dreadful gerbil!!!

danih

I got a gerbil from local pet shop a few weeks ago. It was alone in a tank, no toys, chew items, hides, just a water bottle, food and sawdust. So I felt sorry for
Her and took her home.

Just went to check her, found a large hole chewed out of her plastic cage! I know she is still in that room, just need to get her caught now.

Think I have to buy a gerbilarium

pawsies

Why not build something like this?



Obviously with a lid on top and smaller mesh and deeper litter. Having space to dig and move around will help satisfy that instinct. I would also consider getting a friend as they do like to be in small groups. Obviously make sure it is another female- neutering is too risky in these critters.

danih

Guinea pigs in a c & c set up?

I have that in same room as my loose gerbil Great for the piggies, haven't a clue how to adapt for a gerbil.

mesh would be fine - but as a base I'm wary of anything plastic.

krlyr

When I had gerbils, I used a 4' fish tank with a mesh roof - tons of room and nothing to chew through. I picked the tank up really cheap on eBay, tons of leaky tanks people can't use for fish anymore, but it's easy enough to make a lid.

chocdonuty

Try zoo plus for cages, never had gerbils, just hamsters and am currently using a cage 80cm long, which some pets stores sell as appropriate for guinea pigs! :mad:( I have 3 in a cage 240cm long!) but lots of space for a small hamster/gerbil and no fiddly bits and tubes you just add your own bits and bobs then move them for variety.
I know what you mean about plastic cages, I have a small patch of carpet nibbled down to the boards when my last hamster chewed through the bottom of his last cage!
Tanks are a good idea, there may be some on ebay, can't remember the name but the are designed for mice ect and have 2/3 shelves with a metal grid lid, do think about cleaning though, they can be tricky to get all the bedding out and v heavy to tip upside down which is how it's usually done with a plastic cage.

danih

Update.

I have bought a gerbilarium from pets at home. It has a glass base, so is safe and secure. The base is packed with paper, hay, cardboard and wood treats, so it has plenty to chew through. Hoping to see tunnels soon

it is smaller then I would like, so will b checking gumtree / ebay for a larger aquarium to upgrade.

danih

Chocdonuty,

I totally agree about the cage size issue. Its so hard to find appropriate sized caged! My guinea pigs are in c and c enclosures because all the "guinea pig cages" are better suited to hamsters in terms of size.

I must confess I am highly tempted to buy one of those stupidly small "guinea pig / rabbit hutches" I'd love to paint the outside and adapt it for a hamster. Obviously it would be an indoor enclosure. But I would hate to encourage a dodgy pet shop to continue to stock these.

SuperHan

My bunny had one of the smaller 100cm cages for quite some time, it was great, but he had free roam of the room he lived in and used the cage for sleeping, so it was good for that. I wouldn't have had him live in it all the time though.