How to Make a Gerbil's Home Escape Proof

Although many cages are sold as being good homes for gerbils, they are not. Gerbils will escape or destroy many of the plastic homes sold for them in pet stores. Gerbils also are experts at squeezing between bars of cages, even for cages listed as being good for gerbils. In the wild, these little rodents must run all night in order to find food and are still driven by that instinct.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Glass or acrylic aquarium, at least 10 gallons
• Wire mesh lid
• Small rock or lid clips
• Rodent chew toys
• Gerbil-safe bedding
• Another gerbil (if your gerbil is alone)

1. Start with a clean acrylic or plastic aquarium that is at least 10 gallons. Make sure it has a wire mesh lid and the lid is either clipped down or has a small rock on it to keep it weighted down. Gerbils can jump suprisingly high.

2. Fill the bottom of the cage with gerbil-safe soft bedding, at least 2 inches deep. Gerbils love to make tunnels and secret stashes of food in the bedding. Safe bedding includes aspen shavings, corn cob or Carefresh.

3. Make sure there is a covered den or little nesting box where the gerbil can hide. There are edible nesting boxes available in pet stores. You can also use an overturned shoe box, as long as you keep changing it when it gets wet and chewed up.

4. Place some toys and chews in the cage to keep the gerbil amused. These can include the cardboard rolls in toilet paper or paper towels, edible chew sticks sold for pet rodents, or unpainted chunk of smooth wood with a couple of holes drilled in it. A wheel is okay, as long as it's solid and does not have big gaps in it where the gerbil's legs can slip through and break.

5. Place the gerbils in the cage. Now that they have an interesting cage and companionship, they won't have as much need to try and escape. Still, keep that cage lid on tight and educate everyone in your home that the lid has to stay on.

Tips & Warnings

• Gerbils need the company of at least one other gerbil they can get along with. If one lives alone, it can get insecure and frightened. This can make it more prone to biting you badly and more prone to getting sick.
• Don't use large plastic tubs or Habitrail cages, as the gerbils will chew holes in them and escape.
• Don't use the aquarium for fish after the gerbils have lived in it. The ammonia in the glass or acrylic will always kill fish.

Resources

• Gerbil care handbook
• Why you should always have two gerbils
• Product review: Carefresh Ultra
• Gerbil-safe exercise wheels