Here we can see, “How to Tame a Gerbil as a Pet”
Gerbils may not appear to be the type of animal that requires taming, but it simply refers to teaching the gerbil to approach you without fear. When that happens, you can pick up your gerbil and play with it without concern on your part or the gerbils.
How to Pick up a Gerbil
Carrying a pet gerbil in the palm of one’s hand is the ideal way to go. If necessary, gently grab the scruff of the neck (the loose skin on the back of the neck) to keep the gerbil from fleeing. Picking up a gerbil by the tail is never a good idea.
Allow the gerbil to walk into a cup turned on its side, gently direct the gerbil into the cup, then tip the cup up to carry the gerbil if you don’t feel comfortable picking up an untamed gerbil. Place your hand over the cup to prevent gerbils from jumping out. A cardboard tube (e.g., from a paper towel roll) can also be used.
Taming a Gerbil
Start with a pair of young gerbils to make taming a pet gerbil easier. Although some people believe that taming numerous gerbils will be more difficult since they bond, a single gerbil is more likely to be agitated and nervous, making it more challenging to tame.
Allow fresh gerbils a few days to acclimate to their new environment before beginning to tame them. Keep care and interaction to a minimum during this time. After that, follow these guidelines:
- Work in tiny steps with lots of goodies, making sure your gerbils are comfortable with each step before moving on to the next. Allowing the gerbils to run around outside the cage until they are tame is probably not a good idea—the stress of chasing, capturing, and returning them to the cage could startle them and make them fear you.
- To acclimatize gerbils to your presence:
- Start sitting next to the cage.
- Around the gerbils, move gently and speak softly.
- Interact with the gerbil only when it is awake; awakening a gerbil is not an excellent method to acquire its trust!
- When the gerbil gets close to the cage bars, please give it a treat like a sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Offer the treat through an open cage door after your gerbils are comfortable eating goodies from your hand through the cage bars.
- Place a treat on your open hand to attract a gerbil to step up onto your hand to get the treatment once your gerbil has become accustomed to receiving treats from your hand. Place a treat on your forearm and enable the gerbil to climb onto your hand to obtain the treat once it doesn’t hesitate to touch your hand.
- Try gently rubbing the sides and rear of your gerbils’ heads once they’ve gotten used to climbing on your hand (imitating the natural grooming behavior of gerbils).
- If the gerbils have escaped, avoid pursuing or grabbing them to return them to their cage. Try luring the gerbils back to the cage using favorite treats or gently herding them.
- Regularly handle your gerbils to keep them socialized. Gerbils are lively and curious animals who will benefit from spending time outside their cage daily.
User Questions
Do gerbils like to be petted?
Gerbils are friendly pets who exhibit affection for their fellow gerbils and humans. Petting, holding, and snuggling your gerbil are all ways to demonstrate affection. A fundamental kind of affection, such as being petted or held, will appeal to most gerbils. You can even snuggle certain gerbils for a short period.
How long does it take to tame a gerbil?
It takes about 2 weeks to successfully tame a gerbil when they are around 6-7 weeks old. Once the pet has become accustomed to its surroundings, it will require daily attention. Older gerbils take a little longer to tame, sometimes up to two months.
Why does my gerbil squeak when I pet him?
When animals are in pain, they make high-pitched sounds. Therefore, a gerbil’s shrill squeak most certainly indicates that the rodent is in pain. If your pet makes that sound when you pick it up, you’re holding it too tightly.
Do gerbils like music?
Gerbils can detect frequencies ranging from 100 to 60,000 Hz. Except for lower-pitched sounds like bass, they can hear most music. Most gerbils love listening to classical music softly because it relaxes them. Gerbils can be stressed by loud or fast music, such as rock and metal.
Why does my gerbil poop so much?
If your gerbil frequently poops during the day, it’s possible that it’s agitated or terrifying. Gerbils react to their surroundings in various ways, and some of them indicate their dissatisfaction through their feces. This is a typical stress response.
Conclusion
I hope you found this helpful guide. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to use the form below.
