Cuddly, curious and so so CUTE (Gerbils)

Member Name: rrharmston

Product:	Gerbils
Date:	11/01/09 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cute, low cost, easy maintenance, no smell

Disadvantages: short lifespan, quick to breed

Gerbils - lovely, cute little critters that always seem to be on the move day or night.... Currently own ten gerbils, six females and four males which live in seperate cages! If you want more unusual rodents try shaws jirds or degu

Good points.....
CUTE :)
Love to shred cardboard tubes, junk mail etc as long as the ink does not come off on your fingers
Normally clean smelling and produce minimal waste that can be composted
Inexpensive to keep after initial set up costs of tank, mesh extension, toys....
Tend to sleep when left alone but rapidly wake up if company provided
Lots of colours avalable so you can keep track of who is who.....
Hardly ever bite
Easy to handle and to tame
Good pets for an older child but not a toddler
Normally healthy
Do hard poos which is a big bonus if holding them at the time :)

Bad points
Usual lifespan is about 3 years
Breed like rabbits (well actually like gerbils!) and can produce a litter of 6 babies every five to six weeks....
Prone to tumours in old age
Inbreeding of some colours such as the albino has lead to health problems, club feet, eye sight problems (swaying)
If kept in supobtimal conditions can catch tyzers disease which causes the runs and lots of smelly bottoms... (arrow root biscuits may help)
Hard to introduce new animals to the group unless they are very small babies
Shred plastic.....
Hard to catch if they escape, try a pile of books arranged like steps with a bucket angled of them.

Keeping -

Preferably a glass rodent tank with removable shelves for easy cleaning or an old aquarium.
Can extend space by buying a wire cage extension but these are expensive for what they are and don't fit all tanks
Don't buy a plastic tank as gerbils love to dig in corners and will scratch the surface
Try to avoid the use of wheels as these can trap tails and cause leg damage
Keep on dust extracted wood shavings to avoid eye problems
Give shredded tissue as bedding rather than cotton wool based pet bedding
Don't give newspaper to shred as this is bad for their health!
Don't keep in a hamster cage as they can dig their way out.

Summary: Ideal pet for an older child :)