Gerbils as Pets

One thing that can be said about gerbils and which is the reason for their popularity as pets, is their willingness to socialize. In their natural environment, gerbils live in underground cavities, connected by tunnels with the others and enjoy being part of a large family. Gerbils are known to accept humans as the companions to rub noses with. This makes it easy for you to maintain gerbils as pets.

Gerbils, once collectively known as "desert rats" are mammals and belong to the order Rodentia and Gerbillinae gerbilts subfamily that encompasses at least 100 species of rodents of African, Asian and Indian origin. Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), Great Gerbil (Rhombomys opimus), Egyption Gerbil (Gerbillus pyramidum), Hairy-Footed Gerbils (Gerbillurus), African Gerbils (Gerbilliscus), Jirds (Meriones), Somali pygmy Gerbil (Microdillus), Large Naked-Soled Gerbils (Tatera) and Small Naked-Soled Gerbils (Taterillus) are a few examples of the types of gerbils found.

Pets for Kids
Pet gerbils, like cats, are very inquisitive and playful. Like true pets at home, gerbils can easily shoulder the responsibility of lifting your spirits up, whenever you or your child is feeling low.

You can have this animal as a pet because they are quiet creatures and are small in size, a fact which sometimes matters most. A typical adult gerbil is between six and twelve inches long and having a tail that is approximately, half of its body length. The great gerbil (Turkmenistan), however, can grow more than 16 inches long in length.

They are industrious and can tear and chew, waste paper into small bits. By letting these chewed paper bits to accumulate into a heap of 4-6 inches high, you can allow your pet gerbils to tunnel it and make their own playground.

As they are desert rodents, gerbils consume little water and produce minimal waste. So, it restricts you to remove wastes from their cage or den, only once in a fortnight. This fact can have a strong bearing on your decision of owning a gerbil.

Normally, gerbils don't bite, unless provoked and it is easy to train a baby gerbil in getting rid of the habit. An additional fact that can help you in deciding whether a gerbil is right as a pet for children is that they don't smell like other rodents.

How To Care For Gerbils
The baby gerbils, not unlike the adults, are bundles of energy and like to stand on their hind legs and use their paws against each other. This harmless act gives the impression as if they are having a boxing bout which quite a scene.

This playful and harmless paw-work that is delightful to watch in gerbil pups, is however, not so, if the participants involved are adults. Adult gerbils, do try to go for the jugular of the opponent. Most often than not, their fight ends with the victorious party getting rid of the opponent forever. If you want to break the fight and separate the warriors, then be sure to wear thick hand gloves or mittens. These cuteys do have sharp teeth which they keep on sharpening all the time, as all rodents do.

However, this doesn't mean that gerbils are louts or clods or goons of the animal kingdom. Male gerbils are as good as gentlemen and rarely attack a female which, in a group, are more quarrelsome than males.

You can not keep a single gerbil as a pet, because of their need to socialize with the other members of their species. So, your responsibility of taking care of gerbils starts, even before you buy them. The best approach you can adopt, is to make sure that, your would be pet gerbils, whatever their numbers, are on talking terms with each other, so to speak.

The cramped living environment and space can easily frustrate your pet gerbils and can set the gerbils fighting with each other which may lead to unnecessary bloodshed. All of this can be avoided by providing ample space, providing enough gerbil cages for your pet's and timely, quality food. This may help you in maintaining your pet's health and may allow it to live out its complete life span which in case of gerbils, is 3-5 years.

Use clean aspen bedding 2-3 inches deep and change it weekly or as required. Inspect the gerbil's fur for bare patches and keep a look out for the pet gerbil's slackened activity level, lethargy, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Discharge from the pet gerbil's eyes, nose or the mouth may indicate that something is wrong with your pet. Take steps to consult the vet over your pet's health.

Birds of prey and snakes are the natural enemies of the gerbil. Even if, your pet gerbils haven't lived in the desert, hiding and avoiding its natural enemies as a part of its daily routine, it has inherited knowledge about them and their methods of attack. So, avoid approaching your pet gerbils with swooping or slithering movements of your hands. As you know, a bird swoops and a snake slithers towards its prey.

Gerbil Facts
You can shop for a gerbil in a pet shop. It is here where you can find gerbils on sale and sound advise on how to take care of it. Alternatively, you can look for them at the pet shelters, if you are interested in adopting one. If you have some time to spare, there are some nice gerbil pictures on the Internet.

Let me share with you an important fact about gerbils. Never lift a gerbil by its tail because it may detach itself from your pet's trunk as part of an inherited defense mechanism.

You must be aware that the rodents must keep on gnawing because of their continuously growing teeth. Gerbils, being rodents must do the same or else their overgrown teeth may inflict injury to them. Offer them the treat sticks and chews, which will help in trimming your pet gerbil's teeth.

When a gerbil senses danger to itself or to their clan they thump the nearest, ignorant one, with their hind legs in order to set the gerbil telegraph buzzing. It must be amusing, if not honored, to witness, this literal kick starting of animal communication in this fashion, and the recipient thanking the caller, after the danger has passed.

Food for Gerbils
Food for gerbils doesn't present a big problem. They are omnivorous and can eat almost anything. However, they are partial to pumpkin, sunflower seeds and peanuts. They also favor vegetables and fruits like carrots, oats and apples.

Special treats from pet shops along with pet food for rabbits, rats, guinea pigs and dog biscuits can also serve as gerbil food and easily, disappear down their gullets. Gerbils love to eat grasshoppers, locusts and crickets and get their hands on the juicy insides of these insects to eat it.

The most important gerbil care that, you as an owner can offer to your pet is, by putting lettuce and sugary food out of their food bowl. Nitrates in the lettuce can prevent blood oxygenation in the gerbils which may lead to asphyxiation. The sugar promotes rotting of their teeth and is difficult for them to digest.

Gerbils as pets can be trained to do tricks and need to be handled constantly, to get them used to human touch. Gerbils need to be observed for teeth problems, diarrhea, epilepsy, tumors, Tyzzer's disease, deafness and respiratory problems which may plague them from time to time. Any of the above problem can easily be dealt with by availing the services of a veterinary. These are creatures of the desert and if you want them to take a bath, then you must provide a small bowlful of cool sand. A sand-bath does wonders for their fur by making it smooth and shinier.