Anyone know anything about gerbils!?

[Rock-Angel]

Sorry for the random question, but just before xmas we rescuded to adorable gerbils, from some teenage girl who was going to dump them!
We managed to get them a huge tank and they seem to be doing ok! Both have fattend up a lot, not sure if thats a good thing or no!
Just wondering how lng gerbils live? we were told they are 2 and this was beginning of december?
If we got a couple more gerbils could we put them in the same tank or would the 2 older ones get funny?
Its just when these 2 do eventually pass on, it would be nice to have them again, its our first time with gerbils and they are adorable!!!

 

[helsekia]

weve had loads of gerbils.theyre funny little things.did you know if you over handle them they can have like little fits?its a defence mechanism and also a stress thing.doesnt last longand theyre fine after.

gerbils can live quite a while about 4 or 5 years i think.ive certainly had some thats reached 5.our current ones are 2 year olds.they are very sociable little animals and like to live in pairs or groups.

they can be quite territorial and ive tried adding to groups in the past with disastrous results.

they are great at getting rid of cardboard any small boxes (fishfinger boxes,kitchen roll inners,loo roll inners etc)get put in their tank,they love to burrow so we make sure there is at least 6-12inches of stuff in the tank.we mix hay and woodshavings together and they shred any cardboard and mix that in too.ours love fruit,arrots and tomatoes a wel as their 'normal' food which is a mix of dog biscuit(good for teeth to gnaw on),hamster food and gerbil food.

hth and post a pic

 

[Lou]

You should visit your local library and get some books out on them and have a read up!

Or search online and print out some fact pages with info on their basic care and health

 

[Rock-Angel]

You should visit your local library and get some books out on them and have a read up!

Or search online and print out some fact pages with info on their basic care and health

Our local libray is pants

and my printer was last being seen being eaten by my ibook

seriously though, its nice to be able to get advice from people who have actually had or have gerbils and have first hand experiance IYKWIM?

 

[claire2711]

my wee brother had 2....they started fattening up, and turned out they were hiding litters of babies!!! we were told they were 2 brothers by petsmart

as helsekia said, they can live for a while

 

[kazzie-bo]

yeah they live for 3 to 5 years our 3 lived till 3 and a half, you cant add any new gerbils to an established group as they will fight and kill each other

 

[Rock-Angel]

yeah they live for 3 to 5 years our 3 lived till 3 and a half, you cant add any new gerbils to an established group as they will fight and kill each other

Bang goes the idea of getting some more....O may just have to have another tank, ours is 3ft and came free from freecycle!!!!!! I love them they are soo entertaining I could sit and watch them for hours!!