How to Make a Tunnel Playground for Gerbils

If you have gerbils, you probably already know that they love to crawl through tunnels. Of course you can go to the store and buy a bunch of plastic tunnels, but that can get expensive. Alternatively, make an inexpensive tunnel playground for your gerbils from empty paper towel and toilet paper tubes.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Empty paper towel and toilet paper tubes
• Scissors

1. Save up your empty toilet paper and paper towel tubes. You will probably need three to five tubes, depending on the size and dimensions of your gerbil's cage. When you have as many as you need and are ready to make the tunnel playground, get them and a pair of scissors.

2. Decide which ends of which tubes will need to fit into the ends of others. Make some small cuts around the ends of the tubes in which you will need to fit another tube. Connect the tubes by putting intact ends into ends that you cut. Fit them tightly. You can also make tunnels that branch out by cutting a hole in the side of one tube and inserting another tube into it.

3. Cut holes big enough for your gerbils to crawl through in the sides of a few of the tubes. Remove your gerbils from their cage and then place the tunnel playground in it. Put the gerbils back in their cage and watch them explore their new toy.

4. Cover one of the ends with a big pile of bedding. Your gerbils can make more tunnels or a little den in it and have the cardboard tunnel available to enter and leave the den.

Tips & Warnings

• Your gerbils will eventually chew up this tunnel playground and you will need to make another.
• Don't use tape to connect the tubes. Gerbils will try to chew it up, and they can't digest it.