Hobbies And Interests
Glass or Acrylic Tank
A glass or acrylic tank has the advantage of being easy to clean and hard for gerbils to escape from. However, if exposed to direct sunlight, a tank can overheat the animals inside. Cover the tank with a screened lid rather than a tight, aquarium-style hood to provide ample ventilation while preventing escape. Provide about 2 sq. ft. of living space for each gerbil you intend to keep.
Metal Cage
Inexpensive, lightweight metal cages work for gerbils if the bars of the cage are not far apart enough for the gerbils to put their heads through and escape. Keep your gerbils' metal cage away from drafts.
Plastic Cage
Plastic cages with tubes and tunnels provide fun for gerbils and owners alike. However, gerbils can chew through the plastic and the tunnels and attachments are difficult to clean. Gerbil.com points out that although this imitates a real gerbil tunnel network in the wild, air circulation in plastic cages may be poor.
Whatever You Choose
Whichever cage you choose for your gerbil's habitat, add a layer of newspaper to the bottom to soak up waste and make removing old bedding easier. Add 1 to 2 inches of a paper-based bedding on top of the newspaper. Attach a water bottle appropriate for small rodents and include a "burrow" where the gerbils can sleep. An empty tissue or garbage bag box turned on its side and filled with uncolored, unscented tissue works well. Pet stores sell small baskets, wooden mini-houses and other burrows that gerbils enjoy. Gerbils appreciate toys, such as a paper towel roll or store-bought jungle gyms for rodents. They need to gnaw to keep their teeth from overgrowing, so add items made of cardboard and wood for chewing. Gerbils can have a solid rodent wheel with no spokes. Gerbils also enjoy the company of their own kind, so keep more than one gerbil, preferably littermates of the same gender, if you can.