Please help me out! Thanks so much!

Question

Okay, so I am going to buy a gerbil from petsmart. How old should she be. What age is too old for me to get her used to being held?

Also, what are some things I should know before buying a gerbil from PetSmart?

Thanks so much in advance!

Remember: Best Answer will be given!

Good luck!

-Miss Giggles

Answer 1

she should be at least ten weeks old because if you get them younger they could get sick quickly because they have been took out of there home too soon.You need to know how much food they give them and how many times a week they see a vet. hope this helps.

Answer 2

dont knowww

Answer 3

younger  the better..

Before you get your gerbils, you have to decide just what you're looking for. How many do you want? What colors do you prefer? Do you prefer a certain gender? Do you want to breed?

Gerbils are highly social and do not like being alone at all, not like the solitary Syrian hamster. If you're getting gerbils you must get at least two. Lone gerbils have been proven to live shorter, less healthy lives, and are often overweight and not too happy. They also tend to be harder to tame and less friendly overall. Even if you are home all day, and playing with them constantly, this does not make up for the fact that they must sleep alone, eat alone, and have no one to groom them. So a companion is essential. Both females and males will get along happily with a companion of the same s*x, especially if they are siblings or kept together from the age of six to eight weeks old. Females tend to be less stable in groups larger than two, while males tend to be more tolerant of each other in groups of three, or more. However, it is recommended that the average gerbil owner stick to a pair of gerbils, as the chance of fighting increases with larger groups.

Answer 4

Before you get a gerbil from petsmart, you should check out your local animal shelter.  They sometimes get rodents, and when they do, they usually are there for many many months.  The cost is similar to a pet store and by spending your money there you're funding saving other animals vs a large corporate store.  Plus you'd be giving a gerbil a good home!

I'd do your research online.  Here's some sites:

http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Ha...

http://www.gerbilcare.org/

Make sure you really know what you're getting into beforehand.  Rodents can live quite a few years so make sure you are ready for the responsibility.

Hope that helps!

Answer 5

Okay!! This is one of my best subjects! Right she should be 6-8 weeks old when you buy her(remember to check her over to make sure she is very healthy!) You can start handling her a couple days after you take her home(give her a bit of time to get settled) But start by giving her sunflower seeds as a treat,to get her to get to know you and to earn her trust! The things you will need are:

Well of course a cage for a pair 2ft by 1ft is a great size smaller for the single gerbil.

A water bottle(if the cage is a tank you can buy water bottles that hang from the roof of the tank) And a food bowl.

Gerbil food(make sure its a good brand)

Bedding,big chip shavings,carefresh and many other makes just go to a petshop and look! Gerbils LOVE to dig so put a few inches deep of the bedding.

Toys,wood logs,hamster toy cars,balls,etc...

If you want to buy an igloo for her you can(i don't as mine don't use them) But make sure it isn't plastic, as she will just chew it buy a ceramic one or hard wood.

You can buy a ceramic bowl and put a couple inches of chinchilla sand,as gerbils like to roll in it and clean their coats!

I think thats about it! One last thing gerbils ARE group animals and i would advise to get a pair as they prefer to be in pairs or groups. Females are better in pairs,but keep all my females in at least trios(that aren't breeding ones) but  i find that male gerbils sometimes can turn on each other or mount each other so these are kept in pairs or sometimes depending on the nature of the males trios.But some people say the other way round.Unless you buy a large cage its best to go for a pair of females or males.

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Try to get the youngest you can. Get 2, not one. They are extremely social and need to be kept in at least pairs.

What else do you want to know exactly? Have you done your research?