justlymine

as another autistic person, i get this totally. i have tons of advice, (since you asked!) lets see how i can start for you.

please take my tone for all as kind, sincere, and eager for you and your gerbils to be happy together. no judgement here, truly. i love to share gerbil info

some gerbil basics:

gerbils are digging fiends. they love to dig more than anything, and in the wild live in massive underground tunnel networks.

they are social, but particular. they need to live in same sex pairs, or they get very sad (if alone) or get violent with each other (if more than 2) (looks like you've got this covered already, so probably i didnt need to mention it haha)

gerbils chew constantly. they will chew everything (and need to have things to chew, as their teeth never stop growing). so, for their safety, it's important to provide them with lots of safe wood and cardboard to chew, and also to avoid plastic wherever you can as they can swallow little plastic bits and that is bad for them.

gerbils are very active! they love to run.

gerbils are nervous! they spook easily, but if you are calm and still and talk quietly to them, they will get to know you. (they will still get startled by you all the time, but they will come right back out after they get to know you) so be patient, in can take a few months for them to really settle in.

ok! so, with these things in mind, here's what gerbils do best with:

the most important thing for a gerbil's happiness is digging space. they need a nice deep space filled with bedding that they can make tunnels in. then they can sleep underground where they feel safe, and it keeps them entertained and exercised.

also it's super fun to watch them dig and redig tunnels all the time. Gerbils LOVE to redecorate their home--they are always changing their minds. and they are very funnny looking when they dig. they dig like little frogs, raking the bedding down to their bellies then kicking it out behind them with their back feet. and then they do this little jackhammer move whith their head..... omg its so cute.

most people find that an aquarium tank is easiest to keep gerbils in. gerbil welfare says you need at least a 40 gallon tank for them, or it is too cramped. you could also use a big plastic tote filled with bedding to start out with, if you cant get a tank right now. (dont worry about how much bedding it needs--you will only need to chang the bedding every month or two if you have a big digging space. it takes a long time to get dirty)

digging space is second only to food and water. very very important.

they also need a sand bath! they roll around in this to clean their fur, (which is super adorbs) and they also pee in it haha (which helps keep the rest of the cage clean--you can scoop out the pee clumps from the sand, or just change the sand) i just use a big ceramic soupbowl. (you can use "reptile sand" or "aragonite sand" (for fish) from the petstore, or you can buy "play sand" at the hardware store. if you go with play sand, though, you will need to bake it in the oven in case it has tiny bugs. DONT use chinchilla dust/sand, it's too fine and gets in their lungs)

if you dont have space for a running wheel, that's ok for now. you can build up to it. they will need one though. when you get one, make sure it is at least 10+ inches in diameter, and is solid--no wire spokes, so they dont get their tail caught.

that's the important stuff! it's ok if you dont have that all now, and it's ok if you can only change things a bit at a time. from your current cage, i suggest you add a sand bath right now, and start working on getting something you can fill with bedding for them. they will be so delighted it will be so so fun to watch im not kidding. it is the MOST worth it to see a delighted gerbil.

do your guys have names yet???? <3 <3

(fyi if you ever need to introduce 2 gerbils to each other--that is, they dont already know each other, dont just put them together. there is a whole interduction routine you must go through, otherwise they will dislike each other and fight. it's called the split-cage method, you can look it up if you ever need it)

i can provide you with suggestions for specific products, ideal setups, things to avoid, types of things in setups that can stress gerbils, etc etc if you want them.

please let me know any specific questions, or let me know if you ever want me to give you any more general info.

i can also give you a couple of options for how to expand your current setup if you want them.

and post more pics of your gerbs! 0.0

i’ll look into what i need to buy to get them a sand bath, i always see one of them licking herself, so it makes sense that they want something specific to clean them.

these are technically my kid sisters hamsters and not mine, meaning that my mom will do most of the caretaking (bc my sister is too young to do it all herself) so i’ll talk to her about the larger tank and everything. i’d be taking more care of them bc i like animals more then she does, but i have to move to school lol.

also, these gerbils are sisters, so thankfully they already know each other and play very cutely together. they have a wheel right now, but i’m not sure it’s 10in in diameter, i think it’s a bit smaller.

oh! and their names are Spinny and Lazy, because one is always running around and in the wheel, while the other naps in the hide. can you tell an eight year old named them?

and thankfully, they seem to be warming up nicely to us! they both like when i hold them and pet them, and they run around on my arms and like to be pet. Spinny was basically begging to be held from the get-go, but Lazy has been a bit more jumpy. (she crawled into my hand today though, and i was so excited!)

(if you guys have the space and money, you can splurge on a 75 gallon tank. they are huge but amazing, and it will be the easiest to fit everything in, and they will have the most space to play and dig tunnels that you can watch.)

but a 55 gallon is also great and will work beautifully. (i mention this because a 40 gallon, while it will work, is really hard to fit a wheel into and still have space for digging, so you usually have no choice but to build a second level for the wheel.)

if you are in usa, watch petco for their half off tank sales. they do them often and it makes a big tank affordable. also facebook marketplace often has used tanks for sale which are fine to use. just throw out the fish lid and replace with a wire lid

and yeah those pet stores dont know anything about gerbils, unfortunately. looks like he sold you a hamster cage. (manufacturers dont really make good gerbil cages though. you kinda have to diy them)

be prepared for your gerbils to be more friendly for the next week or two, and then they might cool off towards you a little. dont be discouragaed! they are just settling in to their new home, and they will be back! it can take a month, so reassure your sister if she gets anxious. they will be back! (i liked to bribe my guys by scattering some seeds in the cage near where i sit, then i sit quietly and wait. they will eventually sit next to you and stare at you while they munch!

as another autistic person, i get this totally. i have tons of advice, (since you asked!) lets see how i can start for you.

please take my tone for all as kind, sincere, and eager for you and your gerbils to be happy together. no judgement here, truly. i love to share gerbil info

some gerbil basics:

gerbils are digging fiends. they love to dig more than anything, and in the wild live in massive underground tunnel networks.

they are social, but particular. they need to live in same sex pairs, or they get very sad (if alone) or get violent with each other (if more than 2) (looks like you've got this covered already, so probably i didnt need to mention it haha)

gerbils chew constantly. they will chew everything (and need to have things to chew, as their teeth never stop growing). so, for their safety, it's important to provide them with lots of safe wood and cardboard to chew, and also to avoid plastic wherever you can as they can swallow little plastic bits and that is bad for them.

gerbils are very active! they love to run.

gerbils are nervous! they spook easily, but if you are calm and still and talk quietly to them, they will get to know you. (they will still get startled by you all the time, but they will come right back out after they get to know you) so be patient, in can take a few months for them to really settle in.

ok! so, with these things in mind, here's what gerbils do best with:

the most important thing for a gerbil's happiness is digging space. they need a nice deep space filled with bedding that they can make tunnels in. then they can sleep underground where they feel safe, and it keeps them entertained and exercised.

also it's super fun to watch them dig and redig tunnels all the time. Gerbils LOVE to redecorate their home--they are always changing their minds. and they are very funnny looking when they dig. they dig like little frogs, raking the bedding down to their bellies then kicking it out behind them with their back feet. and then they do this little jackhammer move whith their head..... omg its so cute.

most people find that an aquarium tank is easiest to keep gerbils in. gerbil welfare says you need at least a 40 gallon tank for them, or it is too cramped. you could also use a big plastic tote filled with bedding to start out with, if you cant get a tank right now. (dont worry about how much bedding it needs--you will only need to chang the bedding every month or two if you have a big digging space. it takes a long time to get dirty)

digging space is second only to food and water. very very important.

they also need a sand bath! they roll around in this to clean their fur, (which is super adorbs) and they also pee in it haha (which helps keep the rest of the cage clean--you can scoop out the pee clumps from the sand, or just change the sand) i just use a big ceramic soupbowl. (you can use "reptile sand" or "aragonite sand" (for fish) from the petstore, or you can buy "play sand" at the hardware store. if you go with play sand, though, you will need to bake it in the oven in case it has tiny bugs. DONT use chinchilla dust/sand, it's too fine and gets in their lungs)

if you dont have space for a running wheel, that's ok for now. you can build up to it. they will need one though. when you get one, make sure it is at least 10+ inches in diameter, and is solid--no wire spokes, so they dont get their tail caught.

that's the important stuff! it's ok if you dont have that all now, and it's ok if you can only change things a bit at a time. from your current cage, i suggest you add a sand bath right now, and start working on getting something you can fill with bedding for them. they will be so delighted it will be so so fun to watch im not kidding. it is the MOST worth it to see a delighted gerbil.

do your guys have names yet???? <3 <3

(fyi if you ever need to introduce 2 gerbils to each other--that is, they dont already know each other, dont just put them together. there is a whole interduction routine you must go through, otherwise they will dislike each other and fight. it's called the split-cage method, you can look it up if you ever need it)

i can provide you with suggestions for specific products, ideal setups, things to avoid, types of things in setups that can stress gerbils, etc etc if you want them.

please let me know any specific questions, or let me know if you ever want me to give you any more general info.

i can also give you a couple of options for how to expand your current setup if you want them.

and post more pics of your gerbs! 0.0

key features:

removable by just lifting up (for the every-other-month full cleaning)

bottom edge has a lip to keep it from sliding off of tank sideways

tall enough to fit wheels

and most important, wide front panel is hinged so i can easily reach in and wipe out wheels and scoop sand baths and change water every day

it is made out of beechwood branches (gerbil safe) because i couldnt afford to buy more poplar wood. the other random wood boards that you see are all exterior only, so the gerbils cant get to them.

the screen is 20 gauge 1/2" hardware mesh. (heads up you might want to use 1/4" as when they kick up bedding it goes right through the 1/2" mesh, argh)

basically, it looks works like this:

and the corners are held together with brackets like this:

(if you are worried about chewing you can wrap the hardware mesh around and over the inside wood, as shown by the purple arrow in picture.)

so, as you see in the above picture you can add the hardware mesh sandwiched between parts of the frame. i did not do this; instead i built the frame and then wrapped the mesh around the outside. either will work.

here's what the bracket looks like on mine:

if you need to secure the mesh to the frame with more screws, use washers, like so (i didnt have washers that were wide enough while also having a small enough hole, so i stacked a small one over a big one)

then i added thin strips of wood to the outer lower edge, that hung down over the top lip of the tank (this keeps the topper from sliding off the tank if i bump it) i added these strips to 3 sides. i didnt need to add them to the front because i made the front door flap long enough to overlap the tank lip.

now for the front door panel.

basically, you just make 2 rectangles of wood that cover the front opening, sandwich wire mesh between them, screw it all together, and add hinges at the top. (here's the two layers)

(i also added a strip of wood to the branch making the top front of the cage, to make a more even and level surface to attach the hinges to.)

i wanted hinges that would open more than 180 degrees, so i could fold the front panel up and over to rest on the top of the cage (this didnt end up an option for me as the branch i used on the top wasnt perfectly straight, so it blocked the front panel from folding back all the way. if you use regular lumber this wont be a problem.

it can be hard to find hinges like that, as they all come packaged in plastic now for some reason, so you cant test them. i found some called "fast fix hinges" that worked. they looked like this

then i added these latches to hold the door closed. they are called "hasp and staple." the wood block is just to raise the staple to the same level as the hasp on the door.

to keep them shut you can stick anything in the hole of the staple that wont fall through, or put a sturdy clip on it. whatever. (im actually using plastic forks haha)

and that's it!

a few more pictures, (im proud of using natural bends of the branches to make some cross braces to make it stronger) and another of the final project

this pic was taken after finishing their new topper, but before adjusting the stuff in their tank (they were due for a tank clean in about a week so i figured id just wait.)

the two wheels are now next to each other in the middle, with a ramp leaning from the lower right to rest on the center beam at the top of the aquarium tank, to make it easy to get into the rightmost wheel.

to the right of that wheel right now is a cardboard soda can box on top of some older box remains.

in the center is where i scatter their food, usually mostly on an egg carton (baked in oven for safety) or a box lid, for easy cleanup.

next to that is a little ladder leading to the orange wheel, and the sand baths are now on a platform across the back wall to the left of that wheel.

their fresh bedding is, as usual, filled with wide currogated cardboard tubes half buried at an angle, to give them some burrowing suggestions.

and every few days i give them a fresh beech branch to eat, which fills up the front.

(and to keep them busy i add a bunch of small cardboard packaging at burrow entrances and such so that they keep busy clearing them out of the way)

my friend made me this towel when we were still teenagers, right before i was leaving on a long trip. ive refreshed the sharpie a couple of times over the years, and resewed the hem once, but it's held up extremely well (20+ years!)

there is currently a petition in the uk to address this problem. if you are in the uk, please consider signing here.

unsuitable cages like this

these cages are too small and are unsafe and unhealthy for these poor little guys. too small to dig and run, wheels so small they will damage the little guy's spine from forcing too much of a backbend while running, no space to explore, territory is too small for them to feel safe and happy.