- Many gerbils love fruits and vegetables. Start by offering small amounts of fresh vegetables or fruits to prevent diarrhea from eating too much at once. ...
- Nuts can be offered but do so sparingly since they are high in fat.
- Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds can be offered sparingly since they are high in fat.
- Whole grain bread can be offered either plain or toasted.
- Unsweetened breakfast cereal often becomes a favorite treat for gerbils.
- Give them raisins and currants.
- Serve them small bits of cheese.
- Small amounts of egg, either scrambled or boiled, can be offered.
- On occasion, try offering mealworms to your gerbil.
- Some gerbils enjoy chewing on small dog biscuits (without meat) to help keep their teeth filed (because just like a hamster, their teeth are continuously growing).
What fruits and veggies can I Feed my gerbils?
You can safely give your gerbil the following veggies daily:
- Timothy hay
- Kale
- Romaine lettuce
- Beet greens
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Cooked sweet potatoes
- Carrots
What kind of food do gerbils like as a treat?
You can safely give your gerbil a bite-sized amount of these fruits every other day:
- Pears
- Melon
- Apples
- Oranges
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
What kind of vegetables can you feed gerbils?
- Timothy hay
- Collard greens
- Lettuce
- Beet leaves
- Spinach
- Peas
- Cooked sweet potatoes
- Radishes
- Pasta (cooked or uncooked)
- Curly kale
How often should gerbils be fed?
You can give some dairy products on (rare) occasions and in small amounts:
- yogurt: plain and sugar-free yogurt can be safe in small amounts because of the low amount of lactose.
- eggs: raw eggs should be avoided but boiled or scrambled eggs can be given to gerbils especially when breeding.
- cheese: cheese is very nutritional and is low in lactose but it’s a product that is high in fat. ...
What should gerbils be fed?
Gerbils are omnivores who enjoy a wide variety of seeds, fruits, vegetables, and insects. Commercial pellet mixes provide your gerbils with the nutrients they need. A proper selection of natural produce can be a healthy alternative to store-bought mixes, a tasty treat, or a supplement to their conventional diet.
What can a gerbil not eat?
Gerbil Food To AvoidCabbage.Cakes.Candy.Chocolate.Citrus Fruits.Cookies.French fries.Lettuce.More items...
How often should gerbils be fed?
dailyGerbils need to be fed daily to keep them sustained. You should, however, be wary of feeding them foods with high fat or sugar contents (such as fruit, nuts and seeds) every day, Gerbils can swiftly become obese. You might also find that your gerbils like to hoard their food.
What veg can gerbil eat?
Vegetable treats include broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, peas, pumpkin, and tomatoes. Other nutritious snacks gerbils enjoy include popcorn, unflavored cereal, cheese, chestnuts, insects, nuts, seeds, eggs, hay, and wholemeal bread.
Do gerbils recognize their owners?
Gerbils can remember their owners and things they deem important, but precisely what they can recall is unclear. Gerbils remember their owners based on scent and appearance. They can recall gerbil cage mates, learn tricks, and know their names. Gerbils won't forget if you're unkind to them, e.g., you hit them.
Can gerbils eat banana?
Gerbils can eat fresh bananas and both green (under-ripe) and black (over-ripe) bananas. But they're high in carbs and low in protein and fat. The minerals found in bananas include magnesium, copper, and manganese.
What is toxic to gerbils?
Beware! Don't give your pets grapes or rhubarb, as these are poisonous to rodents. Avoid excessive amounts of certain seeds (such as sunflower), as they're fatty and can cause obesity.
What do gerbils need in their cage?
Gerbils need:A suitable gerbilarium or tank – this is different to a hamster cage – with lots of tunnels to explore and some bedding.Access to regular food.A constant supply of water.Something to chew on such as a gerbil toy.More items...•
What do gerbils like to play with?
Gerbils love to chew. A cardboard tube from a toilet paper roll or paper towel roll is one of a gerbil's favorite things. Some people have expressed concern about the types of glue used in these—and now colorful safe (and a bit more sturdy and long-lasting) cardboard tubes are made for pets to play with.
Can gerbils eat cheese?
Gerbils can eat cheese, but only in small quantities as they're lactose intolerant. It has too much fat and protein and not enough carbohydrates. Cheese has nutrients like vitamins A, B2, and B12, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc, which offer health benefits.
What do gerbils drink?
All animals need to drink water in able to survive. Gerbils are a desert species, and have adapted to harsh, hot, arid conditions – however, pet gerbils still need 24-hour access water. Check their water bottle daily to make sure it isn't blocked, and refill it every second day with fresh water.
Can gerbils have Cheerios?
Plain cheerios are fine for gerbils to eat. They arent likely to make your gerbil fat. Cheerios are part of my gerbils staple diet, and they always eat their cheerios.
Can gerbils eat cucumbers?
Cucumber is good for gerbils. It contains the right amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrate. However, with a 95% water content, it's too watery to be a regular food. Too much will give your gerbil diarrhea.
Can gerbils eat cheese?
Gerbils can eat cheese, but only in small quantities as they're lactose intolerant. It has too much fat and protein and not enough carbohydrates. Cheese has nutrients like vitamins A, B2, and B12, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc, which offer health benefits.
Can gerbils eat fish?
Fish is lean meat. It contains lots of protein and carbohydrates, but not much fat. And again, whether your gerbil can eat it depends on how it's cooked. If it's cooked with hardly any oil, the fish should be fine.
Can gerbils eat bugs?
Gerbils are omnivores that eat insects, fruits, seeds, and nuts. Gerbils eat crickets, locusts, worms, beetles, seeds, grasses, and fruit. Gerbils are omnivores and pretty much eat anything they come across.
What is the best diet for gerbils?
Treats. Chewing and Gnawing. Foods to Avoid. Water. Feeding Routine. Gerbils are omnivores who enjoy a wide variety of seeds, fruits, vegetables, and insects. Commercial pellet mixes provide your gerbils with the nutrients they need.
What to give a gerbil?
Like with other pets, you should control the number of treats you give your gerbil. You can opt to use fruits and veggies to provide a more natural, healthy treat.
What do gerbils do?
Gerbils are active pets who love to chew and forage. Providing them with a variety of diet options around their cage can keep them entertained and turn mealtime into a game of foraging.
What do gerbils need to be a pet?
Gerbils are energetic pets that need engagement. Along with plenty of climbing features, they need things to chew on. Fixtures made of cardboard and soft paper will get torn apart, but they’ll ultimately become part of the cage's substrate.
How to keep gerbils healthy?
Rather than keeping a specific food dish in your gerbil's habitat, you can instead sprinkle the food onto the floor of their cage and let them hunt for it. They'll be more engaged and will be more likely to eat a larger variety of food, letting them get all the nutrients they need to stay healthy. Pagination. 1. 2.
How long does a gerbil need to be in water?
An alternative to a filtration system is to use bottled drinking water or tap water that has sat in an open container for at least 24 hours. Like any other pet, your gerbil should have a feeding routine. The specific mix you feed them will have serving instructions and proper portion sizes.
What can gerbils not process?
Cardboard from food packaging. Coconut shells. Untreated softwood. Hay cubes. Foods to Avoid. As with many animals, gerbils cannot process certain types of food. Avoid feeding these foods to your gerbil, as they are dangerous or toxic: Rhubarb.
What is a good diet for gerbils?
A good quality, balanced diet especially for gerbils, containing all the nutrients and minerals they need. This may be a compound pelleted ration or a mixture of different seeds; commercial rations are formulated to meet their biological needs.
What do gerbils need?
Gerbils need: Fresh, clean drinking water constantly available, in a drinking bottle with a metal sipper tube. Check the water bottle daily for leaks and/or blockages. Gerbils must always have access to clean fresh water. Their water changed regularly and the bottle and nozzle cleaned properly. A good quality, balanced diet especially ...
How much grain do gerbils hoard?
Gerbils love to hoard food in large stores. In the wild, gerbils may hoard up to 1.5kg of grain in one store! To avoid sudden dietary changes, or food that has been allowed to become stale, as they can upset their stomachs. Monitoring daily to see how much they eat and drink.
How to feed a gerbil?
Your best bet to feed your gerbil is to use a heavy crock made of ceramic that they cannot chew or tip over. Place the lab blocks or pelleted diet in the dish and add a bit of seed mixture (about a teaspoon) if desired. Once you have a feel for how much your gerbil eats, try to feed approximately the amount they will finish in 24 hours (but not too little), and remove any uneaten food before feeding them again in case it is damp or soiled. Establish a routine where your gerbils are fed at about the same time each day (the evening works well).
What is the best food for gerbils?
Pellets and Lab Blocks: These gerbil diets have the advantage of being nutritionally balanced. Pellets are the small pellets and lab blocks are the larger chunks of food that resemble small biscuits. Both are good options, although some people believe the lab blocks are the most ideal because of some thorough scientific research behind them. Unlike loose mixtures, the gerbils can't pick and choose which components of the diet they want to eat, so the blocks and pellets ensure a balanced diet in every bite. However, this type of food offers little variety and enrichment. Therefore, while pellets and lab blocks make a good basic diet, some supplementation with other foods is still recommended for mental health.
How long does it take for a gerbil to finish eating?
Once you have a feel for how much your gerbil eats, try to feed approximately the amount they will finish in 24 hours (but not too little), and remove any uneaten food before feeding them again in case it is damp or soiled.
What to feed gerbils to stop diarrhea?
Many gerbils love fruits and vegetables. Start by offering small amounts of fresh vegetables or fruits to prevent diarrhea from eating too much at once. Make sure all vegetables and fruits are well washed and pesticide-free. You can try items such as carrots, broccoli, dandelion greens, apples, and berries.
Can gerbils eat sunflower seeds?
Seed Mixes: These are loose mixtures of seeds, sometimes with pellets or dried vegetables and fruits added. Most of these will be nutritionally balanced but only if your gerbil eats everything in the mix. Unfortunately, many gerbils will pick out their favorite items and leave the rest of the mixture in their bowl, which can lead to a dietary imbalance if there are components your gerbils consistently avoid. This may be especially true if there are large amounts of sunflower seeds in the mixture (which are often favored by gerbils, but are quite fatty), and alone are not a balanced diet. Because loose seed mixtures don't ensure a complete and balanced diet without eating all of the contents, they are not ideal for use as your gerbil's sole food.
Can gerbils eat pellets?
Make sure your gerbil eats enough of the pellets or lab blocks to get those nutritional benefits before giving them the seed mixture or other treats. Avoiding seed mixtures that contain sunflower seeds altogether and instead reserving those as special treats can be very helpful in taming and training your pet gerbil .
Do Gerbils Need Fresh Water?
Because gerbils come from Mongolia where there is a dry climate, they do not need a lot of water. Despite this, don't make the mistake of thinking water is not important. Make sure your gerbil always has a supply of fresh, clean water in a sipper bottle.
What is the best food for gerbils?
The best food for gerbils is a specially formulated gerbil mix. It contains nuts, seeds, corn flakes, and dried vegetables. Healthy gerbil foods also include fruit and vegetables, but only as a treat. There are foods to avoid that may poison gerbils, like grapes and rhubarb.
What are the nutrients that gerbils need?
The first of these are calcium and phosphorus. These are essential for healthy bone mass/density and healthy teeth. Again, these are found in suitable amounts in regular gerbil mixes. You don’t need to add them to your gerbil’s diet manually.
What Do Gerbils Eat in the Wild?
A gerbil’s wild diet varies. That’s because there are many kinds of gerbils, and they all live in different parts of the world. However, while the exact foods available may differ, the general food types that gerbils eat do not.
How long does gerbil food last?
If you are feeding your gerbils food mix, this will stay fresh for longer than two days. But feed them fruit and vegetables this way and they may go bad. So, remove stale gerbil food from your pet’s gerbilarium regularly.
What is gerbil food?
Far better than a general seed mix intended for ‘rodents’ is one that’s tailored to the needs of gerbils. Gerbil food mix should be the majority of your gerbil’s diet. It’s designed to contain everything a gerbil needs. These mixes don’t just contain seeds, but seeds, beans, grains, dried vegetables, and general fiber.
How much fat do gerbils need?
What’s easier to get wrong is the amount of protein and fat a gerbil eats. Gerbils require somewhere between 2 and 20 percent fat in their diet. Not enough research has been done to determine exactly how much is required. However, studies indicate that gerbils can survive when fed as little as 2% fat.
Why do gerbils need carbohydrates?
They need carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscle growth, and fat for their fat stores. But if fed these things in the wrong amounts, that’s bad for them. The majority of a gerbil’s diet should be made up of carbohydrates. What’s easier to get wrong is the amount of protein and fat a gerbil eats.
What is the best food for gerbils?
For a good staple food, most gerbil owners will choose between: lab blocks or pellet food. commercial or homemade seed mixes.
What to give gerbils to drink?
You have two options to give water to your gerbils: a water bottle or a water dish.
What supplements are good for gerbils?
Other vitamins and minerals aren’t nutritional but help to keep your gerbils healthy. Vitamin and mineral supplements are available in different forms, such as powder, but are in most cases, already available in sufficient amounts in the special gerbil mixes.
What percentage of gerbils need protein?
A balanced gerbil diet should contain: protein: a percentage between 12 and 16 percent is required for gerbils.
What do Mongolian gerbils eat?
Mongolian gerbils, the most common pet gerbil, are no exception. Gerbils feed on the seeds of grasses, roots, bulbs, and leaves in the wild. In captivity, a high-quality and well-balanced gerbil mix should be given. Occasionally treats such as sunflower seeds, fruit, and vegetables can be given.
How much water do gerbils drink?
A single gerbil will drink up to 150 ml per month (around 5 ml daily) depending on the age, temperature and exercise levels.
How much protein should gerbils eat?
You need to consider that gerbils will need to be fed a main diet that is low in fiber content, contains between 12 and 16 percent protein, and between 6 and 9 percent fat. Older gerbils will need a diet with less protein and fat.
