Wire cages offer plenty of airflow, but it can make the surrounding area messy because bedding inevitably will spill out. In some situations, where people live in extremely humid climates, the excessive humidity can cause more potent odor in the glass tank setup, Hanna says, and pet parents might find wire cages a better fit.
Available in all plastic and plastic-and-wire combinations, these enclosures are another prevalent option for gerbil cages. These tend to be attractive to pet parents, especially children, with their fun colors and styles, but because gerbils chew everything, experts do not recommend them as primary housing. Some styles provide little ventilation and you must pay extra attention to the maintenance of these cages because they tend to smell more quickly.
The main disadvantage, she says, is not being able to see through them well. They need lots of room to burrow and run and enjoy other gerbil interaction. While previously 5-gallons per gerbil was considered adequate, now the rule of thumb is gallons of space per gerbil.
So, if you have a pair of gerbils, a gallon cage—or an average base of 12 inches by 30 inches—is a good minimum, she adds. Whichever size you choose, keep your gerbil cages clean and well maintained. Hanna recommends cleaning them out every weeks. Add the handful of used substrate from the nesting corner back inside for the familiar scent in the nesting box.
Published: October 17, By: Chewy Editorial Updated: January 20, By: Chewy Editorial Updated: November 3, By: Chewy Updated: November 3, By: Chewy Editorial Published: July 3, View all in be inspired. View all in be generous. If you still smell soap after rinsing, use towels soaked in vinegar water to wipe it out. Make sure everything is completely dry before putting everything back in. Don't give your gerbils any toys made from plastic because they love to chew, and plastic could cause a wide range of problems for your pet.
Instead, stick with natural wood products like wooden chew toys, cardboard tubes, and wood planks. Gerbils don't stick to routine sleeping schedules.
They often sleep for an hour or two at a time, and then they're up for an hour or two. This cycle occurs throughout the day and night. However, gerbils who are raised in captivity do tend to adapt to human sleeping schedules much easier. Just like any other pet, gerbils must be seen by a veterinarian on a regular schedule.
These routine veterinary checks are important for keeping your pet healthy and happy. Evan Ware is a veterinary practitioner in Phoenix, Arizona. His areas of expertise include orthopedic medicine and surgery, veterinary oncology and chemotherapy, and general and advanced soft-tissue surgery.
This content is intended for counseling purposes only. No claims are made as to the safety or efficacy of mentioned preparations. You are encouraged to speak with your prescriber as to the appropriate use of any medication.
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This forms a cage with a volume of 20 gallons. Larger cages are even better, especially when you plan on keeping more than two gerbils or intend on breeding gerbils. These are just minimum cage sizes for a pair of gerbils. Small pets, like rodents, are usually kept in wire cages that are made from metal and plastic. A less common enclosure for such pets is a vivarium, which is a glass tank. There are different names for a vivarium depending on the animal that is housed within aquarium for fish or terrarium for reptiles.
The term vivarium is the generic term for these enclosures. A wire or mesh cage has a plastic or metal base that allows for a thin layer of bedding and has a wire mesh top with vertical or horizontal bars. Sometimes the top is made of plastic with only a ventilation grid that has metal bars.
So, wire or mesh cages are good cages when it comes to the cage material, ventilation, and ease of cleaning. A popular choice for burrowing pets is an old tank with a cage topper on it. You can also buy this combination in stores and online. This kind of cage consists of a deep tank part that can be made of glass or plastic.
The cage topper is usually made of metal bars and looks similar to the top of a wire cage. Tanks with cage toppers are good cages when it comes to the cage material, ventilation, ease of cleaning, and suitability for burrowing.
A vivarium is made from glass with a frame that can be made from different material even wood. When talking about gerbils, a vivarium is also called a gerbilarium. A gerbilarium is — in my opinion — the most suitable cage for gerbils. It provides enough space for burrowing and limits the risk of a gerbil escaping.
If you have enough space and budget, choose a gerbilarium as a gerbil cage see recommended cages below. There are several things you need to take into consideration when it comes to cage location:.
Gerbils are crepuscular pets that are both active during the day and night, with a tendency to be more active at twilight dusk and dawn. Keep it, for example, in a living room where indirect sunlight lightens the room during the day. However, you should never put the cage in direct sunlight.
When direct sunlight hits the cage it can heat up the cage very fast especially with a real gerbilarium which can cause serious health issues.
Gerbils live in an arid region where temperatures can get really high. The natural habitat of gerbils can also get really cold and gerbils will use their fur and social nature to keep warm in their burrows. You can do so by relocating the cage to a cooler room or by using an air-conditioning in the room. You can do so by giving them enough nesting material to line up their nests. Another way to heat up the room is by using a heater or heating system.
You should place the cage:. There are some locations that are more suitable than others to place your gerbil cage. Now you know what the requirements are for a good cage. Most cages that are being sold for gerbils are also sold for hamsters or other kinds of rodents.
Almost all cages have no or only limited space for a thick layer of substrate bedding. Gerbils are animals that live near the surface and in their burrows. However, to create enough flooring space often multiple levels are created in gerbil cages similar to degu cages.
In my opinion, the best cage for gerbils is a gerbilarium but a more common and good option is a tank with a cage topper of it. For this list, I chose cages that:.
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