Is this a good starter cage for a gerbil?

Question

Here it is-

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753355

I am getting ONE female gerbil! I know that you should get two!

I want to spend around twenty dollars!

Answer 1

It is a little small but I've seen worse.  It has a few levels and a wheel.  It won't last you for long.  You either pay now and get a better one or pay later.  Your call.  

I do like that it is a wire cage and not a plastic top with slats.  The plastic topped ones can overheat them very quickly.

Answer 2

liveyour covered it all very well! all I can add is (and I speak from experience) buy what you will need not what you want! Get a tank (20 gal would be good) with a mesh lid (as liveyour said) I started with a crittertrail and now have a 20 gal long with a cage topper, I love it,my gerbils love it! I regret the crittertrail waste of money!!

Answer 3

i hav been to petsmore 2 days ago... i saw that cage and it is fairly small for gerbils.. but its great for beginners probably!! hav fun with your buddy! best wishes

Answer 4

they do fine by themselves if you only get one.  that is a great cage.  i love the little latter going up to the little second story.  and the wheel is great they need to have one for exercise.  GREAT

have fun with the gerbil they are great pets

Answer 5

get a glass aqarium. I went to walmart and they had one for around $11. i am using one i got from the petland in the mall for about the same price. that is what they should be kept in. if they are in a cage, they will most likely try chewing the bars and that can irritate there mouth and nose. I think that is a way better price and buy because it can save you and ur pet misery and money. and with them rest of whatever money you have saved, BUY ANOTHER GERBIL!!! they will go into a sort of depression and get fatter, be miserable and live a shorter life!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

It looks too small and needs a deeper base as gerbils like to dig alot.  Why would you get one if you know they need company.  You are being cruel.  If you can't afford to give a gerbil the life it deserves with a large cage and company then you shouldn't be getting one.

Answer 7

i think its alright yh.

Answer 8

Hi,

I am a gerbil breeder, and have been for several years.  It is MUCH better to get gerbils in twos, but one will be fine if you are willing to hold it for around twenty minutes daily.  Now, as for the cage.  A ten gallon tank is the best for gerbils, as they are escape artists, they can and will escape out of most cages.  This cage is not only small and not deep enough, it is probably not gerbil escape-proof.  It can also cause them to lose hair on their nose from chewing the bars, which she WILL do.  If you do not want to stick to a ten-gallon tank, then you are going to have to find a cage that has a deeper bottom, and is a little larger than that.

If you want a small cage, you need to get a hampster... sorry!  If you do end up getting a small cage like this, they will get shavings all over your floor.  I used to do cages similar to this one, and it was just a mess, and we had many escapers.  I now only do ten gallon tanks.  I hope this helps!

P.S.

If you want something "cooler" than a ten gallon tank, you can try something like this:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

They come in different sizes and prices too!

Answer 9

Dear Gerbil Cage Inquirer,

This cage is fairly small, but your gerbil will definitely survive. As long as you can provide proper bedding, accessories, and toys, your gerbil should do as fine.

I see that you mentioned about how you should get two gerbils. It's just like Robo Hamsters, Mice, Rats, and now Gerbils.. you should really have two, as they can become bored, depressed and then ill.

Maybe along the line you can get another one,

Pet Rodent Expert

Answer 10

I would recommend you get a 10 gallon tank with a mesh lid (found in the reptile section of the pet store) if you're getting one gerbil. The tank is only around $10 and the lid is probably around $10 as well. Clips to secure the lid are probably around $3. It's not necessary, but you should find some way to keep the lid on the tank. It's much better than a wire cage.

Gerbils love digging, and any bedding you put in that cage will probably end up on the floor. You'll have to vacuum every day to keep the cage area clean. They're also chewers. They can chew on the wire bars and end up rubbing fur off their nose, not to mention that it'd be very annoying. The gerbil may end up chewing the plastic in the cage (ramp, wheel, plastic base). If ingested, it could cause a blockage.

A tank with a secure mesh lid is probably the best thing to house gerbils in. It's pretty much escape proof, and there's very little the gerbils could chew on in a tank. It'll contain all the bedding you put in there as well.

I would really recommend you get two gerbils, though. I don't quite understand why you know to get two, but you're only getting one. Two isn't much more work than one. In fact, one may be more work. You'll have to find extra time to spend with it to try and make up for the lack of gerbil companionship it needs. However, no matter how much time you spend with your lone gerbil, it doesn't change the fact that she'll have to sleep alone, groom herself, and play with herself when you're not around. I really suggest you get two. If you were to get two,  I'd recommend a 15-20 gallon tank, which would put you over your $20 budget. 10 gallons is okay for two, but really not ideal. It's a bit cramped once you start adding things to the tank, and there isn't much room for them to play.