🐹Gerbil: gear and buying guides

The gerbil is a tireless digger from the steppes: it spends its life building tunnels, which calls for at least 20 cm of deep bedding. Sociable, it lives in a same-sex pair or small group formed young, never alone. Active in bursts around the clock, it is fun to watch at any hour.

Profile : Around 10 to 12 cm without the tail and 60 to 110 g, a lifespan of 3 to 4 years, and a curious, active temperament that rarely bites.

Gerbil gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  A gerbil mix or pellets, about one tablespoon per animal per day, plus a few well-tolerated fresh vegetables. As a desert species it drinks little, but fresh water must always be available.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  A sand bath several times a week to degrease the coat, never water. Mind the tail: never grab it, as the skin can strip off (degloving).

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  Cardboard tubes, hay and paper to shred, a solid wheel of at least 20 cm and roots to gnaw. Avoid plastic: it gets chewed through in days and can be ingested.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  A gerbilarium (tank topped with a cage section) of at least 100 x 40 cm with 20 to 30 cm of diggable bedding mixed with hay to stabilise the tunnels. A permanent sand area.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  A rigid, chew-proof box, never a cardboard one, which it would breach within minutes. Transport cage-mates together to preserve the group scent.

• 🧰 Accessories

  A water bottle mounted out of chewing reach, a ceramic bowl, a large sand bath and wood chews. A complete setup costs around 120 to 250 euros.

Guides to read

• What cage for a guinea pig? The C&C enclosure is the real answerBedding & habitat

  What cage does a guinea pig need? Minimum floor space, the advantages of a modular C&C enclosure and a realistic budget: our guide to a truly suitable habitat.

• What cage for a rat? Height, levels and dimensions to respectBedding & habitat

  What cage does a pet rat need? Minimum height, number of levels, bar spacing and budget: our advice for an aviary-style cage suited to this born climber.

• A tank for gerbils: finally giving them something to digBedding & habitat

  Why a glass tank beats a barred cage for gerbils: substrate depth, minimum dimensions, ventilation and budget for these tireless little diggers.

• Chinchilla housing: a large, cool aviary cage above allBedding & habitat

  Chinchilla housing demands a tall aviary cage of at least 1 metre, wooden platforms and a cool room below 22 °C: our detailed advice and budgets.

• Exercise balls for rodents: why vets advise against themToys & enrichment

  Exotic-pet vets advise against exercise balls for rodents: stress, injuries and overheating. The reasons why, plus safe alternatives for burning off energy.

• Hemp or corn cob bedding: which should you choose for your rodent?Care & grooming

  Hemp or corn cob bedding? Absorbency, dust, price per litre and suitability by species: our comparison to help you choose the right plant-based bedding.

• Which bath sand to buy for a chinchilla, gerbil or hamster?Care & grooming

  Which bath sand should you buy? Sepiolite, quartz sand or bathing dust: the right products, the ones to avoid and prices per kilo for healthy fur.

• Feeding your rat: how to nourish a true omnivoreFood

  The rat is an opportunistic omnivore: complete lab blocks, fresh food share, animal protein, forbidden foods and a realistic monthly budget.