Gerbils As Pets: Pros And Cons | Should I Get A Gerbil? | Gerbils

Gerbils are great pets, but as with all animals they have needs, and they require your attention on a daily basis. There are also some costs associated with pet ownership, which you’ll need to meet throughout your pets' lives. However, for all the responsibilities that come with owning animals, gerbils are wonderful additions to families - they’re cute, they’re amusing, and they’ll develop strong relationships with their owners.

If you’re unsure about whether or not a gerbil is right for you, have a read of the pros and cons below. If after this, you’re still on the fence, one of the best things you can do is volunteer to pet-sit for somebody while they’re on holiday. You can ask your friends, but you can also contact local adoption centres and see if they’re looking for occasional volunteers.

There are lots of different factors to consider, but gerbils make great pets!

Pros

Companionship - gerbils are great companions. As you get to know your pets you’ll understand their individual personalities, and they’ll likely be more interested in spending time with you. They’re very curious little animals, and very interesting to watch and interact with.

Relatively Low Costs - like all pets, there are certain costs that you’ll have to meet. The basics include a good enclosure, lots of bedding, food and water, a water bottle, a wheel, and a food bowl. Although this might sound like a lot, several of these items come free with our Omlet Hamster & Gerbil Cage, and in general small mammal expenses are substantially lower than costs associated with other, larger pets such as cats and dogs.

Cons

Upkeep - your pets will need daily care. They’ll need to be fed, their water bottle will need to be checked each day and refilled regularly, and each week you’ll need to clean out their enclosure. All of this care needs to be provided rain or shine, three hundred and sixty five days a year.

Lifespan - gerbils rarely live as long as larger animals, although some gerbils, particularly the fat-tailed gerbils, have quite long lifespans for rodents.

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Comments

Jen, 28 April 2020

Gerbils need a lot of space like a 40 gallon aquarium or a bin cage but someone said they got there gerbil a 20 gallon:( not big enough reading one arrival on gerbils doesn’t mean your ready to have one please do your research:)

Austen, 10 April 2020

Thanks so much just got my gerbil (mocha) yesterday at Petco. Not sure what breed though! I spent 64 dollars on her cage, plus i bought mocha the gerbil, and her food for 26 dollars. Thats 90 dollars but mocha is worth every penny! Also, shes in a 10 gallon aquarium with wheel food water bottle hideout castle. Looking soon to get her tubes so she can have a ball running throughout them!

Bill, 24 November 2018

My parents say that all small pets are a pain to have but I proved them wrong with this article! They gave in and let me have a gerbil. (They also let me have a jird aka a fat tailed gerbil.)