gerbils and miniature dwarf hamsters?

Question

I have a few questions about gerbils and miniature dwarf hamsters. I think I'll be buying one or the other this weekend.


1. How active are gerbils and miniature dwarf hamsters? Will they run away if you let it sit on your floor?

2. How big of a cage is appropriate to buy for a each of them?

3. I have a younger sister whose 9 years old. Will she be able to take care of it?

4. is it best to get a cage with many obstacles like tunnels, ect?
I have a cage that is basically an aquarium. It doesn't have any fish in it. After I clean it, will that be suitable? I know it's plenty big.

5. How often do you have to empy their litter?

6. Are they fun animals?


Yeah. That's it! Thanks for answering my questions.
You don't have to answer the questions for both a gerbil and a miniature dwarf hamster, but if you have both, could you? If you just have one of them, answer it for the small animal you have.

Answer 1

1. They are as active as any other rodent. They are mostly nocturnal and will sleep for most of the day if left alone. They aren't that fast but if you are going to place them on the floor I do recommend getting a ball for them to be placed in. It's fun for them and you don't have to worry about them getting anywhere that you won't be able to reach them.

2. There are a lot of different options for cages. Some are two story and some are long rectangles and one story. I had a two story cage for my rat but she seemed to stay near the bottom so I got her a long rectangle one so she would have more room.

3. She may need help cleaning the cage and make sure she washes her hands every time she touches them because they can make her sick (unlikely, but it can happen). Also, from experiance, dwarf hamsters do have a greater tendency to bite so I'm not sure that it will be the best choice for a 9 year old. A teddy bear hamster, a rat, or a guine pig may be more suitable.

4. The aquarium will be ok but a cage would be better for the pet. Some of them do enjoy the tunnels and wheels while others may not really care much for them.

5. Once a week is best for the health of the pet and the smell.

6. They are fun animals and are a lot smarter than they get credit for. :0)

Answer 2

A gerbil is greater mouse like with an prolonged tail. A hamster has no tail and a miniature hamster is in basic terms a hamster that has been bred smaller and smaller with the aid of the years. Animals have been "custom" to adventure the fancies of folk who desire something a splash diverse. Dwarf hamsters, long haired hamsters, multi-colored hamsters, teddy undergo hamsters. additionally discover a similar element happening in different animals. those with hypersensitive reactions enjoyed the labrador yet they have been allergic to the hair, a poodle exchange into bred with it till they got here out with a labradoodle, created for persons who had hypersensitive reactions and did no longer desire a organic bred poodle. this is all approximately furnish and demand and persons wanting something that seems diverse from what all people else has. regrettably some animals that are born with genetic dangers have been bred with others as a manner to produce shopper and dressmaker pets. like the cats that have not got any legs, noses that now no longer enable them to breath top. dogs such through fact the British Bulldog who's jaws and head have been bred to be so massive that the girls won't have the capacity to furnish beginning to them clearly from now on. i could watch the cat with the recent pets and desire you may get her fixed or you will desire an infinite furnish of kittens interior the homestead and adult males striking around and spraying each and every of the time too. in some unspecified time interior the destiny, animal lover or no longer, she could finally end up with too many pets and not adequate time for all of them.

Answer 3

I had a dwar f hamster and they are awesome hamsters after a while they will not run around to much but some may bee hyper. I'd say just a regular small- medium sized hamster cage would be great. I think it would be okay i personally like the bared sided cages the best. You should empty the litter every week to 1.5 weeks!

Answer 4

I had both Hamsters & gerbils as a kid. I think gerbils are more fun, they are more active. You can handel them, but they will hide under the furniture if you let them on the floor. I used to take bathes and let my gerbils run around the bathroom.

Answer 5

Medium length hair because it is easy to be able to handle and you can still perform most of the hairstyles

Answer 6

I've got mine both ways too... but my husband prefers it short... he never complains when I grow it very long, but is always all over themself w/the complements when I cut it off