Gerbil Housing

Generally, your gerbil's house is probably one of the most expensive things you'll need if you own a gerbil. There's a few options when housing your gerbil so here are some tips and advice.

Firstly it's important to find a gerbil cage or aquarium that's nice and big. We recommend that you spend as much as you can afford. By buying a cheap gerbil cage it might not be the right size or quality you should be looking for.

Give you gerbil space

Gerbils are very active creatures and simply love scurrying around and keeping busy. For this reason it's important to choose a house for your gerbil that has plenty of room. This way they can be active, healthy and happy. A cage that's too small for your gerbil will become dirty very quickly, and your gerbil may become quite grumpy!

The size of your gerbil's home should allow for a sleeping area, a toilet area and an eating area. There should also be plenty of room left over for a few toys.

Cage or tank?

Gerbils can live in cages or aquariums/tanks. It's up to you what to choose. Remember that gerbils aren't naturally arboreal fellas. Whilst they may occasionally climb they prefer to live their life on the ground. For that reason, gerbils need a house with quite a lot of floor space, so a cage that's tall isn't too important.

To clean your gerbil's house you'll need easy access so remember that when choosing an aquarium or cage. Make sure there's one or more doors or panels through which you can access all areas of your gerbil's housing.

Ensure your gerbil can't escape!

Since gerbils are very good little escape artists, their hose should be secure and there shouldn't be any parts or areas of it that they might just be able to find their way through! If, heaven forbid, your gerbil does manage to get out, then read our tips on how to find your gerbil if it's escaped.

Gerbil Aquariums

Aquariums can make an ideal home for your gerbil. It's best to choose one that's quite big (10 litres is a good choice) so your gerbil has plenty of space. Ensure the lid is secure so that your gerbil can't easily escape. The lid should ideally have latches, as gerbils can push a lid up that isn't fastened.

You can always add additional latches if it doesn't seem 100% secure, or even place some books on top of it for extra weight. A big aquarium with a large lid is great for easy access to clean the cage and perform your care routines.

Gerbils like to burrow and excavate and this means that debris and bedding can get kicked around a lot. Luckily, as the aquarium will have solid glass sides, it can't spill out anywhere which saves you from extra tidying.

One thing to bear in mind is that your gerbils won't get as much natural ventilation in an aquarium as they would in a mesh cage. Occasionally this can lead to unclean air and possibly some respiratory problems for your gerbil.

Gerbil Cages

A gerbil cage also makes a great home for your gerbil. They provide good ventilation and a better view for you than an aquarium might as the glass can be difficult to keep clean.

The gerbil cage you choose should have a nice large door or panel so you access the cage for cleaning. Remember to check that it closes securely too. Most gerbil cages have a pastic base tray which you can remove to make cleaning easier.

For more information, please see our full guide to gerbil cages.