4 Gerbil questions

Question
QUESTION: Hi! I am  first-time gerbil owner and 2 days ago I bought 3 male gerbils.I have 4 questions/things
-Their toys are a plastic tube and a small stand-alone wheel-the gerbils don't use this wheel and I don't think they know what it is because they try to dig under it! I also give them cardboard toilet tubes. Do I have enough toys for them and do gerbils use wheels?

-One of my gerbils bites me(it doesn't hurt) whenever my hand is in the cage, even after I've rubbed wood shavings on my hand to make it smell like the gerbils. How do I stop it from doing this?

-I use a water dish instead of a bottle, and I can't really tell whether they're drinking from it, and none of the pet shops near us sell water bottles(their cage is a 10-gallon-I think- aquarium)

-My gerbils squeak in their nesting box quite a lot, but their squeaks are quite quiet and they often squeak twice. Should I be worried that they're scared?
Thanks!:)

ANSWER: Hi Sarah,

I'll answer your questions in order:

1. Most gerbils enjoy wheels; however, there are a few who don't.  Make sure that the wheel is comfortable for your gerbils - it should be 8 1/2" in diameter (the standard size for hamsters and gerbils), and it should be solid, with no rungs.  (Rungs can snap off a gerbil's tail.)

Definitely keep giving them cardboard tubes.  These are great chew toys, and gerbils love them.  Since gerbils are constantly chewing on things, your choice of toys is a bit limited, in that you can't use flimsy plastic toys.  However, there are many solid, wooden toys at the pet stores.  S.A.M. makes some great, inexpensive wooden houses that gerbils enjoy.  (They're also dual-purpose, since the house can serve as a chewing block.)

2. To get your gerbil to stop biting your hand, go to the pet store and buy Bitter Lime Spray (or Gel).  The Bitter Lime is marketed towards ferrets, so it should be in the ferret section, and it costs less than $10.  Simply spray or rub the Bitter Lime on your hands before you handle your gerbil.  If your gerbil tries to bite your hand, he'll taste the Bitter Lime and be disgusted.  You may have to use the Bitter Lime a few times, but your gerbil should soon stop biting your fingers.

3. Your gerbils are more than likely drinking from their dish, since it has been 2 days and you didn't mention any of them looking ill (from dehydration).  Gerbils are desert animals, from Mongolia, so they drink water infrequently, but they tend to drink a lot at one time.  I would strongly encourage you to buy a water bottle.  Water dishes are unsanitary, especially around gerbils, who love kicking up their bedding and making it fly everywhere!  Because of this, they have to be changed several times throughout the day.  Since your pet shops don't sell water bottles, I found some cheap ones online:

http://www.petdiscounters.com/c7/c5/c136/Bottles-Water-Dishes-c193.html

Most of these water bottles come with hangers that you just hook over the side of your aquarium.

4. Gerbils tend to make a lot of squeaking sounds, which is very normal (especially the quiet squeaks you've been hearing).  The squeaking is a form of communication they use among other gerbils.  If they begin squeaking very loudly, however, you should observe them to make sure they're not fighting.

Good luck with your new arrivals, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Have a great day!

Kelly

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi!Thanks for the advice and I got a water bottle!!!
Now I have some more things(sorry:)
1.Are gerbils meant to poo in one place, cause mine just poo everywhere.
2. I have a little green hard styroform(i think) ball that's like an inch in diameter. I accidently dropped it in the tank yesterday, but the gerbils started pushing it around with their noses before i got it out. Is it safe if I get a little ball(wooden) that's the same size to put in their tank?
3.I use a round,large(not sharp) metal can for the gerbils as a sort of nest kind of thing. Sometimes they sleep in it, but should I worry that a metal bed would be too cold for them?
Sorry for bothering you(again)!:)


Answer
Hi Sarah,

Don't worry, you're not bothering me at all! :) I'm glad you want to be an informed gerbil owner, and I'm always happy to answer follow-up questions.

1. Gerbils use the bathroom wherever they feel like it.  However, you can potty-train them so that they urinate in one place.  (They will still poop everywhere, though.)  To potty-train them, buy some hamster litter or *unscented* cat litter - much cheaper and it's the same thing as hamster litter - and scoop some into a corner of the aquarium.  Then, with a plastic spoon, or something similar, gather up some of the gerbils' droppings and soiled bedding.  Place the droppings and the bedding in the litter.  You may have to repeat this process a few times, but your gerbils should soon take the hint and start urinating in the litter (which you can then change every day/every other day).  Your cage will be much cleaner.

2. A wooden ball is fine for your gerbils, as long as it's safe.  The best way to make sure it's safe is to purchase one from a hamster/gerbil company.  Your gerbils will chew on the ball, so you definitely want to make sure it's non-toxic.

3.  Since it's summer, you probably don't have to worry about the gerbils getting too cool in the metal can.  Also, I'm assuming your keep your home at a controlled temperature.  In the winter, however, the metal may get too cool for them, so you should probably switch to a wooden house, or even a resin house.

Have a great day!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly