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welcome | facts | choosing | feeding | looking after | care | links | leaflets In their natural habitat gerbils eat a selection of wind blown seeds, grain and grasses. Gerbils are often mistaken as herbivores, but they are omnivores and do need a small amount of protein in their diet to keep them healthy. In the wild they would satisfy this need by eating grubs and insects. They also have continuously-growing teeth so need to gnaw to help wear down their teeth. Click on a link below to find out more about what Rabbits eat:
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bowl is essential to keep the food dry and clean, and prevent the gerbil from tipping the food on to the floor of the cage. Their bowls must be cleaned after every use. Gerbils have traditionally been fed on hamster mixes. However, this is not ideal as their requirements are different and hamster mixes contain too much fat for a gerbil. To
find out more about high quality, nutritionally complete Gerbil
food, click here
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Treats are so called because that’s just what they should be – a “treat”. If fed correctly they are not detrimental to a gerbil and they will love them. However, treats are designed to be an extremely small element of the animal’s diet, and overfeeding may lead to health problems such as obesity, dental problems and heart disease. Some natural Treats you can provide for your gerbil are parsley, carrot, apple, celery, broccoli, sprouts, cauliflower, kale, spinach, peas, swede, tomatoes, banana and cucumber. Too much green food will cause diarrhoea. If you feed your gerbil human food, remember to avoid foods that are high in calories, sugary or contain too much fat. To help keep your gerbil’s teeth healthy you need to provide lots of hay and a gnawing block. A number of specially
made Gerbil treats are also available from your
local pet shop.
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If you are changing your gerbil’s food, you must
introduce it gradually into your gerbil’s diet. Mix about one quarter
of the new food with three quarters of the old food on the first day
and then gradually increase the new food and decrease the old food over
a 10-day period. This should make sure that your gerbil has no tummy
upsets.
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| Preventing
Selective Feeding You should try to ensure
that your gerbil eats all his food from a very young age by calculating
the correct daily requirement and dividing it into two meals, one fed
in the morning and one in the evening. However, if you notice that
your gerbil tends to leave some of the ingredients in coarse mixes,
reduce the amount you give him until he is eating all of it. Then slowly
increase the amount again to the recommended daily allowance.
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Ensure there is fresh drinking water available at all
times. The best way to provide fresh drinking water is to use a gravity-fed
water bottle, attached to the front of the cage. Use one of the large
ballpoint bottles to prevent dripping and ensure a constant supply
is available. Water bowls are not suitable as they are easily tipped
over and can get contaminated.
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