These little cute little animals, whose homeland is considered the steppes of Mongolia, immediately evoke sympathy. A small size (about 10 cm), with a funny tassel at the tip of the tail, these animals like to stand on their hind legs, folding the front on their chests. A favorite occupation of gerbils is to gnaw something or dig a variety of holes.
What to feed the gerbils?
What to feed the gerbils - it's up to you. In the wild, animals feed on greenery and shrub seeds, while in captivity they gladly consume different herbs, beans or cereals, fresh or hay. They love bread, but it is better to give it in the form of biscuits and mostly gray. Half-ripe or germinated sunflower seeds will become a real treat, and for daily meals, ready-made feeds that are sold in pet stores are quite suitable. Vegetables and fruits, both fresh and dried, must become an obligatory element of nutrition. As a top dressing, especially for females during the feeding of babies, use cottage cheese and dried gammarus. In general, the nutrition of animals is quite diverse, so do not be afraid to give grass, various seeds, food from your own table. Note that adult domestic gerbils are distrustful of new food and may refuse to try the first proposed delicacy, but the young, on the contrary, are curious and will necessarily agree.
It is best to place the drinker on the outside of the cage, so that only a metal spout with a ball remains inside, because the plastic parts of gerbils will necessarily be bitten. Because of the dislike of animals with excessive humidity, one should not place water inside their dwellings in an open dish.
How to care for gerbils?
Cages for gerbils are better to choose spacious, from metal rods. An excellent option for keeping these animals is a glass aquarium. The main condition is the presence of a large amount of free space, especially if you keep a few gerbils together. In a corner of the cage or aquarium should be a flat bowl of sand, cute rodents like to swim in it. Bury the bottom with sawdust or hay, the layer should be thick enough. If in the "house" of gerbils there are two tanks with sand, then the animals will start using one of them as a toilet, which will greatly facilitate keeping animals clean.
For gerbil breeding in captivity will not be a problem, these cute rodents easily adapt to the content in the cells. It is enough to supply them with the necessary amount of hay and sawdust to create a cozy burrow or to put in a cage a small house for animals. In the process it is better not to interfere, the pregnancy lasts about 25 days, the female gives birth alone. In some cases it is possible to eat mothers of weak and unviable calves, but more often litter, in which from 2 to 8 puppies, safely feeds and in three weeks you can take the kids in their hands.
With proper care and nutrition of the disease, gerbils do not overtake. The maintenance of animals in cleanliness and the competent approach to a choice of forages becomes the pledge of health
Gerbils will not feel comfortable living alone. If you still decide to settle in your house these cute rodents, choose at least a couple of animals. They perfectly live together, they scratch each other's back or ears, they do everything together. Watching them will be very interesting, active and moving, they will quickly win your heart and become a source of positive emotions. However, do not forget that the couple will multiply and in time you will need to take care of the question of where to attach the offspring. Gingerbread babies can be given to a pet store, invited to acquaintances or use the Internet to find the owners of babies.