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Afternoon all.
Conversation over lunch turned to the subject of pets. The Beamlets (aged 8 and 5) quite fancy the idea of having a gerbil each (of the same sex naturally).
So, what do we need to know about gerbil ownership?
Ta in advance.
[quote=beamers ]Afternoon all.
Conversation over lunch turned to the subject of pets. The Beamlets (aged 8 and 5) quite fancy the idea of having a gerbil each (of the same sex naturally).
So, what do [s]we[/s] I need to know about gerbil ownership?
Ta in advance.
You will be left to look after it/them after a few weeks or so
Apart from that ^^
They are fast, timid and almost exclusively nocturnal. Difficult to train and quick to anger. However, they can form close relationships, usually with one person and they are hilariously daft and fun.
Be aware that they live for ages compared with most small rodents, too.
For entertainment I would go with a gerbil, for companionship I would go rat.
Also, Gerbils seem to require cleaning out much more often as they 'mark' spots with urine, whereas other rodents tend to create specific toilet areas.
Protect them more than you think you would need to from cats....after a visit from next doors cat, resulting in a beheaded gerbil, the survivor is now in this. They are great to watch but less hands on than hamsters and so my children lost interest in them pretty quickly.
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Make sure they are the same sex, make a mistake then you'll end up with bazillions of them. Oh, and don't google gerbilling. 😯
My niece & nephew got two hamsters / gerbils when they were still kids but the pets always ended with my parents caring for them.
One of the pet lasted for so long that by the time it got old it was practically bold. They stink the place up sometimes if you are late to tidy their cage up when they urine and shite in the same place (well inside the cage).
If you hate clearing they are not for you. 😛
Buying one of those transparent balls to run around the house in is an entertainment must.
We're looking at small furries fot my other half's daughter. Have looked at most things including gerbils but after visiting several local independent pet shops have decided not to bother.
Step Daughter is 6, very confident around animals and wildlife (my Aunty runs a wildlife rescue ctr in Evesham) so she has a lot of contact with allsorts of things.
Main issue is that a lot of smaller animals aren't that active when she's home from school as they're generally still sleeping. We think she'd lose interest pretty quickly so we'd end up looking after it.
Though, if it wasn't my partners (irrational) dislike of their tails we'd go for a Ganbian pouch rat or a fancy rat every time.
My daughter had 2. One died overnight, the other decided to start eating it. It wasnt pleasant. No more rodents after that.
Please don't put any rodent /pet in a plastic ball - it prevents them feeling their environment.
http://gerbilforum.proboards.com/
is a good gerbil forum.
Our current pair - one of them died age three - lung tumour.
Noodles - his friend is going strong - but of the wrong age to 'mix' with a younger partner.
He comes out day and night and is very inquisitive and social. He's four years old so a bit risk adverse and will now sit on my foot and 'ask' to go back in his house after 20 mins run around.
Get a large tank with a topper - lots of straw/sawdust substrate + shredded tissue for added bedding. Large wheel so they don't get back ache + no holes for feet. With a sand bath they tend to poop in the same place + being desert creatures don't urinate much so need cleaning out less than hamsters and mice.
If you're in the market for a small fluffy pet I would suggest a couple of Guinea Pigs.
Yes due to their size they take up more space than gerbils but they are way more sociable with humans and will happily sit on laps, chill out etc. Hamsters and gerbils are often just scatty and timid.
Not overly nocturnal either so awake when you want to interact with them and they tend to be less bitey too.
I'd whole heartedly recommend gerbils. Lovely little pets.
Had two, loved eating cardboard tubes and were ninjas at escaping. Can jump very high.
Never bit me, gentle and great for kids because theyre not nocturnal.
Go for it, kids will love em. Don't get degus though, vicious little gits
Ignoring the op naturally, but ever since I saw Russian dwarf hamsters in someone’s house....well, better than any television 🙂
Cheers all. Some top advice above.
Ramon - Queen of Gerbils (RIP). Yes, a girl called Ramon.
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Destroyer of carpets, dresses, blankets etc. Travelled twice with us to Spain. A true Queen of Rodents..
Normaly they climb up on to your head to get the best view...
[url= https://photos.app.goo.gl/qaEwxkV4OaUVpt6k1 ]more Noodles ...[/url]
I would add that they are a good 'introductory' pet to see how keen kids are to look after them. I do most of the cleaning of the cages but that is only every fortnight if you encourage a 'toliet space'. (ours have used a wooden platform attached to the cage walls which keeps most of the bedding clean).
We have managed to go away for a weekend and leave the gerbils on their own with two full food bowls and two full water bottles, no need for anyone to look after them and they hardly missed us!.
What is gerbils issue with cardboard? if I put an egg box or cardboard tube in the cage they destroy it as soon as possible!
We had gerbils when I was a kid. Great pets. Ours lived in an old welsh dresser with the door fronts replaced with chicken wire.
We had a ‘same sex’ pair when the children where small, came from a local decent pet shop. Clearly were a ‘couple’as we had in the teens of them not much later. They then managed to decimate their own numbers, a blood thirsty mob!
The gerbils we had were clean, barely needed cleaning out, sociable and friendly. They also were active during the day.
They we're fairly easy to handle although they never really stayed still. I think they'd be a great pet for a kid.
We also have degus and they're really hard work in comparison.
If you do accidently end up with a boy and a girl I can take some of the babies. Snakes love them :).