Cute pictures!!

 

Lilly's bum??

 

Older picture of Jazzy...

 

Lilly enjoying a dog treat ^-^

Jazzy stole the dog treat!  WHAT A STEAL!!!

 

BEDDING - Katee clean and cozy

Gerbils and bedding are like humans and their toilet.  They need it, or it's going to get pretty stinky.  Gerbils and bedding are like humans and their bed.  They need it to feel safe, and have a nice sleep!

Gerbils and bedding are like human children and their toys.  They need it to have fun!

Gerbils and bedding are like...... well you get the idea.

 

GERBILS NEED BEDDING!!!

 

Well, what kind of bedding?  In the end, it's up to your personal taste, on if you have enough money for that specific bedding, like the smell, like the feel etc.  There are many different types of bedding, from wood, to paper, to tissue-like bedding. 

 

Let's get to the point and start looking at one type of bedding that's pretty widely available...

 

 KATEE CLEAN AND COZY

I ABSOLUTELY love Katee clean and cozy.  I got this brand of bedding for WAY cheaper than carefresh, or living world.  This is really quick and easy for your gerbil to dig and burrow through, unlike living world.  Katee clean and cozy almost feels like shredded tissues, so very soft, and comfy. The only downside is that the oder control isn't as good as maybe aspen woodshavings.  If you mix it with aspen, or carefresh, then you're good! If you want to watch a couple reviews on Katee clean and cozy, here they are:

 

 -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvs8CFJ026Y

 

-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7rS4fKSm2s

 

AND HERE IS AN ADORABLE CLIP OF GERBILS PLAYING IN KATY CLEAN AND COZY:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWtamdg5CM0

 

 

Website suitable for any gerbil owner!

This website is a great website to find out the basics of owning gerbils.  Take a good look at any topic that you are wondering, because the information is great!  I, myself, have looked at this website multiple times. 

Have fun reading!

^-^

http://agsgerbils.org/Learn/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/breeding.php

 

Breeding gerbils *PART 1*

Breeding gerbils is an exciting journey for everybody, but not if you are inexperienced, or have no knowlage what-so-ever on it.  On this Breeding gerbils journey, you can learn everything you would need to know to raise your own little fur family.  ^-^

Since breeding gerbils is such a large topic, I'm going to section this into parts; this is part 1

                                                                                                    

Thinking about breeding?

Some of the things you have to consider are:

 

-why are you breeding them? (Is it just for the money?  For more pets?  For snake food?  etc.)

 

-Do you have enough room for the gerbil pups?  Once they are born, you need to place them somewhere to live.

 

-What will you do with the pups?  The female gerbil can have as much as 10 pups in one litter, which is every month!

 

-Do you have lots of gerbil experience?  You will need to cope with a lot, and if you can't tell if a gerbil is sick, or unhappy, then you will have a harder time with breeding.

 

-Who are the parents?  It is very important that the parents are not related in any way, or the pups may not be healthy.  They also should be relatively the same age, and up to health as well.

 

-Do you have the time?  During the month of being pregnant, you have to watch very carefully at how the mother is doing.  Plenty of things can go wrong, and none of them you want!

                                                                                                    

Of course, up above are only some of the things you need to worry about, there are tons of other things as well. Details that we'll get into in the future posts.  All these blog posts will be relatively short, but I promise, lots more are coming,  see you all soon!

 

What foods are safe?

Gerbils definately are not animals that have as weak of a stomach as hamsters or mice, that can have dirrhea very easily with too many of this or too little of that, but gerbils can still get sick from food like all other animals, including humans.

Let's talk about the human foods that you can feed as a healthy or unhealthy treat... or maybe if it's just poisonous for your gerbil. Here is a quick list of some of the things you CAN feed your gerbil:

- Apple (seedless)
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower leaves and stalks
- Cucumber
- Lettuce - small amounts occasionally - in excess it can cause liver problems
- Parsley - a good tonic
- Chickweek
- Clover
- Dandelion
- Yarrow
- Biscuits
- Boiled Potatoes
- Bread (fresh or stale)
- Breakfast Cereals (low fat)
- Cheese (small amounts occasionally as fattening)
- Currents
- Dog Biscuits
- Egg (scrambled or boiled)
- Mealworms
- Raisins
- Sultanas
- Toast

Here is also a short list of what you can't feed your gerbils:

 Kidney Beans (raw)
- Onions - Destroys red blood cells
- Shallots - Destroys red blood cells
- Potato
- Potato tops
- Rhubarb (raw)
- Rhubarb leaves
- Tomato leaves
- Black nightshade
- Buttercups
- Clematis
- Daffodil
- Deadly nightshade
- Hemlock
- Hydrangea
- Ivy
- Laburnum
- Laurel
- Oleander
- Poinsettia
- Rhododendron
- Yew
- Yucca
- Chocolate
- Rabbit Mix (containing antibiotic ingredients)
- Sweets
- Toffee
- Avacado - Toxic to their hearts
- Garlic

Of course, there are many more things, but if I went through all the foods in human history, there would be A LOT!  So, instead, you can leave me a comment asking if a food is safe, and I'll answer it the best I can.

=======================================================================

YOUTUBE: Gerbil232

 

Email:  gerbil232@gmail.com

Gerbil diets

Getting a gerbil and keeping it happy is easy, but... what about health?  What will I feed my furry friend?  Let's go over our options (BTW These are just some popular gerbil mixes you'll always see).

#1:  Gerri Gerbil

  <-- This is what Gerri Gerbil looks like

Where you can get it: http://www.petstore.com/supreme-petfoods-limited-gerri-gerbil-food-2-lb

P.S. That isn't the only place you can get it!  Just a reminder for the future food choices below on the rest of the post!

 

Gerri gerbil is about the best food you could give your gerbil.  The only problem is, it is VERY hard to find in petstores.  I have found:

-Hazel hamster

-Reggie Rat

-Russel Rabbit

-Charlie Chinchilla

-Gerty Guinea pig

 

But no sign of Gerri gerbil!  I can buy it online easy, but I really wish it was in our regular petsmart, or local petstore.  What you can easily substitute Gerri Gerbil with, is Hazel Hamster (Harry Hamster in the United Kingdom).  I substitute Gerri Gerbil with Hazel Hamster, but it isn't a big deal as long as you add more real gerbil food in with it.  I'd give it a 5 out of 5 if I could actually see the food in real life. 

 

#2:  All living things hamster and gerbil daily diet

<-- This is what it looks like

Where to get it: http://www.petsmart.ca/small-pet/food/all-living-things-hamster-gerbil-daily-diet-food-zid36-1903/cat-36-catid-600005?_t=pfm%3Dcategory

 

I personally use All living things hamster and gerbil daily diet, myself, because it is quick and easy for me since I am close to petsmart.  You can buy this food mixture at Petsmart, and I think this food has plenty of variety.  The downside of it is that this mix has a bit too much corn, but those are easy to pick out.

 

#3: Carefresh complete menu hamster and gerbil food

<-- What it looks like

REVIEW ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fifjt2vCoJ4 <-- Applies to hamsters, but is perfectly fine for gerbils as well

Where you can get it: http://www.petsmart.ca/small-pet/food/carefresh-complete-trade-menu-hamster-gerbil-food-zid36-2158/cat-36-catid-600005?var_id=36-2158&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

 

So the first thing I would say about this food, is that there is a whole bunch of pellets.  Not all gerbils are going to enjoy all those pellets in their food.  The second thing is that like the review said, there aren't any sunflower seeds, which there should be.  Besides those two things, this food is good for any non-picky gerbil eaters.  This food also has really great information on the back of the package. 

 

#4: Oxbow Essentials Healthy Handfuls Hamster & Gerbil Food

 <-- What it looks like

REVIEW ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NreVd-z5HPc <-- This mostly relates to hamsters, but it can definitely apply to gerbils as well.

WHERE TO BUY IT: http://www.petsmart.ca/small-pet/food/oxbow-essentials-healthy-handfuls-hamster-gerbil-food-zid36-1854/cat-36-catid-600005?var_id=36-1854&_t=pfm%3Dsearch

 

I also use this type of food.  This food is very nutritious for your gerbil and is also great for any hamster owners out there.  I use this for my gerbils as well.  The only downside is, that it is a type of pellet, so your gerbils may not like it if they are picky eaters like mine are.  I highly suggest mixing this with your other mix, and have this as a second instead of a main diet base, because it doesn't have much variety at all.  If you mix this with gerri gerbil, it will be a perfect diet.

 

#5 Brown's Tropical Carnival Gourmet Hamster & Gerbil Food

<-- Picture of it

REVIEW ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY-JD15s8iI

WHERE TO BUY IT: http://www.petsmart.ca/gsi/webstore/WFS/PETNA-PETCA-Site/en_CA/-/CAD/ViewProduct-Start?CategoryName=600005&CatalogName=36&SKU=36-1877&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

 

This food has a great WIDE variety.  There are so many different choices for your gerbil to munch on in here!  The thing is... there are a lot of down sides to it as much as there are good sides, which is not the best. For your gerbil, you'd want it to be great, and nutritious for them, while at the same time, tasty and great even for picky eaters.  If you look inside the package, there are so many colours, it may look good to the human eye, but to a gerbils stomach.... nope.  The colours means that there are a lot of dyes and too many dyes aren't good for your gerbil.  I would DEFINATELY recommend this for a treat though, your gerbil would absolutely LOVE it!  On the package, it says that it is a food as much as it is a treat.  I wouldn't listen to that phrase if I were you...

 

WELL!  Thanks for reading!  I hope this helped with your diet choices.  I added all the information I could about those 5 popular food types, and if you have any more, feel free to ask me about them.  I added the information, but now it's your call, which food are you going to choose?  :D

And don't forget, lots of variety, so you can mix different mixes together to create an even better food!

 

=====================================================

MY YOUTUBE: Gerbil232 <-- for even more information on gerbils, including cage tours, and hauls! 

 

MY EMAIL: gerbil232@gmail.com



Proper Housing

When you get a gerbil, you will always need the proper housing,

but.........

what is the "proper" housing?

First, let's start with store bought cages:

 

 

 

Above, are all the cages that you'll normally see in a petstore.

The question is, are they good?

Well, how about we test your IQ? 

Q: Can gerbils have plastic?

A: nope!

Q: Do those cage sizes seem to fit the size requirements?

A: nope!

Q: Do these cages have enough room at the bottom to burrow and dig in for you gerbils?

A: nope!

There you have it.  3 good reasons why these cages are not suitible for your gerbils.

Please, I'm begging you, for the safety of your gerbils, please do NOT get these types of cages!

I will now tell you why.

         The first cage is actually, pretty decent in size (preferable to have a bigger size...) , but if you look closely inside that cage, there are plastic things sticking out.  That means your gerbil can eat the plastic and get very sick.  Gerbils also like to burrow, which means, you need to have at LEAST, at the VERY MINIMUM, 3-4 inches of bedding.  Without that, the gerbils can't live to their natural instincts to burrow and dig.

          The second cage is terribly small.  It has almost no space for your gerbil to do anything!  Your gerbil will be very unhappy living in a cage like that for his/her whole life.  The format of it is good.  You should look for cages like this, (just much bigger) when you are looking to get a gerbil.  Like the first cage, the burrowing space is incredibly small.  Cage #2 just means that you will have a very unhappy gerbil.

          The last cage on the right side of the page way at the top of this page, is the absolute worst thing you could give your gerbil.  All of that plastic, the wheel, that tiny second level... what will your gerbil do if he/she chews it?  It is a very bad cage for a gerbil, and even for a hamster, because the cage is just SO small!  This cage also doesn't have any room to burrow and dig.

You know what's crazy? 

I will actually recommend having at least one of the first two cages!  Woah, crazy, right? 

But for real, the last cage, I could never recommend it for a gerbil, but for hamsters (since hamsters don't chew plastic), why not?

Why am I saying these things?

This is because, when you are cleaning your gerbils premanent cage, you need to have a small backup! 
You always need to put your gerbils into something when you are cleaning their cage, or moving them from one place to another.  Many people have these store bought carriers from petsmart, and other big petstores: 

 

 

           All these carriers are all right for a short period of time.  They are all plastic, but as long as somebody is watching your gerbils, your gerbils will be fine.  I have the super pet one and it works perfectly.  Just as long as everybody knows that you can never permanently keep your geribl in these.  The maximum time you can keep your gerbils in here is about 2 hours. 

 

So we went over carriers, and what should be carriers, the very small cages.  Last but DEFINATLY not least, the good cages!

 

Here is one example of a great cage:

 



 

This type of cage is extremely hard to find.  Though it is hard to find, it is great for your gerbils.  This cage is very large, and has NO plastic whatsoever.  This is a great cage because the height and length is great.  Some people are concerned that wire is bad for their gerbils feet, but wire is fine as long as they can't go through.  The reason being, is that gerbils feet are quite big and so wires won't hurt them.  I sometimes still put paper on the wire parts of my cage though, because I still worry, even though it is absolutely safe. Above is one of my ultamite favorite cages.

 

Here is another example of a really great cage:

 

(This picture above is from google images)

 

This cage is awesome.  It isn't quite as big, but a lot of gerbil owners seem to have this type of cage.  This is a sturdy cage with no chewable plastic in reach, and has wire, which is not bad at all for gerbils.  The great thing about the two cages I just showed you, is that the tanks at the bottom are huge! They are really deep for your gerbil to explore and have fun in.

 

How about 1 more example?

 

 

(This picture is also from google images)

 

So this is a really good cage as well.  One of my favorites. In the picture, there is a plastic tube, and you should never put that in the gerbils cages, but the picture is very badly mistaken with this tube.  Besides that tube, this is a GREAT cage to put your gerbils in.  You can see some youtube reviews on this cage, and from what they say, this is quite big, and has lots of room to burrow!

 

I hope all that information gave you a good idea on what cage is good, and what cage is bad for your gerbil! 

 

===========================================

 

YOUTUBE:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChXc2v4-Jn9dcLr_Ki_7xBQ

 

EMAIL:  gerbil232@gmail.com