Gerbil Care: What you NEED to know before owning gerbils

[@NickRyanBayon]

I just bought one as a feeder for my snake but she was so cute I decided to keep her, now I'm looking into all the info to build her a nice home and get her a friend to keep her company and for her to thrive.

[@pxraas_mm]

if i had a snake i'd end up saving all its food lol that's why i haven't got one yet my sensitive self just can't do it

[@luwildy]

I got a mouse a pet for the same reason 🤣

[@dubliners0999]

I've watched this video before and I just watched it again. it is SO HELPFUL. Thank you, Heather. Great material.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

You're welcome, I'm glad it can help ☺️

[@starc5411]

Thanks for the concise info all of your gerbil videos have offered! You've been a huge help.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

No problem, glad the videos can be helpful for you ☺️

[@ricardorvb]

For me too.

[@amymone13]

About deppression- I had a gebrils who live in a group of 3. When one of them died the other two were so visibly sad... Got them a new companion, split cage is going well, wish me luck

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I strongly advise against doing that. The risks of a 2-1 bonding are very high, the pair are an established clan and may see the single as an intruder and attack them, or the attempted bonding could destabilise the bond in the pair leaving you with 3 single gerbils. I really strongly recommend you stop the bonding, remove the single completely and find them a single friend to bond with instead

[@amymone13]

Bonding went well. They were clan of 3 for a long time and the new one bring back the dynamic they had. I admit I would do the things different if I knew 2 years ago what I know now tho.

[@okaminess]

I love those plushies/Pokemon/Funkos behind you!

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Thanks! I've got even more now, they're practically falling off the shelf 😂

[@evaluise22]

Thanks for the interesting and solid information - I agree to 99%. I only think, that it is okay to look for food (e.g. herbs) in the garden and in nature.The vitamins and minerals strengthen the immune system. But you should look at everything carefully, wash it off and dry it.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

You're welcome, I'm happy I could help 🙂 my worry with sourcing food outside is the potential pesticides and contaminants that might be on it, I think it's better to be on the safe side when it comes to food and either grow it at home or buy from a reputable producer, especially if it's fresh things that can't be boiled and baked to sterilise 🙂 herbs are a good addition to the diet though definitely 👍

[@maddiedaddie8135]

my friends neighbor abandoned their gerbils and I'm getting them in an hour, thank you so much for this video ❤️

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Awh that's an awesome thing your doing taking them in! I'm glad the video was able to help you with your surprise additions to the family 🥰

[@alenkbijoy6590]

The content you are making is wonderful

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Awh that's so nice of you to say, thank you so much 🥰

[@Triple999store]

Great video. Thanks for sharing! I particularly enjoyed your speech and the way you’re introducing everything. You were particularly enlightening, and I appreciate the effort you put into making this content. Keep up the great work!😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🤩🤩🤩😘😁😁😘😘😘😘😘

[@PetConnectionInternational]

1:13 - should say: (*damp*) and draughty conditions, dry conditions are fine, oops 😅 PLEASE NOTE: There is some suggestion that pine (even when kiln-dried) may still cause irritation, to be safe it may be best to use another type of woodshavings such as aspen 🙂 Check out this bedding video to learn more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2fcdXZsZppqf8k Also, you can get a FREE downloadable, printable guide of everything I talked about here: petconnectioninternational.ck.page/04d45a94fc 😊 For bonus content, check out the blooper reel for this video: 🎬 kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6LLep6pirJ_hcU

[@athagrace191]

GERBIL! Thanks For This Information

[@PetConnectionInternational]

You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it ☺️ and thanks for subscribing, I hope I can make more useful content for you 🙂

[@mistersleepy6678]

Loved 😍 this video 📹 ❤ 😍 ♥ 💖 💕 I've found that simple dried sticks are good for them to chew on. Toilet/Paper towel rolls are GREAT for them!

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I'm glad you found it useful ☺️ I agree, cardboard tubes are great! And as long as the sticks are using a safe wood they're definitely good too 🙂

[@xxlolbitxx1643]

Gerbil! I love the video and I will keep it in mind when I get them.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Glad it could help ☺️ let me know if there's anything else I can help you with 🙂

[@ericavonderheid3548]

Thanks for the great information! I give my gerbils pumpkin seeds that I baked myself after Halloween. No added ingredients. They seem to like ripping them apart to get to the seed.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

You're welcome, I'm glad I could help ☺️ I love the idea of using pumpkin seeds from Halloween, I plan to do that too this year! 😄

[@MOGPAWS]

Meow! ... or hello, in Human!... Amazing advice you are giving, keep it up! Maybe we should discuss how cats get on with gerbils in the household 😂🐈

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Hello! That is a point for discussion for sure. Some of them may be able to coexist, but precautions have to be taken, after all, a rodent is a cats natural lunch 😅 I've seen people free roaming their gerbil completely with cats right next to them, easily within swiping distance 😱

[@Mallya_exe]

Here After Vidiq..❤️✨☺️

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Welcome! I hope you can find some of my videos useful in some way ☺️

[@Mallya_exe]

@@PetConnectionInternational Definitely..🤗❤️

[@barbaral3302]

That at the beginning is really what I wanted to know! Does increased space lead to more aggression... I have never owned gerbils but am looking into them, and that seems to be a bit of a debate I guess. I have plenty of space to get as large of a tank as necessary, and I assumed bigger was better so I planned on getting quite a large tank... But have been a bit concerned about the "declanning"

[@PetConnectionInternational]

There's no solid evidence indicating any correlation between more space and more aggression - and often a lot of the people claiming more space causes aggression may refer to enclosures as small as 40 gallon tanks, and in places like Switzerland the legal minimum is 66 US gallons, if this amount of space truly caused aggression, Switzerland would be over run with gerbils fighting and falling out, and burrows in the wild can be 5 meters (16.4 feet) wide in each direction and 1 metre (3.3 feet) deep - and I'm pretty sure there aren't many enclosures getting anywhere near that amount of space! So as far as I'm concerned the "too big" argument is nonsense But gerbils do have very sensitive social structures and can fight and fall out at any time after puberty due to hormones, but pairs often can and do remain stable their entire lives (although not always), whereas with trios or bigger groups there's more incidences of aggression with increasing group size, so pairs are always best, unless it would mean leaving 1 gerbil alone, then trios are better than having 1 lone gerb if possible 🙂

[@barbaral3302]

@@PetConnectionInternational I so appreciate you responding 😊 That’s what it seemed, was that it was more speculation that perhaps the size is what caused the socializations issue. Correlation doesn’t equal causation, and any pets can be finicky, so I won’t be hesitant to provide the largest enclosure possible and if any socialization issues pop up will deal with them. Thank you!!

[@PetConnectionInternational]

No problem, glad I could help ☺️ And I love the "correlation doesn't equal causation" line! I use that all the time to describe the random care advice that crops up online 😅

[@rebekahburgette365]

So helpful

[@nataliepetticolas5883]

Such a well made video! Thanks for the info :)

[@PetConnectionInternational]

No problem, glad it could help ☺️

[@piggylover4808]

Very informative, thank you!!!

[@PetConnectionInternational]

No problem, I'm glad it could help ☺️

[@R6Siege-FS22-FS22]

gerbils are one of my fav animals I'm the king of buying one as I used to have a hamster but sadly passed a couple of days ago but idk.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I'm sorry for your loss 💚

[@HorrorFizzyFaz]

I'm getting my first gerbils in two weeks =)

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Congrats! 🥰

[@rulerofjimyesss]

is it ok if the cage is plastic but the toys and hideouts are wood?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Plastic always poses a chew out risk. Especially if it's that thin awful plastic on standard hamster cages. As a temporary solution they can be in bin cages, but they're not suitable as permanent homes due to the chew out risk, they should be housed in glass tanks permanently

[@AmandaDittmer-v2i]

Hello just subscribed to your channel, love all the info you’ve been a huge help about EVERYTHING!!! I have a question, we bought a pair of gerbils together but the smaller one has now made her own little nest which is very cute but we’re worried about the other one (both females) she just sleeps & doesn’t come out much, we’re worried she feels alone because the other one has made her own nest?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

If you've just got them it could be that the one you're not seeing much is just a bit more shy, it could be worth investing in a pet cam to keep an eye on them when you're not around, that way you can see if she is coming out and being active. If it turns out she is just sleeping all the time and not even digging or chewing or being active at all, that warrants a vet visit to check if there's some kind of illness causing her to be so lethargic, but she may just be coming out when you're not around for the moment until she gets used to you, a pet cam can help determine which it is. Are they sleeping together at all? Or sleeping separately the whole time?

[@ricardorvb]

Tks very much!!

[@arvoarbos]

Now here is my bone of contention. I give my gerbils more than the recommended amount of substrate. Straw and toys and sticks abound. Still, one of my gerbils is repeatedly digging in one area. Biting the bars and is constantly biting us to the point that blood is drawn. The gerbilarioum is very large. His fellow companion is completely relaxed and seems to be settled. I am following all the ‘rules’ but i don’t like the idea of my ‘anxious’ gerbil suffering if it wants to escape.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Some gerbils just need more. What size is your enclosure? And how often do you get them out for free roaming?

[@ea7hellcat]

hey, i wanna get 2 gerbils but im not sure what cage to get. would an hamster cage work good.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Most hamster cages are not even suitable for hamsters, so I would definitely avoid them. It's better if you opt for a glass tank ideally with a topper, as I mentioned in the video, along with the space and bedding requirements 🙂

[@aikikaname6508]

Hey quick question: I’m buying an apartment and am getting a detolf cage and there’s plenty of room. However, my dining room and living room are combined and there’s a tv in there and I wfh on my laptop. I heard tv waves can upset gerbils. Would it be unfair to own them because of this

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I think that's fine, as long as the TV isn't on top of their enclosure or anything. My enclosure had to be moved into our living room when we moved because we didn't have space anywhere else and the gerbils seemed fine with it 🙂

[@kaleluk31]

I am confused. I don't want to use a big glass tank, I'm told wire cages are bad. I have wooden 4ft x 18 x 18 inch vivarium but I'm told there bad because the gerbils will chew it up. So I don't know what to do. If I can have in a vivarium I need to put in a very low light blub I there because it would be total black in there

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Why don't you want to use a glass tank?

[@douglasmartinez1680]

Food I need to know about the food I’ve been planning on putting a Futebol in my job is take your filling it up with carrots leaving food bowls wok please answer me

[@PetConnectionInternational]

The video about food is linked in the description

[@justyouravaragehorsegirl3122]

Can I let my gerbil free roam in my empty bath tub? I would plug the drain and put some hides in for like a play pen. Would this be ideal?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

You can yes, I used to do this with mine 🙂 it is preferable if gerbils have a way home (like a tunnel or ramp) for free roam time though as they can get quite stressed when forced out of their home with no way back - I talk about this more in my playpen video, along with some other tips for getting gerbs more comfortable during free roaming if it helps ☺️

[@Moon5845-z8t]

This really helped but one question- is moss ok for them to have in they’re enclosure or no? Please tell me so im aware

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Yes, the ones I know are safe and commonly used are sphagnum and Forrest moss, make sure they're dry though to avoid mould 🙂

[@douglasmartinez1680]

OK but what if you buy doubles from the pets in pet store and they live in the same cage and at the same pet store and he bought them both at the same time would you still have to separate them and get them used to each other isn’t free live with each other that’s the day lives what they get along I need to know

[@PetConnectionInternational]

If they're already together, you don't need to separate them

[@justyouravaragehorsegirl3122]

Do gerbils bites hurt? I've heard a couple different opinions. I'm doing bunches of research everyday but does it hurt when you get bitten? - Coming from a person with a high pain tolerence.

[@roleat]

They can gently nibble as a deterrent when upset but if they are very scared or agitated I've heard they can latch on. So far never been bit properly.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Gerbils don't usually bite, when they do it's usually because they feel threatened and they don't usually latch on, a bite is usually to get rid of something they don't like, but they may still latch on if they're really not happy (Timon once did this to my partner's foot when he stood in the playpen to reach over it, Timon was NOT impressed 🥲) - so it can be a bit sore when they do that, it's kind of like a really hard pinch with fingernails is probably the best way I can describe it They may nibble too, but this is much gentler than a bite, and usually just to test if you're food or not 😅

[@justyouravaragehorsegirl3122]

@@PetConnectionInternational But does it hurt!?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

A little bit, but not massively, in my opinion anyway 🙂

[@birthevandijk9732]

If a gerbil bites you let it bite you until it stops so that they see that you're not a threat

[@Gurkaobtec]

11:42 My gerbils do this but their cage is 120x55cm and they have deep bedding in the whole cage. why?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

How deep is the bedding? Is it a cage or a tank?

[@Gurkaobtec]

@ its the Ikea platsa idk if it counts as a tank or cage but the bedding is like 30-40 cm

[@PetConnectionInternational]

@@Gurkaobtec How often are they doing it? Is it just occasionally? Also, I'd be very careful with IKEA builds, the inside of their furniture is a little bit of MDF and a lot of cardboard, so if the gerbils can scratch their way through the top protective layer they'll chew their way out in no time

[@MrHannibals]

Hi! My friend currently has 3 gerbils, 2 males and a female and they are currently in the same enclosure but he cant keep them anymore and asked if i can take them. My question is, should i keep them as a group of 3 or seperate the males and female and get another female so shes not alone. I'd rather not end up with a bunch of babies by keeping males and females together. please help

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Yes, definitely split them, they will end up breeding otherwise, the female may already be pregnant, so wait a month before bonding to see if she gives birth

[@birthevandijk9732]

Hello i have 2 gerbils and one of them is a white gerbil and her nose got a little bit darker when she got older ( almost 1 ) so now its gray so does that happen normally? ( gerbil )

[@PetConnectionInternational]

If you're talking about the fur changing colour, then yes that does happen. But if it's her actual nose, it should be pink due to blood flow to the area, so if it's lost it's colour I'd definitely get it checked out by a vet because it could be an issue with her circulation for example

[@Megan-nx6et]

Hello! Another great video! So is a 20 gallon long tank too small for my rescue guy? I’ve seen him do that repetitive digging here and there. I’ve seen time and time again that this size is fine for a solo gerbil. Now I’m second guessing it.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Yes you're right, 20 gallons is definitely too small, even for a solo, unfortunately I hear it recommended all over the online groups, it's one thing that really frustrates me, even solo gerbils can have massive burrows in the wild, so they should have the same space as a pair imo, aim for 100x50x50 🙂 But one thing I should ask is why he's currently alone? And if you're planning to bond him?

[@Megan-nx6et]

So should I add a cage topper? I find it will be much harder to bond with him that way, though because of the inability to access him as easy. I can move him into a 40 gallon breeder tank that I have. Do you think that would be better? He’s a rescue. He lost his tail due to a fight with his cage mates. The rescue recommended he stay solo as they aren’t sure who the aggressor was and also that he could end up bullied. They said they haven’t seen the split tank method work too much and don’t have a lot of faith in it.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

@@Megan-nx6et ah that's unfortunate, and sad that a rescue doesn't bother with split tanks, it's a shame but I'm seeing that be suggested more and more often 😕 how old is he? That'll help us figure out the best possible match for a bond, I definitely think it'd be worth a shot tbh, even if it fails they can live as neighbours, and if you have toppers, you can put the tanks next to each other so they could still get some social interaction through the bars 🙂 I always recommend toppers, as you said it's easier to interact with them that way I find, the 40 gal sounds like a great upgrade, if you do decide to add a topper to it, I have a video showing how to make an adapter platform to make a pre-made tank top fit any size base tank ☺️ Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5Waanyum9xkkLM

[@Megan-nx6et]

He’s probably around 6 months old- estimated. So, I wouldn’t do a cage topper for a 40 gallon. I don’t have access to tools and I’m not handy at all lol. I can do a cage topper for a smaller aquarium.. a 29 gallon I believe is what they make toppers for. I think you misunderstood.. I find that toppers leave little access to properly interacting with the animal. That’s just my experience tho. If he stays down in the tank and doesn’t come up top into the topper, I’ll never be able to interact with him.

[@Megan-nx6et]

I mean I can buy an already made cage topper.

[@douglasmartinez1680]

OK but what about carrots the carrots count as wet or dry food

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Dried carrots are dry, fresh carrots are wet

[@sophiedl6463]

Can gerbils have any sawdust in their tank? Or is it best to have absolutely none

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Anything dusty is a no-go for gerbils, because it's so fine it sticks to and irritates their sensitive respiratory systems unfortunately. You can use woodshavings though, as long as they're made from safe wood like Aspen 🙂

[@sophiedl6463]

@@PetConnectionInternational okay I completely understand and won’t be getting any sawdust, can I use dust free wood shavings/chips?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Yes, although chips won't hold their structure very well (or at all really). If it helps you figure out beddings, I talked about the pros and cons of different kinds of wood and other beddings in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2fcdXZsZppqf8k May help speed up your research a little ☺️

[@sophiedl6463]

@@PetConnectionInternational thank you😊😊

[@PetConnectionInternational]

@@sophiedl6463 no problem, I hope it can help ☺️

[@devonmanning832]

Quick question, I thought straw wouldn't be ok as it is sharp and splinters and could hurt your gerbil, is it ok?

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Yes straw should be fine ☺️ gerbils love to chew up straw/hay to use for their burrows. They also have pretty strong skin on their feet so I wouldn't worry about splinters too much 🙂

[@devonmanning832]

@@PetConnectionInternational that's great to hear as a back up. I use Timothy hay a lot for mine. I run the gerbilsupport page on Reddit so if you have any feedback over my general care of Jet please do let me know ☺️

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Of course! I'll catch up on all the posts tomorrow and help where I can ☺️

[@devonmanning832]

@@PetConnectionInternational that would be amazing thank you

[@PetConnectionInternational]

@@devonmanning832 you're welcome, I'm happy to help ☺️

[@andressamolina1642]

My gerbil was sleeping and his belly start to make a noise. Is that normal? It's the first time I hear it 😥 I've searched for different poop but didn't find any diarrhea. It's a male and he is about 9 months.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

What kind of noise?

[@andressamolina1642]

@@PetConnectionInternational It looks like the noise that our stomach makes when we're hungry but not soo similar

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Hmm, I'm not 100% sure tbh, maybe keep an eye and see if it keeps happening, if it does it may be worth a vet check just to be sure x

[@andressamolina1642]

@@PetConnectionInternational It didn't happen again until now. I think he was dreaming about eating some seeds 😂

[@valoriephillips2831]

GERBIL!!!❣️❣️❣️

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I'm glad you found the information useful, let me know if there's anything else I can help you with ☺️

[@valoriephillips2831]

ty, I just a gerbil today and wanted so bad but like every animal I wanted to get I wanted to learn more about them and the things I need to take care of them and I would never had known that a gerbil liked to live in borrows if I hadn't had watched something like this, thank you for making videos like and more they r so helpful ♥️❤️❣️ I Love gerbils ❣️❣️❣️

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I'm glad the videos are able to help ☺️

[@dishuman1993]

hello. i was wondering is a zoozone 2 (101 x 51 x 22 cm) suitable for 2 or 3 males? also what kind of commercial gerbil food is best (i live in scotland). thanks :)

[@PetConnectionInternational]

The floorspace is good, but as the height is only 22cm this is nowhere near enough for gerbils as they need a minimum of 25cm of bedding with 15cm space on top to stand up, so an enclosure needs to be at least 40cm tall to fit enough bedding for them to properly burrow. Ideally you want a glass tank with a topper, some people do use a detolf with a raised lid which can also work 🙂 For food my favourites are gerri gerbil or pets at home gerbil muesli mixed with science selective gerbil nuggets for balance ☺️

[@dishuman1993]

@@PetConnectionInternational thank you so much for your advice. that's a real shame i've been researching for a while, found a place to get the gerbils, thought of names and i've wanted them for years. i know this might sound stupid but are wooden enclosures a definite no? i've got a Pawhut with 1069.8 square inches for my hamster but i know wooden enclosures aren't the best for gerbils. are there any precautions i could take to make it ok? thank you ☺

[@PetConnectionInternational]

No problem ☺️ wood enclosures are a big risk because of how highly motivated gerbils are to chew wood and cardboard, they're drawn to it like moths to a flame! So if there's even slight ridges in the enclosure (i.e. if they use lots of panels), it's definitely a big risk, I know gerbil vine had a wood enclosure that the gerbils nearly chewed out of very quickly. So I wouldn't recommend it, but if you really wanted to use one the only thing I could think of would be using thin sheets of tightly fitting acrylic and attaching them to the wood areas to stop the gerbils being able to chew them

[@dishuman1993]

@@PetConnectionInternational thank you so much! you're so kind and knowledgable. I'll maybe consider your wooden cage suggestion or maybe I'll look into a tank of some kind. i take it good quality bin cages are ok? you're so much help honestly, I've been on forums and commented on youtube and not a single soul has responded 🥲 thanks :)

[@PetConnectionInternational]

No problem, I'm just glad I've been able to help 💚 Yes bin cages are fine as an intermediate solution, they still pose a risk of escape (which can be lowered by doubling up the tubs and providing lots of bedding & chew toys), but my main issue is their limited size, the ideal floorspace is 100x50cm with 55cm height, and no bin (at least in the UK) meets this, so that's where the glass enclosures are worth upgrading to 🙂 I've got a video showing how I made my bin cage if it helps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5Waanyum9xkkLM I do plan on upgrading to a glass tank with DIY topper as soon as I can and I'll be making a video guide on that too when it's done which may help if you want to upgrade in the future ☺️ And I'm always around if you ever need more help 🙂

[@HeartsFromLaynah]

Is it only me or when I’m about to get a gerbil I’m so afraid it’s gonna fall asleep on the first day and I’m gonna think it’s dying-😭😭

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Awh it's okay to be worried, I have, on more than one occasion, taken apart my gerbils' burrows because I hadn't seen them in a few days and thought something had happened, only to find very dazed and confused gerbils staring up at me 😅 It's totally normal to worry and want the best for your pets, it's a sign of a good pet parent! If you've done all your research and have a good environment set up for them I'd say not to worry too much and go get your new tiny friends when you're ready 😊 Breeders will likely have better genetics than pet stores though if you're really worried about longevity - as well as pet stores aren't great at caring for their pets so it's better not to support their animal breeding by buying pets from them, but you could always adopt too 🙂

[@jakobkling5071]

Gerbil!

[@ricardorvb]

Bafore the subtitles i was understanding “samba “ instead of “sand bath “. My brazilian brain trolling me.

[@PetConnectionInternational]

Haha, it's kind of close? 😅 I'm glad the subtitles can be helpful ☺️

[@alenkbijoy6590]

GERBIL

[@alasdairtweedlie5340]

Gerbil

[@victoriastuart9235]

Gerbil

[@looknofurther6885]

gerbil

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I'm glad you found the information useful, let me know if there's anything else I can help you with 🙂

[@giraffewhiskers2045]

My mom said yes to them N they remind me of rats

[@PetConnectionInternational]

They can be kind of rat like (although not as cuddly), one of my current girls Luna looks almost exactly like a tiny rat 😅

[@iste2753]

Gerbil

[@jamieertley310]

gerbil

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I'm glad you found the information useful, let me know if there's anything else I can help you with ☺️

[@maddoxf322]

Gerbil

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I'm glad you found the information useful, let me know if there's anything else I can help you with ☺️

[@canaldbmiguel1429]

Gerbil

[@PetConnectionInternational]

I'm glad you found the information useful, let me know if there's anything else I can help you with ☺️