Buying A Gerbil

These days’ gerbils are very popular pets, partly because of their loveable nature and how good they are as a first pet for children. It is best to source a gerbil from a reputable breeder or pet shop.

The most common gerbil found in pet stores is the Mongolian gerbil, which is brown in colour. The staff in the pet store will be able to assist and advise you on the most suitable cages, food and accessories.

You can also buy from a gerbil breeder, always look for an experienced breeder who is able to offer you gerbils of the appropriate sex, age and strain, some breeders can provide you with different color variations. Look in the local paper for breeders or ask in your local pet store.

Unwanted gerbils can also be found for sale in newspaper ads, it is up to you to use your judgement in deciding whether they are healthy disease free gerbils or if they are being sold because they are ill. Read the section of this site named ‘gerbil health’ to get tips on what to look for in a health gerbil. If you bring a sick gerbil into your home to mix with other gerbils, there will be a very high chance of it infecting the other gerbils. Before putting new animals into a cage that currently has animals you should keep the new one in a separate cage in quarantine for about four weeks. This way you can keep an eye on them to ensure they are not sick and at risk of infecting the others.

The word ‘gerbil’ encompasses all species of gerbil, so be careful when looking in newspaper advertisements as some people use attractive names for gerbils, such as Kangaroo Mice, which are very rare and they have a long tail. Most gerbils found for sale are Mongolian gerbils.