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How to Groom a Gerbil
How to Groom a Gerbil
If you want to groom your pet gerbil, you will find it way easier to do so if you have a friendly pair to the little creature. Gerbils tame and groom themselves better when they live in pairs with each other. You should first try to familiarize them with yourself by putting your hand inside their cage and waiting for them to climb up on it. If they seem hesitant this is a normal phenomenon. Gerbils are shy, timid creatures, and they get scared of human noise and size. They will take time, but will eventually get used to your hand if you continue placing it inside the cage for a few days at a stretch.
You should make sure that the cage is kept clean. Using wood shavings as bedding is a good idea, although many gerbil owners use plain white toilet tissue for this purpose that they place in narrow strips cut from before and change whenever necessary.
Pick up the gerbils when they try to run off into a corner. It makes the process easier. However, if you feel that they are scared of you, use a tin can in which you have placed a nut to attract them. When they realize what is inside for them, they will find their way into the can. You can take them into your hand then.
Gerbils are curious creatures, hence they will sniff around and nibble at first, but will eventually get used to your hand. If you have a few sunflower seeds placed on the palm of your hands you will find the gerbils coming up to you out of curiosity.
It is not uncommon for gerbils to have mites in their fur. The question is how you will find out about them in time to treat them. One way of doing so is to wrap your pet gerbil in the white toilet tissue you use for its bedding and look out for dust particles or spots of blood appearing on it after sometime. If yes, then your gerbil has mites. Use a spray that is specially designed for getting rid of mites in hamsters and gerbils that you can procure from your vet.
Spray the gerbil from ear to tail generously with the spray and use your fingers and palms to rub the spray in properly into the fur. Continue this process for a few days while checking for mites by using the tissue paper method. You can stop once the tissue test comes out clean.
Gerbils have a habit of rubbing their fur against the cage walls and chewing its wires. They do this out of irritation. Therefore, to avoid this you can keep your pet gerbil in glass aquariums. Plastic cages don’t work since the creatures can scratch them easily.
If you are a gerbil owner you don’t have to worry about changing their bedding frequently since they don’t urinate as often as hamsters and other animals of the rodent family. Also make sure that their teeth are not too long for liking. If it is so, then get it trimmed from the vet.
Don’t keep your gerbils alone for long periods of time. This makes them very bored out of which they start to pick at their fur, especially the ones near the tail. And if they are kept in pairs, then this phenomenon is accelerated considerably.
Gerbil pets, Gerbil information, Gerbil tips, Gerbil advice
Next Article: How to Clean a Gerbil Cage
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