- How can I tell if a gerbil is healthy?
- What type of toys do gerbils like?
- Are gerbils legal in Australia?
- How much space do a pair of gerbils need?
- Can I see a photo of the size of tank a pair of gerbils need?
- Fun activities for your gerbil
- Whether it's better to get a pair of male gerbils or a pair of female gerbils
- Help taming your gerbils
- Older letters to Pippi
Nellie,
When I get my new gerbils, how do I know which ones are healthy? - E.J.H.
Hello E.J.H.,
Thanks for writing to me. I'm happy to hear that you're adopting gerbils. :)
The best way to find a healthy pair of gerbils to adopt is to watch the way they act. A healthy gerbil should be very active. Healthy gerbils eagerly explore everything they see. We gerbils are very curious.
Don't adopt a gerbil who huddles in the corner and breathes heavily. Also, sick gerbils sometimes make clicking sounds when they breathe.
Healthy gerbils have wide-open sparkling eyes. A gerbil who is squinting usually doesn't feel well.
Finally, avoid gerbils who are missing fur or who have stained fur (especially if the stains are on their undersides, near the hind legs). When you see stains or missing fur, you know that a gerbil is very sick.
Remember that healthy gerbils should be playful, active, and curious. Good luck finding a pair of gerbils!
Your gerbil pal,
- Nellie
Hi,
When I get gerbils, what are their favorite toys to play with? - A.
Hi A.,
This is Nellie. It was great to hear from you! I have some great ideas for toys your gerbils will love!
First, make sure you start saving toilet paper tubes. We gerbils love to play with toilet paper tubes. First, we run through them, like they're little tunnels. Then we start chewing the cardboard tube into tiny pieces. We gather the pieces of cardboard up later to build a nice, fluffy nest.
We also like to play inside of brown paper lunch sacks. And again, we like to chew them to tiny bits, too!
Exercise wheels are another toy that most gerbils like. Make sure you read our Gerbil-Safe Wheels tip so you can get a wheel that's safe for our tails.
Here's one other idea. Wash and rinse a glass jar and let it dry thoroughly. Then place it on its side inside your gerbils' tank. Your gerbils will have a lot of fun digging and playing inside the jar. They'll probablly also use the jar as a bathroom, so you'll need to rinse out the jar every day or two so it doesn't get too dirty.
Everyone who already has gerbils should vote in this week's Gerbil Poll, which asks you to tell us which toy is your gerbil's favorite!
I hope that helps to answer your question, A. Thanks again for taking the time to write to me and Pippi.
Your friend,
- Nellie
Hi Pippi and Nellie,
I live in South Australia and don't know if it is illegal to keep a gerbil.
I also want to know if you can send me a picture of the size of a cage for two gerbils. Thanks. - T.
Hello T.,
Thank you for sending us a letter! It was great to hear from you.
We really wish that we had better news for you, but as far as we can tell, gerbils are illegal in Australia. (So are hamsters, ferrets, and many other animals.)
It's too bad, because we think you'd take very good care of gerbils. We hope you can find a pet that you can keep in Australia.
You also asked us what size of tank to use for two gerbils. A 10-gallon tank will work great. You can see a photo of a 10-gallon tank to the left.
Thanks again for writing to us, and we wish we had better news about Australia's gerbil laws.
Your buddies,
- Pippi & Nellie
Hi Pippi,
I've got a 10-gallon tank, and I am planning to get two gerbils. Will they be cramped in there?
P.S. I think you gerbils are the cutest animals in the world.
Thanks,
- C.B.
Hi C.B.,
It was great to hear from you! A 10-gallon tank will work great for two gerbils. In fact, my sister Annika and I always spent our time in a 10-gallon tank. (You don't want to use anything smaller than a 10-gallon tank for two gerbils, though.) You'll have enough room in a 10-gallon tank to give your gerbils a small wooden house, an exercise wheel, a food dish, a water bottle, and a toilet paper tube.
You'll also want to get a sturdy wire mesh tank lid, which you can find in the reptile section of your local pet store. A wire lid is very important, because we gerbils have kangaroo-like hind legs, and we can just a couple of feet in the air! We are also good at climbing objects, such as our water bottles, so a lid will keep us in our tank and safe.
To keep the lid in place, you can buy a pair of lid clamps. These are also in the reptile section of the pet store.
I hope you have fun with the pair of gerbils you plan to adopt. Thanks again for writing!
Your furry friend,
- Pippi
Dear Pippi & Nellie,
I love my gerbils, and my gerbil is making a snowflake right now. Is there anything else it can do? -S.
Hi S.,
Did your gerbil have fun making snowflakes? I've always had fun making paper snowflakes. :)
There are many other fun things your gerbil can do, too. Here's an example. Have you let your gerbils take a sandbath? We gerbils really have fun rolling in the sand, and it cleans our fur. It's also a lot of fun to watch us take a sandbath. You can read more about this in Twin Squeaks' Sandbaths for Gerbils tip.
Another fun thing to do is make a special present for your gerbils to unwrap. Here's how you do it. First, get a few of your gerbils' favorite treats. (Some good ones are sunflower seeds, Cheerios, and Puffed Kashi cereal.) Wrap the treats inside a few sheets of plain white toilet paper and stuff them inside an empty toilet paper tube. Push several more sheets of toilet paper in each end of the toilet paper tube so that the tube is stuffed full of toilet paper sheets, with the treats hiding in the middle of the tube. Finally, get a plain white sheet of paper and wrap it around the tube. Twist the ends of the paper around the toilet paper tube so that it is wrapped like a giant Tootsie Roll.
Then give this giant wrapped present to your gerbils. First, they'll have to rip the paper off of the tube. Then they'll have to pull the toilet paper out of the tube (or use their noses to push the toilet paper through the tube and out the other side!). Finally, they'll get to the treats inside. They'll also have a toilet paper tube to chew, which is also a lot of fun!
Your friend,
- Pippi
Hello,
I am thinking about getting a gerbil, and my parents said that getting two may be a good idea. If I do get two, what would you recommend? Two males or two females? I am looking for a very social pet. Thanks! -A.
Hi A.,
Thank you for your letter! Your parents are right that it's a good idea to get two gerbils. Most gerbils are much happier with a friend. We love to curl up together and fall asleep. We also take good care of each other, using our teeth to comb each others' fur. (This is called grooming
.) When one of us is scared, the other one can help us feel better.
You can either adopt two males or two females. Both types of pairs will make great pets. Just make sure that you adopt both gerbils at the same time and that they already live together. That way, they'll already get along.
If you have the choice between a pair of females and a pair of males, it might be a good idea to get a pair of males. Male gerbils accept new friends a little bit better than female gerbils do. If you have a pair of male gerbils, if something happens to one of them and the other is left alone, it will be easier to help him meet a new friend.
But really, you should be happy with either a pair of females or a pair of males. Females are usually a little bit more active, and males are usually a little bit calmer and more laid-back.
Good luck finding a pair of gerbils to adopt. I think you'll find that we make really great pets.
Your buddy,
- Nellie
Hi,
Why is my gerbil scared to crawl into my hand? I've tried giving her treats and everything. - M.B.
Dear M.B.,
This is Pippi. Thanks for writing! I know it's hard to believe now, but most gerbils will learn to trust you. When I first came to my new home, I was very scared. Everyone and everything scared me. You'd never know it today, though. I love to sit in people's hands and eat Cheerios.
There are some things you can do to help your gerbil get used to you. You can learn three taming tricks in the Hand-tame Your Gerbils tip.
Nellie also has an idea. I'm going to let her type the rest of this letter.
Hi, M.B. This is Nellie. If your parents say it's OK, you can also use your bathtub as a play area where your gerbil can get to know you. Don't do this, though, unless your parents say it's OK. A parent should be with you the whole time in case you need any help with your gerbil.
Your friends,
- Pippi & Nellie
Click the Ask A Question button below to send Pippi & Nellie your own gerbil question. Or click the Read Letters button to read older letters from Pippi & Nellie.
