Oct 26 2006, 09:27 PM, updated 19y ago
Gerbil II
Gerbil information:
The gerbils I have are Mongolian Gerbils. They are pretty easy to care for and are generally more active and are friendlier than hamsters.
Gerbils make great pets for older children and adults. Tame and friendly, gerbils rarely bite or never bite at all. Once a while they do nip to test their surroundings or to give you a warning. Nipping is not painful.
Gerbils need to live in pairs, same sex pairs or mating pairs because they will become depressed and lonely. Aggressive and possive gerbils do occur and they should live solitarily once you find out they hate other gerbils but you as an owner need to give more attention to a single gerbil.
Why a pair? Well, gerbils are colony animals. They need to feel safe and secure in a family. Once they are alone, they become depress and will be destructive by chewing on everything they find, tend to dig at the tank's corners the whole day without stop, show nervousness and other unhealthy activities.
Gerbils do not have odours, the males have a bit but you will never notice it at all. They are clean, not smelly. They do not urinate much coz they are desert animals and do not consume much water. You still need to provide clean drinking water to them. If your gerbil doesn't like water, provide more leafy vegetables and fruits(non-citrius) for them to consume.
Gerbils are very hardy, they do not easily get sick. Gerbils can have allergy reactions to beddings. Always provide the best dustless beddings. Do go for some brands like Chipsi Classic/Super, Aspen shavings, corn cob... DO NOT USE CEDAR OR PINE!!!! These woods can cause serious health damage to all small animals.
The bedding needs to be changed once a week. The most is once every 2 weeks. The best bedding for gerbils is providing them with a mix. They and mix :
Hay(timothy or any bedding hay)
Wood shavings
Wood chips/corn cob
Paper(tissue or plain white shredded paper)
This mix will provide the best digging mix for a gerbil. You will need to fill up about 8cm of bedding cause gerbils are DIGGERS! They need to dig and make tunnels and burrows to satisfy their natural instinct.
How about breeding?
Please see the link below... breeding is not easy as it will cost money and time and space. So think carefully before breeding. Also, it takes a lot of studying of the genetics to get the best colour quality from a pair. Some gerbils can only produce black and agouti pups.... so that is why the genetics have to be studied. Breeding needs a goal, to be a breeder one must never think of money but the goal of getting new colours or promoting the pet. If any information needed on breeding, PM Nezumitaro, jaswwp or me(crazymouse_yyh)
You CANNOT pull their tails or it will come off. No, gerbils are not lizards, they come off coz their tails have very sensitive nerves and skin, pulling hard can detached the bone and tear the skin, resulting in the lost of a tail.
Important stuff to have before getting a gerbil:
1.5ft Aquarium with lid- you can get plastic or glass, plastic is easier to clean. The bigger, the better. (rm30 to rm40 for plastic) DO NOT CAGE THEM! Examples:
Hamster staple food- Any brand would do but best is Hagen to me. Gerbils prefer food mix with more grains and nuts than pellets.
Treats- Wooden chews, peanuts, dog biscuits and bread are great treats.
Water bottle- They need a bottle but if you don't want them to tear the bottle up, searh the internet for tips on making a bottle guard or cage. I feed my gerbils water using a bowl and watch them drink their fill and take away he bowl. Gerbils do not need much water if you feed them fruits and vege often.
Vege and fruits- Important to have in their diet. Give mustard greens(Sawi/Choy Sum), apples and carrots, french beans, lettuce. PUMPKIN makes an excellent treat!!! It deworms the intestines as well.
Toys- Gerbils love wooden stuff to chew, cardboard box to chew and glass cups and small clay flower pots to play in. Do not buy plastic toys coz they will chew them and you will waste your money.
Hide Box- Gerbils like to sleep in hide boxes. You can DIY one from an old coconut shell, buy a wooden one or plainly make one out from wooden ice cream sticks and PVA glue.
Wood Shavings and Wood Chips- No pine or cedar, please use aspen shavings or chipsi wood shavings. Pine and Cedar will cause breathing problems and watery eyes. Wood Chips are a good substitute if you can't find proper wood shavings.
Timothy Hay- Gerbils love hay. They chew it, build nest with it and sleep in it.
Alfalfa Hay- High in protein and is still good for gerbils to nibble and chew and make their nest.
Sand Bath- When your gerbil's fur looks ruffled and dull, give them a sand bath. You can get this cleaning sand that is for hamsters, works well and will make a gerbil look all velvety and clean looking.
Bedding Hay/Straw- You can try Russel Hay or Sluis Comfort Hay. These hay are used to build nest... cheaper than Timothy and Alfalfa hay.... and smells nice too.
Updated!!!!!
Gerbil waiting list:
1. hamster9 - 1 DEH
2. heidityj - 1 pair
3. faerie - dove and sp lilac
I do not give out mating pairs. Strictly only single sex pairs.
I will only consider letting go breeding pairs if you can convince me you are a good keeper.
Those in the waiting list, if you are thinking twice about gerbils, do inform me. PM me for more info.
Thanks.
(Will be continued later)
This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Dec 6 2006, 09:43 PM
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