Craft Time!

So blessed to have a Dad who helps me with the ideas I come up with to make caring for my fur babies easier. Today, shortly after two of my six week old girls got picked up by their new mommy (YAY!) my dad and I went to Home Depot and got $15 worth of wood to build this shelf system for my largest bin, a 110qt tub. LOVE how it turned out! Perfect hight, lots of storage space. Very excited. ^_^

 

Gerbil Shopping List

Looking for a quick, no fuss shopping list of the must haves and the good ideas for getting your first gerbils? Something you can have ready on your smart phone or printed out?

Look no farther!

The Must Haves: 

One ten gallon aquarium/terrarium

One screen lid that fits the tank mentioned above

Bedding– Preferably paper, I recommend Kaytee “Clean & Cozy” unscented bedding

Water Bottle –Glass, or equipped with a metal guard to prevent chewing

Food–Gerri Gerbil or Vitacraft’s “Mouse, Rat & Gerbil” food

Chews–Pet safe wood or lava block

Hide House–Wood/Plastic composite or ceramic will last the longest

“Gerbil Dust”–Sold as Chinchilla dust, to be given once a week in a glass bowl for bathing

Exercise Wheel–Metal mesh or “Silent Spinner” style wheels only

The Good Ideas

Play Pen–Make sure it is made for small rodents such as hamsters, or the bar spacing may be too large

Food Dish–Though not required, this does help maintain a cleaner habitat and allow you to know how much your gerbils are eating

Tank Topper (found primarily online)– a tank topper allows for more space for your new friends to roam!

Pet safe habitat cleaner– You can used Windex, but be sure it is completely wiped clean to avoid possible ingestion

Treats– Sold in the small pet isle, Yogurt drops and other treats can be great ways to bond with your new friends

Freebies 

Toilet Paper rolls, small cardboard boxes and bits of paper make great toys, so long as they are not wax coated

Shredded Documents make fun nesting and chewing items, but again, make sure they are not treated with any kind of coating

And that’s it! Not including tax, your typical cost effective gerbil setup is about $45-$60 bucks depending on what kinds/brands you choose. (Compared to a guinea pigs whopping $150-$250 price range, that is a cheap pet!)

Check out this post for a more detailed description of the items mentioned above, and the “why’s” behind them.