You may find other items work better for you and your gerbils, but these seem to
work well for us.  Feel free to call or email if you are having difficulty finding
any of these items.

___ Glass aquarium (Gerbils will destroy plastic)
10 gallon tank for 1 or 2 gerbils
15 gallon tank for 3 gerbils
20 gallon tank for 4 gerbils
30 gallon tank for 6 gerbils

___ Metal screen lid with locking clips.
Split-hinge is easier, you don't have to remove it.

___ 4 oz. Water bottle  
(ASPCA recommends changing daily,
I use distilled or bottled water and
change 2-3 times weekly and wash each time)

___ Water bottle holder

___ Wood house they can sleep in and chew

___ Quality Gerbil food for non-breeding 12% protein, 7% fat

___ Ceramic Food dish

___ Bendable rainbow bridge Super Pet Tropical Fiddle Sticks toy
(not necessary, but our gerbils love theirs)

___ Aspen or corncob bedding
(Carefresh I find dusty, you may like it)

___ Playpen (We got our Animal Planet one at Target for $12.99)

___ Ongoing supply of unscented toilet & paper towel tubes for chewing

___ Gerbils: The Complete Guide to Gerbil Care book by Donna Anastasi
You may get this from The American Gerbil Society

___ Exercise Wheel (We use the Silent Spinner)

___ Camera (take lots and lots of pictures - they are so cute!

___ Critter bath for twice weekly gerbil beautification

___ Chinchilla SAND (not dust-it can hurt their respiratory systems)

___ Timothy Hay






If possible, freeze bedding, food, and treats for 1 week before       
putting them in the gerbil's tank.  If you get mites, I've read that  
they are a real pain to eradicate, and take lots of time and          
patience.  Twinsqueaks.com recommends at least 72 hours of freezing,  
before it should be thawed and used, preferably 1 week.


Thanks to tkpetpros.com for this information!
Shopping  List  for  Gerbils
Feeding and other tips

Plants known as
poisonous:
black nightshade
oleander
ivy
deadly nightshade
laurel Poinsettia
buttercups
yew  
clematis
hydrangea
daffodil  
laburnum  
Rhododendron
hemlock
yucca
Treats I like to
give in moderation:  
              
Sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
ripe banana
Cheerios
Kashi heart cereal
rinsed baby carrot
Quinoa
Romaine lettuce
blueberries
organic Millet puffs
cereal
toasted blueberry
bagel
seedless apple
dandelion
(unsprayed, washed)
Timothy Hay
broccoli

Download Food Safety
Chart here
Printer-friendly version

NOT ACCEPTABLE TREATS -
PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THESE TO YOUR GERBILS
chocolate
garlic
sweets
Onions
Rabbit Mix (containing antibiotic ingredients)
raw kidney beans
Toffee
raw potato
potato tops
raw rhubarb
rhubarb leaves
tomato leaves
soda
excess salt
excess sugar
blue cheese
peanut butter
pineapple
almond
Click my logo to return to
The Furry Godmother