Any advice about purchasing a gerbil?

Question

I want to get a gerbil. Any information about,

-average cost per month

-homemade toys

-how to handle them

-if i should get more than 1 (I have a LOT of free time)

If you can only answer a few of have aditional advice that's fine. :)

Answer 1

1.)Average food and cage supply cost per month for all gerbils $2.93

2.)For homemade toys you can make this treat tube.

a)take a toilet paper tube and stuff the left half with bedding.

b)turn it over and put treats on top of the bedding.

c)close the tube by stuffing the right side with more bedding.

d)have fun watching your gerbil try to reach the food!

3.)Handle you gerbil with care and talk to it with a loving tone.

4.)Getting more than one is your personal desicion and is something you should think about and maybe research.

Answer 2

Average cost per month;; My guess is somewhere around $6.00, for the amount of food used [although if you go through an entire bag of food in a month, that's overfeeding, so don't. xD] and chew supplies such as wood or alfalfa logs or wooden hidey-huts.

Homemade toys;; A toilet paper roll is great fun for them to crawl through and also helps keep their teeth worn down, but it won't be enough for all their dental needs, so keep a wood toy in at all times. You can also build a gerbilarium [a 10 to 20 gallon aquarium for one pair, 15-30 for a trio], and layer it with various materials. Carefresh paper bedding, peat moss, and straw or alfalfa hay are good options. They will love digging and making extensive tunnels in it! [Remember though, no pine or cedar, it can cause health problems in gerbils and other rodents.]

How to handle them;; Never, ever, pick a gerbil up by it's tail. It will hurt them, and can possibly get badly injured. Don't give a gerbil a wire wheel either, use a closed one, because unlike hamsters they have a long tail that could get caught in between the wire on the wheel. To hold a gerbil in the best way possible, carefully scoot it into a corner of the cage, cup your hands, and scoop gently. If the gerbil does not get used to you within the first week or even month, this is normal. You should give them at least a day or two to adjust to their new home and surroundings when you first pick them up.

If i should get more than 1;; EVEN if you may have a "lot" of free time on your hands to keep a lone gerbil occupied, you should always keep gerbils in same s*x pairs [so that they have company but won't breed.] Up to three males is a fine number to keep in one cage, but no more than two females, as they may fight. For more info on this and other gerbil info, visit my previously answered question, here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Good luck with your new gerbilS [you MUST get a pair or more, they will be very unhappy and will not live nearly as long as a gerbil with a cagemate.]

~Gerbilicious

Answer 3

The average cost per month, I'd say, only includes shavings, food, treats, and toys. It also depends on what you get and where you get it. This probably will not exceed $15. Gerbils are very easy to care for.

Save up all your cardboard-type items. This includes cereal boxes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, empty tissue boxes (with the plastic part ripped off), snack boxes, fast food drink holders, etc. Gerbils need to chew, so these should be available all the time. You can build a little house for them out of craft sticks and non-toxic glue. I just use Elmer's School Glue, and I haven't had a problem with it. You can stuff toilet paper/paper towel rolls with some treats and timothy hay, then put some tissues or paper in the ends so that they'll have to work to get to the middle for the treats.

I think the most important thing about handling a gerbil is to never pull on its tail or pick it up by its tail. The tail is a defense mechanism. If a predator were to get a hold of their tail, when they're struggling to get away, the skin slips off. If you pull on or pick them up by their tail, you could end up with just skin in your fingers. Gross, I know, but true. Don't swoop down over them. It imitates predators, and it may frighten them. Don't chase them around their cage trying to get them. Just scoot them into a corner or use two hands, and cup the gerbil in your hand. When I pick up my gerbils, I usually wait until they're sitting up. Then, I slip my hand under their belly, and they hop right on my hand. The first few times you handle your gerbil may be nerve-racking. It just takes time to get used to it. When I first got my gerbils, I was scared they'd be wiggly and jump out of my hands, so I was always nervous to handle them. Now, it's much easier and I'm not nervous.

Gerbils are social and should be kept in same s*x pairs. Although you have a lot of time to spend with a lone gerbil, it still doesn't make up for the fact that the gerbil must sleep alone, groom itself, and play with itself when you're not around. You can't be there 24/7. Both a pair of males and a pair of females is fine. Gender is just a preference. Males tend to be larger, more laid back, and less territorial, whereas, females tend to be smaller, more active, and more territorial. As long as the cage/tank is large enough to house a pair of gerbils, territory shouldn't be an issue. You could easily find an active male and laid back female, though. Gerbils have their own little personality. The only big difference I can think of between the two genders is that males tend to scent mark more with their scent gland located on their belly. Other than that, there isn't much of a difference. I, myself, have two females. They adore each other, and I love them to bits and pieces.

For housing, I highly recommend an aquarium with a mesh lid (found in the reptile section of the pet store). The reason for this is because gerbils love digging and chewing. You can add more bedding to a tank without having to worry about it all ending up on the floor. Since gerbils are chewers, they could chew their way out of a plastic cage or chew on the wire bars causing hair loss. It'll also be very annoying. Tanks with a secure mesh lid are pretty much escape-proof. For a single gerbil, a 10 gallon tank is fine. For a pair, I'd recommend a 15-20 gallon tank. A 10 gallon tank with a tank topper is alright for a pair too. There are two general rules I recommend when choosing a tank size for gerbils. The first one is 10 gallons per gerbil. The second is 10 gallons for the first gerbil and 5 gallons for each additional gerbil. Gerbils are active, and need more space to run around and play in.

If you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me. I'd be glad to help answer them.

Answer 4

The gerbil's life time can expand by one year if kept with another gerbil. they are very social and will NOT fight. it is actually up to you which genders you get (u can breed them). you should handle them on a close to ground area because they <3 hopping around. to make them feel safe and such gently pinch the end on the tail closest to the body. then put your hand under her feet. they may feel weird and first and get kinda squirmy, but they'll learn to love u. that is all i know, thank you!!!

oh and gerbils also enjoy fresh food (but don't give them too much). that will save you a little money.

Answer 5

You must get two as gerbils are sociable and need the company of their own kind as well as your company.  Get two of the same s*x that are together at the store/breeder.  You can get more if you have a large enough cage.  

Gerbils won't cost much after the initial cost of buying the cage and accessories.  Just food and bedding.  They can also have a little of the household vegetables and fruit.  

Homemade toys they will like are toilet roll tubes and cardboard boxes.  Only certain woods are safe (often fruit-tree woods) so be carefull if you want to build anything.  

Make sure the cage has a very deep base (the best is a cage stuck on top of an aquarium filled with bedding) as gerbils love to dig and burrow.  

Answer 6

The average cost per month varies due to the price of food/bedding or whatever

they play with loo roll tubes (or just eat them) quite happily

It's up to you whether or not you get 1 or 2 gerbils but they are sociable and like each others company. Just make sure they are both female or both male because they breed something like every 8 weeks and become fertile at 8 weeks as well i think.