How Can I Teach My Gerbil Not To Bite? Fortunately gerbils are docile by nature and your pet will rarely bite unless he thinks your fingers are dinner or the enemy. When feeding or handling your gerbil, use a soothing tone of voice and avoid quick or ...
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Fast Moves Since there are no gerbil ambulances in this cruel world, you need to know the basics on how to get your gerbil to the vet, STAT! After removing an injured gerbil from any continuing danger and administering any urgent first aid, you need to ...
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How Much Time Should I Spend With My Gerbil Everyday? Your gerbil is typically a very low- maintenance pet. You need to take enough time to make sure he has his basic needs met, and then he is pretty much on his own. Any additional time you have to ...
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Can I Teach My Gerbil To Do Tricks? Although your gerbil cannot learn the more sophisticated commands used for a dog or cat, he can be taught some of the simpler tricks. For example, your gerbil can be taught to come to you, even to a specific area such ...
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Chemicals You may keep your gerbil in his cage most of the time, but when you let him roam free -- or if he manages to slip out of his confines for a time -- you may be surprised at the different corners he can get into, and the many toxic chemicals he ...
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Why Gerbil-Proof? As your pet gerbil races around the place, you laugh at his funny antics. He tears around the corner of your dresser, and disappears underneath it. You stand quietly, waiting for him to reappear. You wait and wait, then go over to the ...
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Gerbil Supplies Bedding Any materials used for gerbil bedding should be digestible and non-fibrous. The following are commonly used choices for bedding materials: Pelleted/Chipped Paper Product Litter - Litter (pelleted or chipped) made from ...
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Eliminating Stains and Odors Both for your gerbil's sake and your own, you will want to keep her, and her cage, as clean and odor free as possible. Fortunately, she is naturally clean and relatively odor free, although her male companion does have ...
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Dangerous Toys Your gerbil would become very bored without any toys or entertainment inside her cage, especially if she happened to be a single pet. Your gerbil is inquisitive by nature and loves to explores new things. Toys are the spice of her ...
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Toys for a Happy Gerbil This clever, energetic pet needs to romp, chew, and explore. Gerbils have boundless energy and are delightful to watch as they investigate everything in sight. Playful, curious and friendly, your pets are inquisitive by ...
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First Supplies Here is a list of items, grouped by category, that you should purchase for your gerbil before you bring him home. You may add more items as time passes and you become more familiar with the particular needs of your pet. Housing Cage ...
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Your gerbil is probably one of the most social pets around. This furry, inquisitive, docile and playful pet will crave the companionship of another gerbil. In fact, in the wild, gerbils live in communities where they play, groom, sleep and cuddle with ...
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Even though your gerbil will need to see a veterinarian only when it is sick (which is very rare), you should still take the precaution of finding a veterinarian who treats gerbils - before the need arises. The last thing you want to do when your gerbil ...
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Preventative Dental Hygiene and Care for Growing Teeth Your gerbil, like most rodents, comes equipped with an impressive set of incisor teeth which will continue to grow throughout her life. For this reason, you need to provide her with a few "tools" ...
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In the wild, gerbils are omnivoresvaried eaters who not only will eat just about anything that smells and tastes like a plant but also will feast on small insects, lizards or even other gerbils. Captive gerbils are generally thought of as vegetarians. ...
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Do Gerbils Hibernate? Gerbils do not hibernate in the winter, however, they can become less active and tend to rely more on food when the temperature gets cooler. Most animals require more food for energy in the cooler months, and your gerbil is no ...
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Why does my gerbil's tail look wet? Your gerbil probably has a bacterial infection called Wet Tail or Tyzzers disease, a condition that needs immediate treatment by a veterinarian. This infection is commonly confused with diarrhea. Although a gerbil ...
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Gerbil Anatomy Overview A gerbils body is designed to help it evade predators, such as snakes, foxes, hawks, eagles and other rodent-eating animals. Hopefully, predatory wildlife doesnt roam the halls of your home, but its still good for your gerbil to ...
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Gerbils quite literally live in a world of their own. They're not often disturbed by things going on in the world outside of their cages. They're quite adaptable and generally travel well, but occasionally a gerbil can become nervous in strange ...
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Your gerbil, like most rodents, comes equipped with an impressive set of incisor teeth which will continue to grow throughout her life. For this reason, you need to provide her with a few "tools" so she may keep her teeth properly worn down. This will ...
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Preservatives Although feeding your gerbil commercially made pellets is a good choice, because they provide all the major nutrients, are inexpensive and have a long shelf life, they have a disadvantage. The artificial preservatives in the pellets (used ...
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Meriones unguiculatus - You have a great warrior in your midst! Your gerbil is a mammal belonging to the order of the Rodentia and the family Cricetidae. There are many species of gerbils, over 80 of which have been identified. Chances are you have the ...
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Your gerbil is a highly sociable animal that enjoys the company of other gerbils as well as humans. In the wild, gerbils live in a colony or group environment where they sleep, groom and play with each other. Gerbils are used to - and prefer - ...
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A Pocketful of Miracle: The Gerbil This playful pet will keep himself amused for hours, but you can join in the fun. Gerbils have boundless energy and are delightful to watch as they investigate everything in sight. Playful and friendly, these pets ...
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Even though you can physically take your gerbil outdoors, it is not recommended. Once outdoors, even inside a cage, there are many dangers that could fall upon him. He may: Contract parasites, like fleas, mites, ticks and internal parasites. Come ...
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What Are the Best Gerbil Toys? Your gerbil has a wonderfully inquisitive nature, so there is no toy you can give him with which he won't be curious enough to play. If you use your imagination, chances are you can provide your gerbil with toys ...
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Are Gerbils Nocturnal? In the wild, almost all gerbils are nocturnal. They sleep during the day and forage for food and nesting materials during the coolness of the evening hours. The exception to this rule is the domesticated Mongolian gerbil and this ...
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Gerbils that are two years or older are considered to be geriatric. As your gerbil ages, she will do better on a low-protein (10-11%) and low-fat (3-5%) diet. The lower protein amount allows better kidney function, while the lower fat amount prevents ...
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Parasite Control External parasites are more common in gerbils than internal ones and usually consist of fleas or mites. Regular grooming of your gerbil is important for a number of reasons, including the chance it gives you to check him for signs of ...
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Signs of a Sick Gerbil Different gerbils display symptoms in different ways, but if your gerbil is experiencing any of the following signs, you should phone your veterinarian immediately for guidance: Diarrhea or Vomiting Diarrhea or vomiting is not ...
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Does My Gerbil Require Vaccinations? Despite the fact that people often think of rodents as the harbingers of disease, gerbils are among the healthiest animals that you could bring into your home. They have very few diseases and none that require ...
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Your new gerbil sits in her cage and looks at you expectantly, anxious to roam about - and it's a good idea to let her out on occasion. If you do, however, take some time to safety check your household so that your pet is secure while you're playing ...
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How Can I Tell If My Gerbil Ate Something Poisonous Or Toxic? Your gerbil spends most of his time in his cage, and this is a common source of poisoning problem in gerbils. The paint on your pet's cage may be lead or zinc based, especially if it has ...
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Gerbil Proofing the House: Heavy Metals "We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it." Tennessee Williams ...
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A Healthy Gerbil Checklist One good thing about gerbils is that they rarely get sick, especially if their environment is kept clean. In fact, 90 percent of them never need veterinary treatment. To choose a healthy gerbil and to maintain your gerbil's ...
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What Kind of Gerbil? Gerbils are as diverse as people, and they come in a variety of sizes, colors and temperaments. In fact, there are approximately 90 different species of gerbils, all originating from the desert environment of the southern and ...
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Health Aids If you feed your gerbil a commercial gerbil diet mix but also give him a mineral block and supplement his diet occasionally with a piece of carrot, apple, lettuce or live food, he'll stay healthy. Here are some additional items that are ...
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So you're going to get yourself a gerbil? It's very exciting to bring a new pet into the family, but proper planning is essential to the happiness of both owner and pet. Check out our gerbil necessities list before you go out and grab yourself that ...
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If gerbils could talk, we would learn a lot about how they feel. Unfortunately, they can't talk and they don't tell us -- in fact, most gerbils go to great lengths to hide signs of illness or distress. That is why it's important for you to observe your ...
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Yes, your gerbil can get stressed when encountering an unfamiliar or uncomfortable situation. Here are some situations your gerbil might find stressful. Inadequate housing: Your gerbil's home is a sanctuary. Make sure there is plenty of room to eat, ...
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Why Do Gerbils Need Routine? Gerbils respond positively to routine because they are instinctive animals with patterned behavior. Anything that abruptly alters your pet's pattern of behavior-- from sudden removal of an exercise wheel to a new diet--can ...
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Transporting Your Gerbil to the Veterinarian After removing an injured gerbil from any continuing danger and administering any urgent first aid, you need to get him to veterinary help as safely and quickly as possible. How you transport your injured ...
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How Can I Tell When My Gerbil Has Parasites? Even if you take the best possible care of your gerbil, she may become an unhappy host to a varied collection of parasites, either internal, external, or both. By knowing what to look for, you can help to ...
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Should I Get A Gerbil? You find yourself wandering aimlessly in a pet store wondering what type of pet would be good for you. You have limited space, don't have much time on your hands, perhaps you're even allergic to some animals. Nevertheless, your ...
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Do I Really Need to Groom My Gerbil? Yes, although your gerbil is naturally very clean, he will benefit from a little help occasionally. He will spend a lot time grooming himself with his tongue, teeth and paws to keep his fur clean and in good ...
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What can I do to encourage my sick gerbil to eat? Gerbils are not picky eaters by nature but they do like routine, and of course when they are ill they will not necessarily feel like eating. If your gerbil appears to be ill, your best bet is to ...
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Other Hazards Your gerbil can move at lightning-fast speed, so you will always want to make sure that a room is perfectly safe before letting your pet out of his cage. Get down on your hands and knees and try to see the world from a gerbil perspective. ...
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Do I Have to Do Something to Keep My Gerbils Teeth From Growing Too Long? Your gerbils strong instinct to gnaw helps keep his teeth at the proper length, but he needs hard foods and chew sticks to keep them in good condition. You can help him out ...
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