Gerbil food & water daily (rough guide: 1/2 tbsp per gerbil
per day; there should always be a little food in tank)
Fresh veggies or hay every day or a few times a week. Remove
uneaten veggies at next meal.
Change water every 2-3 days.
Clean the water bottle weekly.
Clean tank every 2 weeks with warm water & a small amount
of
hand-dishwashing soap or bleach; rinse well. If litter gets wet (from leaking
water bottle, or gerbils piling litter against it), remove litter and
clean tank.
Occasionally or when your gerbils’ fur looks greasy, give them a
sand bath. Place a little chinchilla dust or sand in small plastic
container and they will
roll in it. Remove it when they are bored or begin to chew container.
Keep temperature 65-80°F. Avoid drafts (window, A/C) and
direct
sun.
Give them something to chew (box, tube) every other day.
Handle them as much as possible - they love attention!
If your gerbil seems lethargic, moves awkwardly, won’t eat, has
diarrhea, suddenly becomes nippy, or acts or looks strangely in any way
- he or she is sick - see a
vet. (Find a vet...)
A little hay or fresh veggies every day helps keep digestive systems
in order - and it’s yummy, too!
Gerbils frolic in a bath
of chinchilla sand or dust in a wide ceramic bowl.
