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Gerbil care: what a family needs to know

Ask your vet about your own pet. This page is general information from the sources below.

Gerbil care, from RSPCA and others on this page. RSPCA says wild gerbil burrows can reach 1.7 meters deep and stretch 6 to 8 meters sideways. No page I read says gerbils suit young children, and RSPCA warns that rough handling can injure them, so a grown-up must handle and care for them. RSPCA says gerbils can live three to four years, and some live longer.

Checked October 29, 2026.

By Peabody editors. How we write and check.

How long they live

RSPCA says gerbils can live three to four years, and some live longer.

Home

RSPCA suggests a glass-walled tank (a gerbilarium) with a secure mesh lid and a solid floor, about 50 cm high, with 20 to 30 cm of deep bedding for digging. Bar cages are not recommended. Keep it around 20 to 24 C, dry, draft-free, and away from TVs and vacuum cleaners because gerbils hear very high sounds. Add a dark nest box and one more hiding spot than the number of gerbils.

Food

RSPCA says feed a gerbil food mix or pellets, scattered on the bedding so they can forage, plus small amounts of fruit and veg like pear, cucumber, carrot or pumpkin. Avoid grapes and rhubarb, and big amounts of sunflower seeds. Fresh water from a bottle with a metal tube.

Company

RSPCA says gerbils should never live alone. Two or more of the same sex that grew up together can live together, but adults rarely accept newcomers.

Handling

RSPCA says gerbils can be hurt by rough or careless handling. PDSA says their furry feet make them poor climbers.

Is it a good pet for children?

No page I read says gerbils suit young children, and RSPCA warns that rough handling can injure them, so a grown-up must handle and care for them. CDC says children under 5 are more likely to get very sick from germs small mammals can carry, and bites and scratches can spread germs even when they look small.

Washing hands

CDC says to wash your hands with soap and running water after you touch the animal, its cage, bedding, food or water. Children should be watched while they wash. Keep the animal and its supplies out of the kitchen and anywhere food is made or eaten, because germs like Salmonella can be on healthy-looking animals and their things.

Good to know

RSPCA says wild gerbil burrows can reach 1.7 meters deep and stretch 6 to 8 meters sideways.

A job for the children

With a grown-up, scatter the food on the bedding so the gerbils can hunt for it.

"A grown-up is the real carer for gerbils. Our job is the small, steady part."

Every pet is different, and this is general information from the sources below, not veterinary advice. For a sick or hurt pet, call a vet who knows this kind of animal.

Sources