Owning a gerbil is delightful, but as well as holding and cuddling you must clean their cage too. Every week or two is about average, but if you have a lot of gerbils or a small tank, you will need to be cleaning more often. Be aware that gerbils will STINK if you neglect them.
Step 1
Gently take your gerbils out of their cage and put them in a safe place where they cannot escape. A running ball or playpen are good options. You can also put them in a nearby bathtub if you make sure to block the drain and the bathtub is dry.
Step 2
Take a handful of their old bedding and save it for later. This is to help your gerbils re-adapt to the cage by retaining some of its scent. Throw away the rest of their soiled bedding. You can add the old bedding to a garden and it will be good fertilizer.
Step 3
Clean the cage and play equipment with warm water and soap. Rinse well until there is no smell left (or soap). If there is, rise with vinegar water. Using a towel or paper towels, thoroughly dry everything off. Allow the cage to dry out completely.
Step 4
Rinse, dry, and refill the food bowl and water bottle.
Step 5
Add fresh bedding and the old handful back into the cage, as well as toys, food, water, and nesting material.
Tips
- Some good commercial beddings are:
- SWheat Scoup, Citra-max Critter Comfort, aspen shavings, hemp shavings and Care-Fresh.
- Gerbils love mostly empty paper towel/toilet paper tubes and tissue boxes.
- Gerbils enjoy running wheels, but use mesh or solid wheels, as the ones with bars can catch their feet and tails.
Warnings
- Any soap that is still left on the cage can be hazardous to your gerbils. Be certain that you carefully rinse off any soap when you are finished.
- DO NOT use any wood shaving-based bedding besides aspen, as the oils can be irritating.
Things You'll Need
- Gerbils, cage, and any toys they have
- Soap/small animal disinfectant
- Water
- Towel or paper towels
- Bedding
