Gerbil is a small animal from the family of the order of hamsters. Since they are easy to tame and easy to care for, they have become popular in many homes, especially where there are children. They are often confused with mice, jerboas or hamsters, but Mongolian gerbils are a separate species that requires special conditions to care for.
It is necessary
cage or aquarium, ball drinker, ceramic bowl, gerbil food, sawdust
Instructions
Step 1
First of all, you need to choose a place of residence - a cage or an aquarium. Rodent cages are inexpensive and multi-tiered, so they often attract the attention of gerbil owners. In practice, cages are not very convenient, since rodents love to dig and throw litter over the cage bars. Also, gerbils are more likely running animals than jumping ones, they care about the space in the horizontal direction, and not the multi-storey cage. An aquarium or terrarium is more convenient, since it is closed on all sides and debris does not fly out. And also protects animals from drafts. There must be air access, for this a mesh cover is made. The optimal size of the room for one individual is 30 * 50 cm.
Step 2
Place filler at the bottom of the cage or aquarium. It is convenient to use sawdust or corn filler. The paper gets dirty very quickly, and the granules are inconvenient for small paws. Be sure to attach a ball (nipple) drinker, change the water frequently. It is not recommended to put an open container with water, as when wet, the animals quickly catch cold and fall ill. In cold weather, add paper to make warm nests, and in hot weather you can put tiles on which gerbils cool. A strong, stable container should be used as a feeder; ceramic bowls with high sides are very convenient. You can put a container with sand for chinchillas in the cage, gerbils bathe in it and clean their skin. Regular sand cannot be used, it whips wool.
Step 3
The easiest way to feed is commercial food for rats, mice or hamsters. There are also special foods for gerbils. You can add gammarus, vitamins, treats to the feed. Gerbils eat fresh carrots and apples well.
Step 4
If you do not intend to breed gerbils, then it is optimal to keep them in same-sex pairs. One by one, they are not comfortable, and in groups of more than two individuals conflicts arise, sometimes with a fatal outcome.
