Responsiblilty and choosing your gerbils

Yes, it is a responsibility to get gerbils. They are not disposable because they are little. To put it in the words of a gerbil-y friend of mine "Gerbils are for life, from they day you adopt them till the day they die, not just for Christmas." A very true statement.

When you get your gerbils, you will be the one who keeps them alive. You will feed them, water them, love them. You will take them out for playtime, and give them the right amount of bedding, and the right size housing. If you feel you can do all this, and more, for your gerbils, lets move on to help you choose your gerbils.

Male? Female? Does it matter?

Well, females are often more active than males. Males, however, generally are more laid back and content to sit in your hand and eat. But, as with human personalities, it really depends on the gerbil. A commonly told legend is that females declan (decide that they don't want to be friends any more and fight) much more often than males. This is not true. If you give your gerbils the right housing and care, they will get along fine, whether you have males or females, large groups, or small groups. Do not get a male and a female for your first gerbils! You should never, ever breed your first pets! Gerbils are often mis-sexed by pet stores and shelters, and even breeders can make mistakes. This site has good pictures: http://www.egerbil.com/sexing.html

How many gerbils should I get?

At least two. As mentioned on the Gerbils, in general page, they live in groups in the wild, and need another gerbil to offer companionship in captivity (even if you take them out often, it's still not a replacement of a gerbil buddy). I personally like trios the best.

Where should I get my gerbils?

A healthy, happy gerbil

A breeder is best if these are your first gerbils. This website has a list of breeders that are members of the American Gerbil Society. It's great to go to shelters too, or look on Craigslist and the like, but as those gerbils have normally had a hard life they may not be the best for beginners. If there are no breeders, and even no shelters near you, the only option left is the pet store. Please read this page as a reference to why pet stores should be your last option. (Yes, it is about rats, but gerbils are much the same.) Pet store gerbils often have health problems though, and often have a reduced life span (though I'm not saying that there aren't good pet stores, they're just hard to find). When getting a gerbil from a pet store (or any other place!), you will want to make sure that the gerbils are healthy. If the gerbils are showing any of these symptoms, do not get them.

Puffy or fluffed coat

Discharges from eyes/nose

Labored Breathing

Bloated Appearance

Fur loss

Wet or really soft droppings  

Another thing to watch out for are mites. These appear as small red and/or black dots moving slowly around the tank. These mites can also pass to humans too, so be super careful if you see them.

Here you can see several of different colors of gerbils

What color should I get?

There are many, many different colors gerbils can be. If you head over to the Colors and Genetics page, you can look at the links and see different colors, and even waved and rex gerbils!