Gerbil Care
A gerbil can make a very good pet but you need to make sure you care for it properly. What your gerbil will need will depend on the species you choose. Make sure you have all of the right information about it before you take it home from the pet store. You should be able to find informative books out there as well as plenty of quality information on the internet.
Choose your cage for the gerbil carefully. They are good climbers and chewers so you don’t want it to escape. Your gerbil needs to get plenty of exercise to stay healthy. Make sure the cage is large enough for the gerbil to move around in. You can also buy attachments that are tunnels or round balls for the gerbils to get around in.
They will be constantly chewing as it is in their nature. Your gerbil will need to chew in order to keep the teeth healthy and the right length. If you don’t give your gerbil something to chew on it will likely start to chew on the cage. If this isn’t possible it may even start to chew on its own body.
It is a good idea to have a hanging water bottle for your gerbil. This way there is no risk of the bodily excretions being used to contaminate it. You should do all you can to keep the cage clean on a regular basis. Try to give your gerbil a good variety of food to eat so they won’t be bored.
You may notice your gerbil starts to stink over time. You may be tempted to give them a bath with soap and water but that will affect their coat. Instead you should let them play in sand. This will remove the dirt from them much better and it won’t harm their coat. Gerbils can become very stressed out too when they are placed in water.
A gerbil that is well cared for can live from four to six years in captivity. Some have been known to even live longer than that. Yet many gerbils die early do to not being well cared for. Getting such a pet is a huge responsibility and one that needs to be a priority every single day. Too many children want a gerbil for a pet but then the novelty wears off and it doesn’t get what it needs. Parents need to make sure any gerbils in their home have their basic needs met all the time.
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