Calling all Gerbil Experts, Lovers, Fans, and Gerbils! (haha, but please read)?

Question

hello! i just have a few questions on Gerbils:

1. I heard they love to eat crickets. Is that healthy? have you ever heard about it? do you know if it's safe for them?

2. What kind of gerbil food do you feed your gerbil? Commercial food? Store Brand? or is it home-made? What's the best food for them, in your opinion?

2.5 If it's home-made, what's it made out of? what fruits, vegies and other stuff? Whats the best, in your opinion, food for your gerbil? what's the best type of homemade food, in your opinion, for your gerbil?

3. How much do you play with your gerbils? Do you just hold them? or did you teach them tricks? in your opinion, what would be the coolest trick you could teach your gerbil?

Hope you guys can answer them. If you have read/answered my past gerbil questions. You can tell that these are a bit different about these questions. These questions are basically your opinion questions. Last couple times were just information i needed! thanks for answering in advance!!

Answer 1

1. Absolutely. But not wild ones as those can carry parasites. You can get feeder crickets from some pet stores. Just make sure to feed in moderation as a treat because they are very high in protein.

2. Most pet store brand foods are crappy and full of fattening seeds. The best pet store brand would be Oxbow's Healthy Handfuls: http://www.oxbowhay.com/Shop/showProduct...

3. I'd imagine they should be allowed out of their enclosures for a few hours daily like most small pets. I don't actually own gerbils, I'm just a pet care nut who researches pet care like crazy :).

Answer 2

1. Some gerbils enjoy crickets. It varies from gerbil to gerbil. I, myself, haven't tried crickets on my gerbils because I'm very squeamish when it comes to insects, especially jumping ones. They're safe, and there are lots of gerbil owners who give them as special treats.

2. I feed my gerbils a mix of two hamster/gerbil mixes. I give them Brown's Encore Premium (found at PetSmart) and Wild Harvest (found at Wal-Mart). There's no one good food for them. Everyone has their own opinion.

2.5. If you're making your own food, you have to make sure you get the nutritional values as close as you can to what gerbils require. You have to research to make a well-balanced mix. Unless you're feeding 10+ gerbils, it's not really necessary to make your own mix. Just stick with a good mix you can find at the pet store.

3. I play with my gerbils every day. They get taken out of their tank. I'll sit down and just spend time handling them. Some days, they'll get to run around in the tub. Gerbils should be handled and taken out for exercise every day. I haven't taught them tricks. My gerbils don't even seem to comprehend the word "no". In my opinion, the coolest trick would probably be to teach a gerbil to ride on your shoulder. I've tried, but they just want to get down after a little bit.

Answer 3

1.How do you think they survive in the wild?yes they can eat crickets.

2.Any mix of bird seeds.

3.At least once a day.Let them run around your house, with you supervising them of course.

By the way i have hamsters, i've had a gerbil before and he lived for 4 years.

Answer 4

Once again, I always love liveyourlife's answers, she is fantastic. Here's some input from me.

1. I heard they love to eat crickets. Is that healthy? have you ever heard about it? do you know if it's safe for them?

A: I have heard gerbils love to chase and eat crickets, since it mimics the hunting they do in the wild. I have also never tried it, but as long as you get pet store crickets and not just some from outside, it will be just fine. Wild crickets can have chemicals which aren't safe.

2. What kind of gerbil food do you feed your gerbil? Commercial food? Store Brand? or is it home-made? What's the best food for them, in your opinion?

A: I also mix foods. Brown's Encore and Nutriphase. I like the variety of Brown's, but it doesn't quite fit what I like for the boys.

2.5 If it's home-made, what's it made out of? what fruits, vegies and other stuff? Whats the best, in your opinion, food for your gerbil? what's the best type of homemade food, in your opinion, for your gerbil?

A: When giving home made foods, it is important to research the nutritional contents. I prefer to just use store brands, and supplement treats every couple days. My gerbils enjoy the occasional piece of apple or pear, Triscuits, and cooked noodles. Oatmeal and granola are good, too. Just be sure to avoid citrus, since it isn't good for the little guys- unlike guinea pigs. Millet seeds are a favorite, but they are usually already in seed mixes. Be wary of those, too, since too much at a time can lead to some stoned gerbils. (And no, it isn't funny. :[ )

3. How much do you play with your gerbils? Do you just hold them? or did you teach them tricks? in your opinion, what would be the coolest trick you could teach your gerbil?

A: I keep the tank full of old and new toys, and rearrange every time I clean it out- once each week and a half, at the most. Gerbils aren't big on being held, they much prefer to explore. Mine sit on the couch with me while I watch TV or do crosswords, they burrow into the cracks between cushions and find blankets to crawl in.

Gerbils can be taught to run agility courses, although I've never tried it myself. You can search Youtube for "Gerbil Agility" and there are some really cool videos on How-To.