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Judge's Park Gerbil Care
Feeding:
-Gerbils must always have access to good quality gerbil food.
-Recommended brands are Kaytee and Mazuri
-The main ingredient should not be corn!!
-Only give them specially formulated gerbil food. It is better for their dietary needs.
-Gerbils should have access to water at all times.
-Veggies and fruits are good additions to a gerbil's diet (sweet foods only occasionally)
-Do not give gerbils human food!
Housing:
-Gerbils should be in a large as possible metal bottomed, metal barred cage: the larger the better
-Multiple level cages, or large ferret cages are best as they love to climb
- Make sure the bar spacing is small enough so that they cannot get through and escape.
- Do not house gerbils in anything with plastic as they WILL chew through and escape.
-If there is wire bottom shelving, try and cover it up with paper towels or newspaper so they don’t get foot problems
-Large Aquariums are another option as long as they have plenty of ventilation from the top (always make sure there is a grated top on the cage so there are no escapes!)
-Bedding should be Aspen or recycled paper (Carefresh, Yesterdays News).
-NEVER use Cedar, Pine, or any sort of cat litter (all poisonous)
-Make sure gerbils always have things to chew. They LOVE cardboard, wood blocks, and anything they can destroy. They are CHEWERS and must always have something to occupy their time.
Handling:
-Some gerbils do not enjoy being held, but they can be trained. If they nip, use gloves to handle them until they are used to you. Always scoop them up in your hands and if possible, put a cupped hand over them (Gerbils can jump and if they fall out of your hands it can seriously hurt them). The more handling the better to allow them to get used to humans.
Medical Care:
-If a Gerbil should stop eating or become overly lethargic, please take them to a small animal savvy vet (see our vet section)
-Gerbils must always have access to good quality gerbil food.
-Recommended brands are Kaytee and Mazuri
-The main ingredient should not be corn!!
-Only give them specially formulated gerbil food. It is better for their dietary needs.
-Gerbils should have access to water at all times.
-Veggies and fruits are good additions to a gerbil's diet (sweet foods only occasionally)
-Do not give gerbils human food!
Housing:
-Gerbils should be in a large as possible metal bottomed, metal barred cage: the larger the better
-Multiple level cages, or large ferret cages are best as they love to climb
- Make sure the bar spacing is small enough so that they cannot get through and escape.
- Do not house gerbils in anything with plastic as they WILL chew through and escape.
-If there is wire bottom shelving, try and cover it up with paper towels or newspaper so they don’t get foot problems
-Large Aquariums are another option as long as they have plenty of ventilation from the top (always make sure there is a grated top on the cage so there are no escapes!)
-Bedding should be Aspen or recycled paper (Carefresh, Yesterdays News).
-NEVER use Cedar, Pine, or any sort of cat litter (all poisonous)
-Make sure gerbils always have things to chew. They LOVE cardboard, wood blocks, and anything they can destroy. They are CHEWERS and must always have something to occupy their time.
Handling:
-Some gerbils do not enjoy being held, but they can be trained. If they nip, use gloves to handle them until they are used to you. Always scoop them up in your hands and if possible, put a cupped hand over them (Gerbils can jump and if they fall out of your hands it can seriously hurt them). The more handling the better to allow them to get used to humans.
Medical Care:
-If a Gerbil should stop eating or become overly lethargic, please take them to a small animal savvy vet (see our vet section)
