how good are gerbils as pets, and any advice about them?i only want answers from people who had or have them?

Question

i (as you may know from my recent question) am geting a gerbil , are they good pets? do they bond well with humans , or are they as dumb as my dad makes them sound?can i feed them parakeet food? (i breed parakeets) and how like hamsters are they? (i dont like hamsters very much) please take the time to answer these questions. i cant find the answers anywhere!!!!

Answer 1

GERBILS ARE AMAZING PETS!!

I've had over 30 gerbils in my life, and then 8 hamsters. I prefer gerbils because they're more active during the daytime (even though both hamsters AND gerbils are nocturnal, gerbils adapt more and can play while you're awake, lol), they're more sociable, they love people, they're fun to watch, they're ADORABLE ... and the list goes on!!

Um ... I wouldn't recommend the parakeet food, just because I don't know what's IN parakeet food. But the best thing for gerbils is gerbil food, hands down. And the occasional lettuce and apple slice. :) lol.

But if you don't like hamsters very much but still want a rodent, gerbils are PERFECT! They're easy to care for, they're a bundle of fun, they're loveable, they love you back ... they're perfect!

If you have any questions or wanna talk, e-mail me! I love rodents and I love talking about them. Specifically gerbils because I've had so many of them and I love them ... they're my babies. :)

My e-mail address is [e-mail]. And tell your dad gerbils aren't stupid!!!!!!!! Jeez ... lol.

Answer 2

We had gerbils for about 5 years. Although we occasionally added a new gerbil, over time the mating begin to produce problems in the pups, so I would not recommend keeping the pups with parents, sisters, brothers, etc. They only bit when they were frightened, and they can chew through the plastic cages in very little time. We often had to do gerbil searches as they would chew through the connectors. I would recommend metal instead. They are similiar to hamsters, but are a bit wilder, and require much less water. Like any pet, check the library for detailed information before getting it so you will know what to expect, as well as what will give your pet a good quality of life.

Answer 3

Edit: I don't know why I used "hamster" all through this, I meant gerbil. Sorry.

Gerbils, like all rodents, can be really wonderful pets, but you have to be a wonderful owner, too.

As soon as you get the Hammy home and set up in his little cage, start taking him out and gently handling him and handfeeding him for about an hour a day. This gets them used to being handled, so they won't be aggressive.

The cage needs to be cleaned at least once a week. Rodents don't like to be dirty. And you may want to consider a cage with a suspended wire floor that sits on top of the litter, since they don't like to walk in the dirty litter.

They can eat premade rodent food, sunflower seeds, and raw veggies. (They like carrots a lot.) I'm not sure I'd do birdseed, because it has a lot of little seeds that rodents don't like very much.

Also, get some wooden chewies, so they can keep their teeth sharp and trimmed. (rodent teeth don't stop growing) an exercise wheel, water bottle, and a nice little hiding place are also essential. I also like the balls you can put them in so they can run around the room. They have a lot of fun with that, as long as you don't have a cat. :)

Answer 4

I loved my gerbil. I had rats and they smelled horrible and were disgusting. Hamsters I have had as well and like them. Gerbils are a lot like hamsters but have a longer tail and can run faster. My gerbil wouldn't hardly let you catch it. I would try to get a baby and hold it as often as possible. I don't think they are very trainable, but they certainly aren't dumb, and I would feed them gerbil food, it has the correct nutrients and vitamins they need. (They will stink a room up if cage not cleaned properly.)

Answer 5

i have had gerbils and i wish that i still had them. i got them as babies and they were very sweet, unlike my hamsters that i now own who bite me even though ive had them since they were babies and never did anything wrong to them. if you keep the cage clean they don't smell hardly at all and they need to be fed gerbil food, but im sure you can give them some parakeet food as a treat. they are very fast little critters and i think they are cuter and sweeter than hamsters, but don't have them around cats, because unlike hamsters, they aren't as resilient. they are also an animal who gets lonely easily and prefer to have another gerbil as a companion, but try and get two from the same place who get along okay and are of the same sex, they reproduce constantly if you don't

Answer 6

They are good pets. More energetic than hamsters, and more docile. Easy to take care of, keep themselves clean, low maintenance. I would feed it gerbil food, not bird food, completely different nutrients in both foods. They are a little similar to hamsters in the general care area, but attitude wise, gerbils are more friendly, they won't roll over on their backs and show you their big ole sharp teeth like hamsters tend to do (if agitated). They do bond well with humans, and no, they are not dumb.

Answer 7

I found gerbils to be nasty and untrainable. Feed them food designed for them. Rats and mice are cleaner and smarter.Hamsters are mammals not birds. I would really think it over. Have a nice holiday.