Food and Water
The gerbil should be fed a basic gerbil mix daily and can also be fed additional supplements. After a few days the gerbil will learn when it is feeding time.
Fresh water should always be available from a position your gerbil can reach comfortably. Pet Shops also sell vitamin drops which can be added to water and are beneficial to the gerbil. The gerbil should never be without access to water.
Grooming
Gerbils do not generally need grooming or bathing as they clean themselves.
Cage Cleaning
The cage should be cleaned weekly by removing the gerbil from the cage and throwing away all old woodshavings and food. Any fresh food that may not be eaten by the gerbil should be removed after a couple of days to avoid it rotting. The gerbil will appreciate it if some of its old bedding is placed in the clean cage along with some fresh bedding.
Health Checks
When you clean the cage you should check the gerbil over for any signs of illness. This is an ideal time to check that the droppings in the cage look normal: soft droppings could indicate diarrhoea, lack of droppings could indicate constipation.
|