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Gerbils
A number of species of Gerbils have been developed to be pets. Raising and training these little fur balls is fun and educational.
1,075 Questions
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Gerbils are desert rats, which means they come from the desert. Other names for them are jirds or kangaroo rats.
They are normally around 2 for £15.
They need a gerbilarium or a large fish tank with wire mesh on top to live in.
They should have 6-10cm of wood shavings for bedding and all toys should be wooden as plastic is dangerous for them because they chew so much.
They should eat gerbil or hamster muesli and bottled water is the best thing for them to drink, although you can give them tap water.
Clean out their cage at least once every other week as they are not smelly like other rodents.
Gerbils have a life span of about 2-4 years. 5 if you really take care of your gerbil properly and you are lucky.
Gerbils should ideally be kept in pairs of the same gender and from the same family unless you are going to breed.
If you already have a gerbil and buy another one then I would recommend keeping them on different cages, but if you want them together then put a fencing in the middle of the cage and put each gerbil in one side. After a few hours switch them around so they can have each others scent. Keep switching them every few hours. After a week take out the fencing and see how they get on. If they fight, repeat the process again and so on.
DO NOT pick up a gerbil by the tail as it is attached to their spine and can give them a horrible disease that is very painful.
If you want to treat your gerbil, give it a couple of sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
If you want to give it some fruit or vegetable, then a little bit of apple, carrot or grape will not do it any harm. But don't do this often.
Gerbils also like small bits of bread and and little bits of rich tea biscuits, but these are special treats, not to given to them regularly.
A gerbil with more than one colour is pied.
Gerbils only ever have one mate and if it dies it is very unlikely you will be able to breed with the gerbil that is still alive ever again.
Gerbils come on heat, around every 3 days.
Gerbils normally come from Mongolia but come from different places as well. Hope this has been helpful.
How do you get rid of gerbils?
Gerbils are living things so obviously lack of food, sleep and water are the main things you need to worry about but there are lots of things which won't immediately kill him but after a while will lead to other problems which may be fatal. Things like ensuring they have enough sawdust to dig in and toys to play with all help with keeping him healthy. Look up how to cage a gerbil and how to look after him.
Some things are poisonous to gerbils, I world suggest finding a list online of things gerbils can and cannot eat, to be on the safe side.
How do you know when your gerbil is dead?
Sad to say mine has just died but if you leave it a while and it makes no movement pick it up and look at its eyes as they will be closed if it is dead and will not be able to be opened by force ; i have never heard of a gerbil playing deead before, I hope this helped.
Barely. After a while, maybe about a month, the smell will start and you should clean the cage. They also don't pee that much because they are desert animals and therefore do not need much water. So it doesn't smell at first but eventually it will stink
How do you introduce two gerbils to another one?
DEFINETLY NO!!!! guinea pigs get spooked very easily, especially if it is larger than them. I introduced my cat and my guinea pig, and my guinea pig started squeaking so loud it was deafenig. It was so sAD- DONT DO IT!!
Can you put two female gerbils that are not sisters in the same cage?
It can be dangerous if two female gerbils are introduced. The split-cage method should be used and the females should be young. The split-cage method isn't always guaranteed to work, but if you're patient it is possible that the two can get along.
What kind of treats could gerbils eat?
They mostly like nuts but they will eat carrots and lettuce. they also like to eat non honey nut cherrios
Where do gerbils sleep in the desert?
In the desert, gerbils would eat seeds like they do when there kept as pets, but they also eat somethings people don't serve them like, mealworms, bugs, (don't feed them any bug other that Mealworms unless you know its completely safe for them.) and even eggs. (if you feed them eggs, boil them,take all the shell off, and cut it in to small pieces before serving.)
How much in general will 3 gerbils cost?
My gerbil cost $5. Though, the price of a gerbil can range anywhere from $1-$20. The actual gerbil's not that expensive. Though, when you take everything into consideration...
-toys-
you can make your own or buy them; I did both. Toys such as little huts and hidey boxes can range from $5-$10 for one. Gerbils just love to chew, though, so beware of getting expensive ones because they can disapear quite fast!
Wheels are great, and may be from around $6-$15 for one. This will keep them energized and excercised! You'll probably only go through one or two of these, though.
-Chew Stuff-
This can be quite expensive, though, it's much easier to just give gerbils things like cardboard rolls, cereal boxes, and news paper pieces to chew on. If you decide to buy nice wood for them, it may be from around $3-$10 per package.
-food-
Can be anywhere from $2-$7 per bag (or box).
-bedding-
You can use paper shreddings (though, I don't recommend it because it gets dirty very fast), wood shavings, dried grass, dirt, and many other things.
-cage-
Gerbils need a good amount of room to dash around in, even if they have a wheel.
-vet trips/medicine-
This is probably the most expensive thing. Gerbils can get sick highly easily, and vet bills can be hundreds of dollars.
I don't know the cost of everything, so I though I'd start and maybe someone else could finish this question up who has a bit more knowledge.
Can a older male gerbil get a younger female gerbil pregnet?
Yes. Male gerbils, no matter how old they are, can impregnate female gerbils. Most female gerbils can no longer conceive after 2 years of age. Either way, it's never wise to put a male and female together unless you intend to breed and provide for several litters. Gerbils are not easy to find homes for.
How do gerbils talk to other gerbils?
First of all, do not just throw two gerbils into a tank and expect them to be best buddies. They need to be familiar with the gerbil first. Split your tank in half with wire mesh with 1/4 of an inch space in between the links so they can't bite or scratch the other gerbil. Next, hang a water bottle, put a food dish w/ food, and put some toys on each side. Put one gerbil on each side of the mesh. Don't be surprised if they try to bite each other, this is normal. Alternate the gerbils a few times a day so the ycan get used to the other gerbil's scent. Signs that the gerbils are ready to have the mesh removed are cuddling through the mesh at night and grooming through the mesh. When you remove the mesh, wear tough gloves in case the gerbils decide that they would like to fight. If they do fight, separate them immediately and replace the mesh. If they are chasing each other or the gerbils look frightened, put the mesh back. If they are grooming each other, sleeping, or nonchalantly doing gerbil behaviors, stay and watch them for at least 2 hours to make sure they aren't being very good actors. If everything goes well, they should be fine. If you had to replace the mesh, repeat everything and try again. If they still won't stop fighting for over a month, return the other gerbil and get a new one. Sometimes, just like people, some gerbils just aren't compatable.
How long do baby gerbils stay with the mother?
Gerbil pups should remain with their mothers for at least six weeks, if not eight, even though they are weaned at week four. Gerbils still have many behaviors to learn, and separating them from mom early can lead to gerbils being aggressive and untameable.
Does it damage the gerbil if it eats leaves from trees?
It can damge gerbils, do not feed gerbils any leaves unless you know they are safe, look ate the links for list of safe gerbel food
A series of greens and vegetables including lettuce, cabbage, and some berries. I suggest you buy gerbil food at your local pet store. They also eat grasshoppers but buy them at the pet store because they could have pesticide on them.
- GerbilExpert
How often do gerbils get pregnant after having babies?
they might get pregnant at least once or twice after having babies.
How do you know if your gerbil likes you?
It is not so much that they like you or not. Some are just better at being handheld because they have experienced it from an early age (after their eyes open). If you bought an older gerbil from a petstore that has not be regularly handled, it may not ever be a good pet.
Yes. You can tell if your gerbil is scared if he shivers or if he chatters his teeth
Can you put a male gerbil with a male hamster together?
Gerbils are capable of breeding very quickly, with fairly large litters which have fairly high survival rates. They must be introduced carefully, by allowing them to acclimatise to each other while they are separate. I would not recommend housing gerbils of opposite genders together, unless the male is neutered- and only young animals should be neutered.
What if a gerbil has a broken back?
In general if any small animal, smaller than a rabbit say, ends up with both hind legs broken, or more than one broken limb, it's best to take them to a vet to see the severity of the breakages anyways, then speak to a vet about treatment possibilities. Preferably a vet that actually knows what he/she's doing with small rodents. If you don't have the money to take your pet to the vet then....if both hind legs are broken, you'll either need to spend 24/7 with the animal until it heals on its own(after you re-set the broken limbs depending on if the bones are just broken and not shattered) or...put it to sleep.
Why do gerbils burrow in the sand?
They borrow in the sand because they come from the dessert from egypt,india,mexico,............and so on
How do you get gerbils to run on a wheel?
Because they are very protective and watchful of the pups, and want to be ready to supply them whatever they need, and still have to run on the whell for exersize. It's kind of like they're multitasking or something.
Can Mice and gerbils live in the cage?
Absolutely not. Gerbils are highly territorial and you cannot even introduce a lone adult to a lone adult without a splitcage. It is highly likely that the gerbil would just kill the mouse.
Cohabiting different types of rodents is never advised, and there are very, very few examples where it can be successful many of which are isolated incidents. Even where successful, the company of another species can never substitute for company of their own kind.
How does a gerbil protect itself?
A gerbil will protect itself by biting the attacker.
Sometimes a bite can draw blood.
The most common reason for missing fur on the tail is over-grooming by it's cagemates. The best way to prevent this from happening (since it is often due to being bored) is to give them plenty of cardboard and safe nesting materials. Other causes are:
The gerbil is rubbing it's tail on something in the cage- Removing the object.
Former injury- Hair sometimes won't grow back, Nothing to be worried about.
Malnutrition- Due to poor quality or not enough food. Make sure the food doesn't have too many "treats" in it.
Mites/Lice/Fleas- Which you can get checked out by your Vet
ANSWER #2
If you have two gerbils or more the other one may be chewing off the hair, i have dagu's--which are like gerbils-- and one of them is missing some hair on her tail, due to the other one. If you only have one, i might be chewing off the hair itself. It shouldn't be a big problem though, unless the gerbil is acting different about the missing hair on its tail.
someone or something may have pulled it off. i had one and someone pulled it off. it will look boney at first. but don't worry in a few hours it will grow back but not all the way.
