Things Gerbils Love

Gerbils are fantastic pets. They enrich their owner’s lives, and so it’s only natural that you’ll want to do the same or them. As well as providing the basics - food, a friend, a good enclosure, bedding, a wheel, food and water - there are some things you can provide to make your gerbil’s life even more fun and interesting.

• Toys
  

  Gerbils love playing with toys, whether shop-bought or homemade. Life in a cage can get a little boring, so anything that you can add to spice up their lives a little will be much appreciated. Some ideas include chews, gnaws, tunnels and bridges. These things can improve your pet’s dental health, provide some mental stimulation, or both!





Try offering your pets some toys to enrich their lives


• Extra bedding
  

  Although they need about five or six inches of bedding in order to be allowed to make tunnels, from time to time adding a bit extra can be a lot of fun for them, as they’ll be able to have a lot of fun making more little rooms and passageways in it. Just be sure not to fill it all the way to the top - your pets need to be able to stand up!



• Chews and Gnaws
  

  Chews and gnaws are great gerbil toys. Not only do they provide a lot of stimulation, but they enable your pets to regulate their own tooth length. Since their teeth grow throughout their lives, sometimes their teeth will get uncomfortably long - they can even be so long as to stop your pet eating! This is why it’s good to provide them something to gnaw on should they need it.





Chews and gnaws are brilliant for helping your gerbils regulate their own tooth length



If you’re providing your own wood for them, make sure it’s not one that disintegrates into splinters easily, and make sure it hasn’t been treated (varnished, stained or exposed to any pesticides).



• Treats
  

  Just like you or I, gerbils will love a little treat from time to time. If you’re unsure what your gerbil can and can’t eat, then have a look at our pages - we’ve written a Gerbil Food List and a page on Foods To Avoid to give you some pointers.

  
  
  

  Gerbils love a treat from time to time

  
  

  We sell a variety of safe gerbil treats on our website. If you’re buying some from a shop, be sure to choose those that don’t have any added sugar in them. This can cause dental problems for your pets.



• Playing
  

  Gerbils will bond strongly with each other, but also with their owner! Bringing your gerbils out of their enclosure and sitting with them on your lap can be great fun for both of you. Just let them sniff you first, and try to ensure that their scent isn’t altered too much. This can lead to fights if their friends don’t recognise them properly when they’re being introduced back into the cage.