Buried Playground for Gerbils | Cage Clean & Setup

[@PetConnectionInternational]

You can find links to all the products I used in the description ☺️ If you want to know more about wild gerbils and their burrows, check out this video: 🎬 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmOkd61jbNhkgpY PLEASE NOTE: bin cages are not suitable as permanent homes due to the chew out risk & then not meeting the minimum 100x50x50cm enclosure size for gerbils. But they can make great temporary homes!

[@lochamb1234]

I'm so glad I found this channel. I am getting my son 2 gerbils this week and yesterday I put their home together, but watching your video has made me realise I haven't added enough bedding. I thought I had put enough in, but going by this and another one of yours I watched, I've nowhere near enough in. This is why it's vital to research properly how to care for an animal you've never had before. Thank you for your videos, very educational

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Awh yay! I'm so excited for you and your son! It sounds like your gerbs are going to be in wonderful hands ☺️

[@louisec9935]

That looks like great fun for the gerbils! Love the natural wood multi chamber hide.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

They do seem to have lots of fun exploring ☺️ the hide is linked in the description if you wanted to get one for yourself 🙂

[@louisec9935]

@@PetConnectionInternational Thanks, I'll have a look on Amazon.

[@Kyo.kyeooo]

Aaaa the gerbils are so cute

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I agree, they're adorable 🥰

[@fixbuildplay5249]

Your videos are very informative and relaxing to watch...I think I need a nap now.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Ah thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it ☺️

[@wrigglerhymesheffield5042]

I love this channel. Thank you so much! The pet stores should watch this!

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Ah thanks very much, I'm glad it can be helpful for you ☺️

[@felixandralph9290]

Love this ❤

[@MOGPAWS]

Great video, keep it up!

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Thanks 😊

[@TheGerbilVine]

What a fun setup video ! lots of really great items :) . How is the hemp & hay burrow combo holding up ? Sorry to hear about their noses, I hope their symptoms clear up soon. Sensitive little things

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Thanks very much 😊 it's holding okay, I've added a few more "pillows" of hay just for an extra structure boost, their tunnels aren't as solid as with paper or Aspen but they are holding, I don't mind that too much as its keeping them busy, and their noses are much better now, I think maybe our bedding in the UK is just extra dusty 🤔 carefresh why have you forsaken me 😔

[@PetConnectionInternational]

No problem 😊 let me know if there's anything else I can help you with 🙂

[@twixeroni]

Im so happy i found your channel. I have three gerbils (i know, i made a mistake when getting them, i saw no one telling anyone to not get more than two) and now i have two terrariums because two of them dont get along,,, better late than never

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Ah yeah, it's unfortunate, some trios can work out, but sometimes they don't, did you get another friend for the solo in the end?

[@twixeroni]

@@PetConnectionInternational i havent, no. One of them is friendly with both, so i switch them every other day. They seem fine with it and are as happy as ever ♡

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Oh right, I've never heard of anyone doing that before. I suppose it's not the worst situation to be in, but it's not ideal, especially not for the gerb swapping homes all the time. I'd also be concerned that the middle gerb smelling like one of the other gerbils could cause the gerbil they're with to turn on them, smells of unfamiliar gerbils can cause pairs to fall out. The good news is that because you've got 3, you've got a few options you could try to get them all bonded with a permanent friend, you could get a new gerbil then try and pair them with one of the aggressors, and if that didn't work you could try them with the other, and if neither of those worked there's also the possibility that the aggressors may be able to rebond as a pair now that they've had time apart, although I do need to point out this wouldn't work with trying to rebond the trio. But they're just a few more options for you to think about that may be a bit better for your babies 🙂

[@twixeroni]

@@PetConnectionInternational thank you! I will definetly keep that in mind :)

[@PetConnectionInternational]

No problem, I'll be here if you need any help ☺️

[@ElnaWrites]

Great video! Thanks for explaining everything! I'm learning a lot about gerbil care for my twins as they want to get two gerbils. Question: I thought you needed a glass fish tank to house gerbils as they chew. But I see you are using a plastic tub (double one). Is that okay or is this just temporary?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Glass is always better, it's more secure and you can get much larger sizes than with plastic tubs, but plastic can work as a semi-permanent solution 🙂 I have come across some people that exclusively use plastic, but I think there should always be a goal of upgrading to glass, if nothing else then for the extra space ☺️

[@user-lx7pw6vt3o]

How do u put the wheel in the topper like that? Love ur vids

[@PetConnectionInternational]

The wood one I believe I took off the base, then screwed it back together with the base on the outside (on top of the tank) then the arm of the wheel was inside the tank underneath 🙂 I'm pretty sure I did show how I did it in a video somewhere, although I couldn't tell you which one off the top of my head 😅 it'd probably be a tank setup or starter supplies one maybe? For my new niteangel wheel I stick the plastic arm through the bars at the top (against the back wall), then screw the wheel on through the arm & bars at the back ☺️

[@mariotorrecilla254]

Hi there! I have arrived here from the Gerbil Vine channel comment's and decided to subscribe to your channel too. May I ask what's type and brand of the bedding you use? Nice video ;)

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Thanks very much! I appreciate you stopping by 😊 For this set up I used hemparade hemp bedding (now out of stock in the UK) along with hay and carefresh paper bedding in the hides 🙂 the hemp alternative that I now use is linked in the description along with links to the other beddings, and I've got another video I'm working on all about bedding which will be out next Friday if you wanted some more ideas 😊

[@mariotorrecilla254]

@@PetConnectionInternational Woops, I didn't noticed the description has all the product's websites. Looking forward to your future videos :) I am always happy to learn, and to see good knowledge on animal welfare shown on youtube. The more informative videos there are, the more people could treat their animals properly.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Yes I agree, we always need more good pet care information to help more animals! ☺️

[@CoquetteNCO]

Where did u get ur cage and the storage box form and the wooden thing that u put on before the cage

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Here's how I made it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5Waanyum9xkkLM Please note though that bin cages aren't suitable as permanent homes, they pose a chew out risk and don't meet the minimum 100x50x50cm size for gerbils, but they can make great temporary homes, that's how I used mine until I upgraded to proper glass tanks 🙂

[@reggieh7658]

Hi, do you know where you got there actual setup from (the big plastic box + the metal cage above)

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Yes, you can find the links in my DIY gerbil cage video guide (in the description of the video) ☺️

[@reggieh7658]

@@PetConnectionInternational thank you 😊

[@PetConnectionInternational]

You're welcome ☺️

[@mandymandy7225]

I use a large fish tank 110 litres for my two gerbils and I’ve built a wooden topper to sit on the top. They have 18 inches of bedding and they make some amazing tunnels. Every day it changes

[@PetConnectionInternational]

@@mandymandy7225 All hail the gerbil architects ⛏️🐹

[@niatran5205]

Hi can I ask u where did u bought the high rise cage? I really needs it☺🥰

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I made it 🙂 here's the video guide if it helps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5Waanyum9xkkLM ☺️

[@Bluspethouseandriding]

So there is a question I have that have not been able to find the answer to. Could I use a 50 gallon bin cage and split it or does it have to be a aquarium

[@PetConnectionInternational]

By split it, are you talking about a split tank for bonding?

[@Bluspethouseandriding]

Yes and Also heard of filling the bedding up in 2/3 of the cage and making a barrier they can climb over to where wheels and hides are

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Well for split tanks you can use bin cages as long as the sides have no ridges that they could chew, I talked about it in my bonding guide: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4eodWN-eZh5etE And you could use a divider for bedding yes, but I find they're very unreliable, often get knocked over, chewed down, or the gerbils just kick their bedding over it anyway, that's why I prefer to use toppers, they still get bedding up there, but not nearly as much as with a divider set up!

[@Bluspethouseandriding]

@@PetConnectionInternational OK thank you that is very helpful 😀 👍

[@PetConnectionInternational]

@@Bluspethouseandriding no problem ☺️

[@ABC_easton_123]

Hi again what is the best costeffecive bedding for keeping tunnels?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

My favourite is pro-rep hemp mixed 50/50 with meadow hay 😊 it's not super cheap, but with a full size tank (100x50x50cm) and sufficient depth (25-40cm+) you should only need to change it every 2-3 months keeping around 1/3 of the old bedding to put back in, so overall it's not too pricey 🙂

[@ABC_easton_123]

@PetConnectionInternational thank you! I plan on getting boy gerbils, gus and roofus

[@ABC_easton_123]

@@PetConnectionInternational is the brand pro-rep

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Yes, that's the brand I use 🙂

[@GerbilGirl987]

quick question and sorry if you answered this already. How often do you do this level of cleaning? People keep telling me every other day or once every week, which seems often and stressful, to me? But if that's what is really recommended, then I'll do that.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Oh gosh that's way too often! You're absolutely right to be worried about that, even every month is too much in my opinion, unless it's a bedding which gets smelly quickly like teabag bedding, but then I'd suggest switching to something with a bit more absorbency like hemp to extend the cleans The UFAW (universities federation of animal welfare) suggests that in a full size tank (100x50x50cm/66 US gallons) with 40cm of bedding you should only need to clean every 2-3 months, but I'd argue you could possibly go even longer under the right circumstances, my tank is currently around 35 US gallons (for the base only) and even with using mostly paper bedding it's still fairly clean after 2 months when I change it, with hemp it can be almost as fresh as when I put it in tbh, especially with my current girls being so good at using the sand bath as a toilet The major thing is making sure to clean their sand bath regularly, I scoop mine every day (sometimes twice) and fully clean the bath and change the sand about 2x per week. If there are any particularly soiled areas of bedding you could spot clean these in between too 🙂 And also don't let them take any kind of wet food underground as this will definitely go mouldy and mean you'll need to clean out much sooner, make sure they only get dry snacks for their stash ☺️

[@GerbilGirl987]

@@PetConnectionInternational Thank you for the information!! I thought it was on a bi-monthly basis. When I got scolded by my dad for not cleaning it daily, I wasn't sure. I just moved the cage into my room so he won't see it often and I'll do that. I haven't been able to socialize with my gerbils since I got sick like a week after I got them, so I'm trying to avoid anything that'll make them stressed or scared. Thank you for the information! I've been binge-watching your channel like crazy

[@PetConnectionInternational]

@@GerbilGirl987 no problem, I'm glad you're finding the channel helpful for your fur babies ☺️ I think if you want to keep it tidy, then yeah you'll definitely need to reorganize daily, they like to decorate how they want it 😅 but in terms of full cleaning and changing their bedding, I usually give it at least a couple of months 🙂 I think some people may also get cleaning needs mixed up with other (more pee-y animals) like rats, mice, guinea pigs (my sister's ones peed on me once and I genuinely couldn't tell whether it was their pee or mine 🤣), but gerbils, as well as being small like mice, are adapted to live in arid environments, so they only pee teeny tiny drops at a time, I had to collect Pumbaa's pee once for the vet and I think it was only like 0.1ml! So these eensy weensy pees combined with high absorbancy bedding mean they're really low on the cleaning needs, which is great for them as they get to keep all their hard work for a little longer 😁

[@GerbilGirl987]

@@PetConnectionInternational It's so much fun finding a community that likes gerbils like I do! I'm so happy I found this channel. I'm about to upgrade from the temporary cage I got to a DIY tank topper and bedding base, so I'm really excited. So I'll be able to sort - of keep the top part tidy-ish. Though my gerbils really like to create nesting spots, and they pull it up to platforms and areas that weren't close to where I originally put it. It's funny; my previous gerbils were escape artists and my current ones are interior designers :D Diamond especially is pretty shy and doesn't really jump much and whatnot. She loves burrowing though and when I come into the room she's like "Hai Mama! Oh, you don't have any food? Okay, well it was nice to see you anyway." :P Maaann that's a lot of pee, haha! I'm glad gerbils are low-maintenance in that sense! :D mine keep themselves pretty clean

[@PetConnectionInternational]

@@GerbilGirl987 awh that's adorable 🥰 Misty is very much a designer too, she's forever gathering tissue to drag down into the burrows, or sometimes she just creates a toilet roll throne in the topper 🤣 And that's exciting news about the upgrade! I bet it'll look great, and I'm sure the gerbs will LOVE destroying the place 😆

[@Rawrwrwrr]

How often should I clean my Gerbil's enclosure

[@PetConnectionInternational]

It depends on how reliably your gerbils use their sand bath as a toilet and how big your enclosure is. For a full size enclosure (775inches2 floorspace & 16 inches of bedding) then you may only need to clean it once every 2/3 months, but you may need to clean it more often if you have a smaller enclosure and/or your gerbils tend to toilet in their bedding a lot. But the most you should clean them out is once per month, no more than that or it'll stress them out too much, and try to save up to a third of the cleaner bedding to put back in for familiar scents (not deep cleaning their hides and instead just giving them a wipe down can also help with retaining their scents) 🙂 For me personally my enclosure atm is ~542 inches2 with 10 inches of bedding and my girls have lately taken to toileting underground (😑) so I clean mine every 6-8 weeks ☺️

[@Rawrwrwrr]

@@PetConnectionInternational Thank you

[@PetConnectionInternational]

You're welcome 😊

[@roleat]

Audio narration would make this video excellent. I normally listen to audio only so had to skip this one.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I will bare that in mind for my next cage cleaning video! I'll make sure to add more voiceover to explain things next time, thanks for the feedback! ☺️