Gerbils have everyday needs just like you. Gerbils need to be able to eat, drink, wear down their teeth and do their business.
Even if they are not drinking much, you will have to give them fresh water every 3-5 days. Also add new food every 2-4 days.
It is recommended to give the gerbils a friend to live with. It can KILL them to not have a friend .They are a little territorial so welcoming more may take a little while and can be difficult, depending on what you are trying to match (age/gender). Be sure to be well informed by a knowledgeable person before attempting to add a new gerbil in an existing cage.
I recommend to get them a safe shelter to sleep in and to go to when scared. They should have some toys to play with too. (example: Chew sticks, Popsicle sticks, cardboard, pine cones, Natural sticks, the cardboard pipes in the inside of toilet-paper rolls or paper towel rolls and even tissue boxes but be sure to take of the plastic).
Food
Gerbils can use store-bought food mixes for gerbils. We make our own gerbil food and this is what we use (our gerbils like it). :
- Wild Finch bird food
- Oats
- Sunflower seeds (unsalted)
- Dried mealworms
- Puffed Wheat
- Cheerios (natural)
- Fruit and Nut bird food mix
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Split Peas
- Whole Wheat Bran
- lentils
The amounts do not need to be perfect, but it should look something like this.
Bedding
We use kaytee aspen bedding and multiple brands of paper beddings. There are more brands of bedding, but the rule of gerbil bedding is NEVER USE PINE!!! ALWAYS ASPEN!!! Pine makes too much dust and bad for gerbil lungs.
Here is a link to the bedding that we use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DK8PW/ref=twister_B07613D9XF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
When you fill your cage, you can make a low zone with 1” bedding and a high zone with 4-5” bedding or just make it all 4”+ high. They love to dig and make tunnels, so make sure they have an area where they can do that.
