young they will be more tolerant to handling and will actually expect it over time. They will grow to be friend to the people they know and will approach their hands if enough allotted time has passed.

What Gerbils Eat

They like to eat grains, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit. Fresh fruit and greens should be given on accession as well. A good place to get their food for cheap is to go to the local grocery store and gather the items out of the bulk food (where you have to measure the weight of the food and pay by the pound). Their cage should be cleaned out every week as a minimum for the stench can be unbearable otherwise.

More Characteristics of Gerbils

Gerbils are social animals, if you are to get one as a pet you might consider getting 2. It will make it easier on the pets, especially if can’t devote a lot of time to them. Just make sure that the cage you have decided upon is large enough to accommodate them.

Gerbils are one of the most mellow of rodents, although there is one thing you should never do with one. Gerbils can get aggressive if you try to grab them and carry them by their tail. This will scare them and make them very unbalanced in temperament.

Unlike other pets, it is not ideal to add new gerbils to an older one’s domain. I will likely cause a confrontation and make things bad for all involved.

Photo Credit: Kerry