Any advice on pet gerbils?
I've been doing a lot of research but still open to learning more about taking care of gerbils, Soon I'm going to go buy two of them~ I'm excited but also nervous as I never had gerbils as pets before
26-30, F
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I’m not certain if hamsters and gerbils would be similar when taking care of them but I know that most rodents tend to be fairly low maintenance when it comes to taking care of them. If you’ve done your research then you should be perfectly fine 😄 as there’s really not much research to be done on these awesome creatures I think it’s awesome you have done your research to make sure you provide the best possible home for them. I think @CountScrofula actually had some gerbils If I’m not mistaken and he maybe be able to add something in. 😯
Also I would suggest getting to know your gerbils as best as you can they have different personalities as well as different likes and even favorite foods so you learning these things about them can make them extremely happy. For example, I know my hamster really love sunflower seeds dried and papaya so I will give them to him occasionally as treats or just mix them in with his food as sunflower seeds tend to be a bit fatty so I try to limit it and dried fruit is really sweet and like candy to them so I limit that as well. . He also is really timid and shy and so when handling him I always let him sniff my hand so not to startle him, I also never wake him if I can help it because I want him to be able to enjoy his environment so only when he’s up I’ll play with him. He likes to bury himself in corners of his home so I put more bedding and sometimes shredded toilet paper for extra softness on the corners so he can be comfortable. So that’s just my advice is to try and pay attention to certain habits your gerbils may do or certain things they may like so they can be happy.
Another important factor, i’d Pay close attention to their diet and what you feed them. Research before feeding them certain food especially human fruits and veggies they’re not all good for rodents especially the acidic ones so it never hurts to just google if you’re uncertain I wouldn’t feed them too much fatty stuff if you can help it. I know a lot of mixed rodent food comes with corn and sunflower seeds which are actually really fatty to them and it’s easy for them to have a poor diet if you’re not careful so I’d pick some out before feeding it to them and give it to them occasionally or as treats
Also I would suggest getting to know your gerbils as best as you can they have different personalities as well as different likes and even favorite foods so you learning these things about them can make them extremely happy. For example, I know my hamster really love sunflower seeds dried and papaya so I will give them to him occasionally as treats or just mix them in with his food as sunflower seeds tend to be a bit fatty so I try to limit it and dried fruit is really sweet and like candy to them so I limit that as well. . He also is really timid and shy and so when handling him I always let him sniff my hand so not to startle him, I also never wake him if I can help it because I want him to be able to enjoy his environment so only when he’s up I’ll play with him. He likes to bury himself in corners of his home so I put more bedding and sometimes shredded toilet paper for extra softness on the corners so he can be comfortable. So that’s just my advice is to try and pay attention to certain habits your gerbils may do or certain things they may like so they can be happy.
Another important factor, i’d Pay close attention to their diet and what you feed them. Research before feeding them certain food especially human fruits and veggies they’re not all good for rodents especially the acidic ones so it never hurts to just google if you’re uncertain I wouldn’t feed them too much fatty stuff if you can help it. I know a lot of mixed rodent food comes with corn and sunflower seeds which are actually really fatty to them and it’s easy for them to have a poor diet if you’re not careful so I’d pick some out before feeding it to them and give it to them occasionally or as treats