Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Gerbils are small, active little animals that make a good first pet to help kids learn how to care for animals. Gerbils need careful care because of their small size, but are not to difficult to look after for a responsible youngster. They are easy to feed, clean up after and their active personalities make them fun to watch.
Because of their small size and easy care, gerbils are an ideal pet for many families with young children. However, what some pet owners don't realize is how much a gerbil will chew once it settles into its new home. Chewing is a natural instinct for the rodent and is an important habit to keep its teeth a proper length. While you can't stop your gerbil from chewing, you can take some steps to prevent it from chewing unwanted materials.
Aging a gerbil is difficult due to several factors. A veterinarian uses several clues to determine an approximate age for this rodent class. There are certain traits that older gerbils possess that younger gerbils do not. Since the average gerbil life-span is two to four years, finding an exact age is difficult, but finding an approximate age is a somewhat simpler task. Certain features and measurements give you an idea regarding your gerbil's age.
A gerbil can be a more challenging pet to own than you realize. Any type of small rodent needs gentle care techniques to keep their fragile bodies healthy and safe. If you choose to have a gerbil as a pet, you need to have a veterinarian to help you care for the gerbil, give you advice and be available if there is any issue or injury. To prevent injuries and to keep your gerbil entertained, you must learn the safest ways to play with your pet.
Gerbils are gentle rodents that can make loving pets. The animals --- which grow to about 4 inches long, in addition to their 4-inch tail --- can be easily handled and aren't known to be biters. Also, unlike hamsters, gerbils are active during the daytime, making them more available for play and observation when their owners are awake. Because gerbils can bring so much joy, it's important to keep the critters happy, too. You can keep your gerbil happy by providing some necessities it would find in the wild, as well as regular exercise.
Gerbils are social animals and a single gerbil will not be happy. If you acquire a young gerbil, perhaps from somebody who wasn't able to take care of him, try to get another one as soon as possible. If the gerbil is older than a year, it is probably best to keep him by himself, but provide plenty of toys and attention. Males don't have special requirements in terms of food and care, although they are very likely to spend much of their time play-fighting.
Like all animals, gerbils require periodic bathing. However, soap and water bathing disrupts the natural balance of oils on a gerbil's skin and fur. These oils are necessary for healthy fur and even help to assist in regulating body temperature. Instead, gerbils in the wild would take a dust bath. This is accomplished by rolling in dirt or dust, which absorbs excess oil from the fur and skin. Gerbils living in captivity, as pets, also are best served by providing an occasional dust bath.
Providing the proper living environment and diet for your pet gerbils is essential to their health and well-being. Given the proper care, gerbils are active, friendly creatures that spend their days burrowing and tunneling. They require minimal care, making them an ideal choice for a pet. A member of the rodent family, a gerbil typically lives between two and four years.
In gerbils, an eye infection may be a sign of irritation of the delicate tissues around the eyes or it might be a sign of a bacterial infection. Gerbils produce reddish tears to rinse out their eyes, but if your gerbil is producing excessive eye discharge you need to take action. Knowing what to do about eye discharge in a gerbil is an important part of maintaining your gerbil's health.
There are several members of the Gerbillinae, or gerbil, family that are popular as pets. Mongolian gerbils are the most common of these. They have a variety of colors and are easily purchased in pet stores. Gerbils are small rodents found in parts of Africa and Asia. As pets, the babies do require some special care that can be different from that for adult gerbils.
Gerbils are highly energetic and relatively clean, easy-to-care for rodents. Proper care involves not only housing and feeding them, but also ensuring that these little creatures have plenty of mental and physical stimulation in order to live long and happy lives. Relatively low-maintenance, gerbils can be first-time pets for respectful children and they do well in apartment environments where larger pets might not be possible.
Gerbils are one of the most loyal and easy to care for small pets. With bursts of energetic movement, gerbils are fun for children to watch. They are also exceptionally clean animals that make little or no noise. All of these traits combine to make gerbils the best small pet for any size home.
Taking care of a gerbil seems like hard work, but it really isn't. A lot of gerbil care is just common sense. The rest of it is really just caring about your gerbil enough to ensure it is safe, comfortable and healthy. Keep in mind that your gerbil should live no less than 3 to 5 years when cared for properly.
