Gerbil Owners Help!!?

Question

please answer these questions...

1) are gerbils friendlier than hamsters

2) do gerbils bite less than hamsters

3) are boy pairs or girl pairs better

4) is there a certain gerbil type to get

5) what else is good about gerbils and what else should i really know?

Answer 1

1) It all depends on that certain gerbil. Some hamsters are mean and some gerbils are too. Gerbils are more hyper because they really are not nocturnal. They are up and moving a lot!

2) Depends again on the gerbil!

3) Two boys can be less dominant but if the girls have already been living together then it really doesn't matter what you get (same with boys).

4) No...All gerbil types are the same. Mainly just different colors.

5) Gerbils are REALLY easy to take care of and stink less then hamsters which make them a good family/house pet. To get a really cheap one $3-5.00, check your local animal shelter. That is where I got mine. You could be saving a life!

Answer 2

1) yes

2) yes

3) not much of a difference, but males are less likely to fight than females sometimes.

4) The only kind i've ever seen are Mongolian, i think most these are the kinds mostly kept as pets.

5) gerbils are great pets and very social so keep 2 or more gerbils together of the same s*x. They are hard to hold though unless you tame them.

Answer 3

1) yes, but make your decision wisely, all gerbils are different

2) I've had four, two of them were angels, other were devils, so once again, depends on the gerbil.

3) I've had all boys, so I have no idea

4) No

5) MAKE YOUR DECISION WISELY! GET TO KNOW THE GERBIL BEFORE YOU BUY IT!

otherwise, you'll end up with a useless pet for five years.

Answer 4

Im really sorry i dont know........srry

my question??

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...

Answer 5

I've been breeding Hamsters & Gerbils since I was 14yrs old.

1) are gerbils friendlier than hamsters - I think Hampsters are friendlier, they bite less.

2) do gerbils bite less than hamsters -  From my experience, gerbils are more likely to bite!

3) are boy pairs or girl pairs better - Girl pairs are better because Boy pairs are constantly fighting to be the bigger male.  

4) is there a certain gerbil type to get - Not really, it epends how you train them, and how much attention you give them.  The more handled they are the friendlier they are!

5) what else is good about gerbils and what else should i really know?  - If you get more later on, rub their butts together,  I know it sounds silly but they get along better because they notice their smell on the their new friends.

Answer 6

1. Not necessarily. Both can be equally friendly. It really just depends on how tame they are, how they're raised and bred, and their own personality. Gerbils would rather explore than be held for long periods of time and cuddle, though. This is something you'll need to consider before deciding on gerbils.

2. Not necessarily. This, again, depends on how tame they are. Tame gerbils and hamsters should rarely, if ever bite. The only time they should bite is if they're frightened or grabbed roughly. Gerbils, however, do not care if you wake them up to play with them. Hamsters, on the other hand, tend to be grumpy when you wake them and may be more likely to bite then.

3. Both male and female pairs are great. Males tend to be more laid back and not as territorial as females. Females tend to be more active and more territorial than males. However, you could find an active male and laid back female. I have two wonderful little girls. They absolutely adore each other.

4. The type of gerbil you'll find in pet stores is the Mongolian Gerbil, which is the type of gerbil most people are talking about. Mongolian Gerbils are the common gerbil. There are also Jirds, and other species, but they require different care as Kasey stated.

5. Here are some pros and cons of gerbils.

PROS:

- social; should be kept in same s*x pairs

- awake throughout the day and night

- desert animals; this means they drink less water, therefore produce less urine. Less urine = less smell. You can go longer between cleanings

- if given a lot of bedding, they'll make some amazing tunnel systems

- usually very friendly

- very curious, and will love exploring

CONS:

- quick little buggers

- not the type of pet for small children, because they can be hard to pick up

- territorial with gerbils not in their clan; introducing new gerbils to an already-established clan isn't a good idea. It can lead to fights.

Gerbils are big chewers. Their teeth grow continuously. Be sure to provide things for them to chew on. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are very popular. Since they're big chewers, plastic is a definite no-no. It can and will be chewed up. If ingested, plastic could possibly cause a blockage. Whenever you're adding things to their tank, ask yourself "if they chew this, will it harm them?"

Gerbils also love digging. Since they love digging, one of the best types of housing for them is a tank with a mesh lid (found in the reptile section). It keeps all the bedding in the tank, not on the floor, and it allows you to add a lot. For a pair, I'd recommend a 15-20 gallon tank. 10 gallons is okay, but once you put things in the tank and the gerbils grow into adults, you'll realize a 10 gallon tank is very small. For bedding, I highly recommend aspen shavings. It's absorbent, masks odors well, and holds up tunnels very well. Stay away from cedar and pine. The aromatic oils can cause respiratory problems.

Water baths, as Kasey said, should never be given. You can give them a bath in chinchilla *sand*. Chinchilla dust is alright, but it's much finer than sand and can more easily irritate their little noses.

Be sure to NEVER pull or hold your gerbil by its tail. The tail of a gerbil is a defense mechanism. If a predator were to grab it,  the skin would come off the bones when the gerbil is struggling to get away. That way, they have a better chance of surviving. You can imitate this situation, so don't hold your gerbil by its tail, or pull on its tail very hard.

I pretty much agree with everything Kasey said, except for the little sunflower seed tip. Yes, most gerbil foods contain sunflower seeds. At the same time, the nutritional values are WITH sunflower seeds. If you pick all of them out, you greatly change the nutritional values. Gerbils, generally, go for the sunflower seeds first. However, if you don't give them the choice of just eating the seeds by leaving their food in until they're almost done everything, they'll have to eat everything and not just sunflower seeds.

When I first got my gerbils, I thought it'd be best to pick out the sunflower seeds and use them as treats. However, I did some research and found I was greatly changing their food. Now, I just leave it in the food. I fill their bowl and wait for them to eat almost all of it before refilling. There's a brand of hamster/gerbil food at Wal-Mart called Wild Harvest. It does not have sunflower seeds. Instead, it has pumpkin seeds. Now, my girls get a mix of Wild Harvest and Brown's Encore Premium. It gives them a bit more variety.

You can pick a few out if you want to give them as treats, but you don't need to pick them all out. However, this is just my opinion, I guess. As long as your gerbils are happy and healthy, I guess it doesn't matter whether you pick the seeds out or not.

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

Answer 7

unlike hamsters, gerbils are active day and night, some bite more than others but all are mostly friendly. gerbils are smarter than hamsters so if you can train it not to bite or you can train it to do little tricks. If I were you i would get two male gerbils because females are more aggressive than males and you have a better chance of them not fighting if they are both males. I would recommend cleaning a gerbils cage about once a month at the least. they are cleaner than hamsters. =) Feel free to email me if you have any more questions

good luck

Answer 8

1)no

2)no

3)girl pairs

4)no

5)nothing hamsters are better and nicer

Answer 9

1) are gerbils friendlier than hamsters

Depends on what you mean by friendlier.  Gerbils are more social, yes and tend to be more playful.

2) do gerbils bite less than hamsters

Yes and no.  At the beginning, your gerbil will bite but after he gets used to you he won't anymore whereas hamsters will bite whenever they want.  My gerbils bit me only a few times (less than ten for sure) all throughout their life and most of that was when I first got them and they were scared.

3) are boy pairs or girl pairs better

BOYS.  Keep it short and sweet, two girls have the potential to kill each other.  Girls are more territorial as well.  They will either fight with each other you.  While there is a chance that they won't do either, there is also a chance they will.  Boys seem to be better tempered than girls anyways.  I would definitely reccomend boys.

4) is there a certain gerbil type to get

Young.  Doesn't matter what breed, they're all largely the same, but if you get them young you can get them to bond with you easier.

5) what else is good about gerbils and what else should i really know?

Gerbils are nocturnal, so waking them up in the day might not be the best idea.

Gerbils like nuts.  Buy unsalted, dry roasted peanuts and lay your palm face up with a peanut in the middle and they will come get it and eventually sit on your hand and eat it when they trust you, but you have to keep your hand still.  Don't give them too many treats and it's alright to buy the peanuts with the shells on them.  They like cracking them open.

Gerbils love shredding things.  Save tissue boxes (but remove the plastic thing around the opening), cereal boxes, toilet paper tubes, and paper towel tubes.  These serve as cheap toys for them to chew on.  Just make sure there is no plastic on them.

Caution Gerbils are...

~Fragile.  Don't drop them.  They'll live, but don't make it a habit.  Don't grab them by the tails.  While they can live without them, gerbils can and will drop their tails if scared.

~Fast.  If you lose one outside of the cage, isolate the room so it can't get out.  The last thing you want to do is run all over the house.  

~Curious chewers.  They will bite you at first to see if you're edible.  They'll chew on your shirt if you let them.  They'll also chew on anything you put in their cage.

~AWESOME.  They live longer than hamsters and do more than sleep and lounge around.  They bond better and are more social.  (:

Answer 10

1) are gerbils friendlier than hamsters

Gerbils aren't necessarily friendlier, just different. They are more interesting to watch, but they don't sit still when you try and hold them. It's their nature to try and escape to explore.

2) do gerbils bite less than hamsters

I have no idea how much hamster bite, but when you correctly hand tame a gerbil, it won't bite at all, unless you scare it by just grabbing at it, try and break up a fight, etc.

3) are boy pairs or girl pairs better

I have boys, they are fantastic. I believe to females are more territorial, but if you only have the pair that was born together that shouldn't be a problem.

4) is there a certain gerbil type to get

I don't think there are more than one breed of gerbil available. If you get one, it will be Mongolian. Jirds are related, but not the same animal... also harder to find, and a little different to care for.

5) what else is good about gerbils and what else should i really know?

Gerbils are burrowers. They can make incredible tunnel systems, give the correct conditions (tank, bedding, cardboard). They are curious, and are diurnal, meaning they sleep for a while, then are awake for a while, then sleep a few hours, etc, while hamsters are nocturnal.

Things you should definitely know:

1) No water baths, ever.

Unless they have gotten into something toxic, no water touches the fur. Chinchilla SAND in a bowl is great.

2) Do not ever try and have gerbil "play dates" it is very dangerous, since gerbils are highly territorial. Someone will get hurt.

3) Sunflower seeds are a part of most gerbil foods. Try pulling them out of the food bowl and keeping them handy for treats. They are fattening and can cause health problems otherwise.

4) Gerbils chew constantly. If they don't chew, the teeth may grow through the bottom of the mouth or up into the skull. They need cardboard and wood to chew on at all times. No plastic, please.

5) Never use Cedar chips. Ever. Pine is iffy, but as a rule just avoid it. They contain oils that can cause liver disease and respiratory infections.

6) Please don't get the idea in your head that you're going to breed. Pet store gerbils should never be bred, since the history is unknown.

If you have any questions, feel free to send a message my way. :]

Answer 11

1 yes

2yes

3girls

4don't know

5i dont know much