Why the heck do my gerbils shred EVERYTHING i put in the tank??

Question

i always put in chew stick and stuff like that for them to chew but i have been putting them in and they are gone within ONE HOUR!!!! i put a toilet paper tube in with the chewstick and stuff and its gone COMPLETELY in one hour. am i not satisfying something?? they have a salt wheel but luckily they don't use it. WHY DO THEY CHEW SO MUCH???? i put a chew stick in my hamsters cage and it lasts around a month!!

Answer 1

LOL. My gerbils did that and my rabbit does it now. They do it when they're bored. Also, give them lots of newspaper, regular paper, ect. Sometimes they may just want to get out though.

Answer 2

Gerbils love to chew and I mean they love to chew.  It's quite normal for them to rip, shred, and chew up paper products.  Actually, it's helpful to me because it means I end up spending less on bedding because I don't have to use as much.  I give them a fair amount of bedding and then I put in manila folders, toilet paper tubes, and white paper towels and they go to town on those.  

I actually worry if my gerbils aren't chewing things up.  It keeps them busy and active and it is great for their teeth.  I wouldn't keep anything plastic in their cage though because if they swallow it they might hurt their digestive system.  Anything wood though in time will disappear.  Wood dens and such don't last very long with them but you can be assured it's perfect for the health of their teeth at least.

I think the wood from  your tree should be safe.  I would go the extra step and freeze it though so if there are any bugs in it the freezer would kill it.

Answer 3

Relax...this is all perfectly normal. Simply keep offering them lots of things to shred up and chew and rip apart. It's what they are supposed to do! It keeps them from being bored, and prevents their teeth from overgrowing.

Answer 4

Oh my God my Rabbit does that too they're like monsters.

It is in their nature. Their instincts. It's like why most dogs will chase, or dig. It's like why hamster's store food in their cheeks.

They all do the same thing in the wild.

Answer 5

That is what gerbils do. Mine chewed the entire side of their igloo away. They even shred their carrots. Edible shelters can be bought at pet stores, that way they are at least getting some nutrition out of it.

Answer 6

It's completely normal, so relax. My gerbil does the same thing. I put in fresh bedding with newpaper under and she tears apart the paper...usually. She also knaws her plastic igloo...LUCKILY she didn't actually "eat" the plastic, she just rubbed her teeth on it and knawed it...now there's lots of holes in the doorway of it. I took the igloo out, though, because I don't want to take the risk of her acidentally swallowing some plastic...TAKE THE IGLOO OUT...I reccomend getting a wooden one instead. Also, they just LOVE to knaw! My gerbil chews up a toilet paper roll in half an hour. Perfectly normal.

Answer 7

Gerbils are big chewers. It keeps them busy and keeps their teeth nice and trim. You must give them things to chew on. I highly recommend you take the igloo out and give them only wooden/cardboard hide-a-ways and chew toys. Plastic, if ingested, can cause a blockage.

Be sure to save all your toilet paper/paper towel rolls, cardboard boxes, cereal boxes, snack boxes, fast food drink holders, etc. for your gerbils. They go through them fast. I'm lucky. My mom works in a restaurant and brings paper towel rolls home for my gerbils, so I never run out.

Answer 8

Lol, they shred everything? Put ur hand in the tank.

Answer 9

Oh, glad you asked!

My mother stopped me from buying one today, because we had a few gerbils before, and they ripped and shredded everything we gave them, so we started giving them toilet paper rolls when we were finished with them. haha, it kept them busy.

Anyways, gerbils are major chewers, its normal, completely normal. :) No worries.

Take the igloo out for now, and buy them something like a wooden chew still thing..one of those raw hide dog chews. This is what we used to do.

Advice: I'd ask your local pet shop what you can use as bedding for the gerbils, because if tehre chewing up what they have, then it might not be too good.

Best of luck to you!