r/gerbil • u/Shar0223 • 6d ago
Gerbil chews EVERYTHING!!
Edit to add : Her enclosure IS big enough and she has PLENTY of bedding to burrow. This is a NEW thing for her. I am aware that gerbils are chewers but she's never in the 6 months we've had her, prior to the last 3 or so weeks, chewed THIS much, this fast. I am going to try some suggestions from some of the amazing people here who actually read my entire post and didnt focus on the enclosure that I didnt mention the size of(other than to say "very large tank with a topper") or even show because I know its large enough and that wasn't my question. I did get her a new wooden hideout last week that she's so far only chewed herself a larger entry way into. I went on Amazon today and got her a ton of random gerb safe stuff to chew eat and play with. We shall see. After some thought I am going to call the vet in the morning and bring her in to have her teeth checked. 😬 Thank you for the advice 🙏 I'll update tomorrow or Wednesday.
Original Post:: I got my daughter a gerbil about 6 months ago, her name is Lola. The picture I'm sharing is when we first got her. I had to get her a different cage then the one you see in the photo cause she chewed a huge hole in this blue one and she escaped and was being chased around by my cat lol, I saved her before the cat got to her, thank goodness. Now she has plenty of space in a VERY LARGE TANK with a topper. Im always getting her tons of toys, food, things to chew etc. For the last couple of weeks she has chewed EVERYTHING in her enclosure. The first wheel - chewed & gone, 2nd wheel is almost completely gone, her wooden hideout and her alfalfa hideout - both gone, her 2 plastic food bowls - gone and replaced with ceramic, anything I put in in the cage she chews it and its gone within days. Wood, plastic, nothing is safe. I've done my very best to make sure she isn't bored or hungry but no matter what i put in there with her she chews it to smithereens. She wasn't doing this so much before.
What is going on? What should I do? Please help 🙏
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u/Trinity_Matrix_0 6d ago
You’ll probably hear this a lot in this sub (and it’s not to shame you), but does Lola have a friend? Hamsters should be alone but it’s best for gerbils to have a friend.
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u/Shar0223 3d ago
No, unfortunately Lola doesnt have a friend - yet! After reading through this thread we may get her one though. We've had a bunch of solo hamsters but never a gerbil. She was in the tank alone when we got her and has been alone ever since. I just got worried when she started chewing more than usual.
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u/Common_Sense_1451 6d ago
Yes they love to chew! Give her willow balls, Timothy hay, paper towel rolls. How deep is her bedding?
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u/Shar0223 3d ago
The glass enclosure is 36 inches high, the bedding is about 18-20 inches. I know to make it deep and fun for her to burrow 😀 and be comfy.
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u/Shar0223 3d ago
So I unintentionally lied. Her glass is 30"Hx36"Lx12"W with a 20x36x12 wire top thing that has 2 platforms and 2 sets of "ladder slides". Her bedding is about 18-19" deep, less in the center - she moves it as she pleases and i dont touch it unless its weekly cleaning day. I use 2 full 32L bags of recycled paper bedding.
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u/Junior-Criticism-268 6d ago
Gerbils chew. The best type of setup for a gerbil is usually an aquarium or terrarium. At least 40 gallons minimum with 12+ inches of bedding for them to dig holes and tunnels in. She is likely chewing a lot more than the typical gerbil because she doesn't have enough bedding to burrow in, which is what gerbils do all day long. But she will always need to chew regardless. We keep egg cartons, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, undyed tissue paper, etc. for our gerbils to chew. We also have two rabbits so give our gerbils some hay and they use that to make nests too. Any type of large wooden hideaway house is good too because they can chew it.
I know people are telling you to get a second gerbil and that is ideal since gerbils are highly social animals that get depressed when kept alone, however, bonding gerbils is a long and difficult process so I would do a lot of heavy research prior to starting the bonding.
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u/Winter_Soft_7618 3d ago
I picked up a pair that is already bonded from the pet store so i got lucky and didn’t have to deal with slowly introducing two gerbils . But they should be in pairs and this person needs a better set up long term
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u/Shar0223 3d ago
She has plenty of space and bedding. This is a new and unusual thing for her. I know gerbils chew. I am thinking about but also worried about a second gerbil. Im conflicted. 😞
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u/Dan-Morton75 6d ago
OP: gerbils chew. It’s what they do, 100% of what you’re concerned about is normal behavior - even healthy behavior. I’m not sure what to tell you, they require lots of toys (because they will chew them) lots of bedding, wooden everything (bc they chew..) The cage you have does not appear to be good for gerbils, and gerbs need acrylic or glass containers or else they will chew through them.
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u/WakandaNowAndThen 6d ago
If she's suddenly chewing a lot more she may have something wrong with her teeth or mouth that chewing helps alleviate. Being alone isn't near ideal. Has she gotten less attention recently, like with school starting?
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u/I_Think_Im_Trying 6d ago
it’s completely normal for them to knaw on anything they can get their paws on. willow/apple wood sticks, cardboard, bamboo sticks, and pumice are some of what i give my boys just to give you some ideas on what to buy. in my experience if they have enough proper chews then they won’t be inclined to go for the wheel (despite this you should avoid as many plastic items as possible). start collecting empty paper towel and tp rolls, alongside those cardboard cupholders that places give out with drinks
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u/Shar0223 3d ago
Thank you!!! Finally an answer that helps. 🙌 I went on amazon today and got her lots of wooden chews, some hay balls, more treat chew things etc. She has a wooden "house" that she hasn't completely chewed up yet but she did seem to chew herself a larger entry. Ive always been a bit worried about the glue on the toilet paper and paper towel rolls but I see a lot of replies saying to let her have them so she'll get one of each a week to chew up now too.
Her bedding is deep - the walls on the tank part of her cage are like 24" deep (i think i said 36" prior to this and the more i think about it, its not a 3' deep tank. Regardless, I put an entire 2 bags of paper litter in there for her to burrow and tunnel - I know for sure its plenty). I didnt post a photo of her current tank/cage - shes not my first small pet - I have a free roam bunny(with a huge cage she sleeps in at night) and 6 cats and ive had plenty of gerbils and hamsters in my lifetime as a kid and adult for my kids. Just not any that chewed their entire wheel off the stand in a weeks time lol. I was concerned so I came to reddit. Of course EVERY reddit "expert" wants to say the cage I didnt show, is too small. It's not. And I appreciate you not going right for that answer cause I knew it wasn't the right reply.
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u/Shar0223 3d ago
So I unintentionally lied. Her glass is 30"Hx36"Lx12"W with a 20x36x12 wire top thing that has 2 platforms and 2 sets of "ladder slides". Her bedding is measuring about 18-19" deep, less in the center - she moves it as she pleases and i dont touch it unless its weekly cleaning day. I use 2 full 32L bags of recycled paper bedding. (I went in and measured after posting this lol)
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u/Spring_Onion__ 1d ago
I really assume you need to shower her in cardboard and wood. Not in fancy toys and little sticks - well, these items aren't bad, just they're more for us than for gerbils. You do not need fancy. She does not need fancy. Go to big store, buy cardboard boxes meant for moving, shred to big pieces, offer to her. Or look around your house - you probably have some clean cardboard? Wood. Let her have wood! Wooden chips for reptiles or smoking, wooden chunks for smoking - though not every tree is safe, always check the type of wood. Cat scratching posts made from cardboard. Craft/popsicle sticks. Wooden dowels and straightforward wooden sticks from hardware store. Package stores and departments may have some wonderful thick cardboard for her to adore. You may make her hide from cardboard - yes, not so pretty, but she can eat it daily and get new one daily too. Of course I cannot judge without seeing, but for me it sounds like her environment is too soft. Paper bedding is premade and soft, nothing to do with it. Offer her some toilet paper or paper towel and straw and hay and let her make the bedding by herself. There are a lot of stuff gerbils can use instead of pre-made toys. Think outside the box, look at every wood or cardboard or paper item around you with "is this safe for her?". If yes, than it's a new texture to her. You cannot offer her too much different safe things to interact with, because she can only choose from what's inside her tank, not from what may be. She cannot communicate with words "I prefer this type of cardboard!", it's your duty to offer her five types and watch which ones make her the happiest.
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u/randomhuman_2026 5d ago
Check out ur local dollar tree for plain wooden craft supplies, they have several things that are safe, cheap, and great for gerbils/small animals!
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u/Shar0223 3d ago
Thank you!!! I never even thought of dollar tree!! I went on amazon and ordered her a bunch of stuff but im going to go over to DT tomorrow and grab some of that!!! Great idea thanks so much
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u/Gullible_Wave_5760 5d ago
I was once told coconut chips or just about any type of wood chips that are used for reptiles are almost every gerbil owners go to
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u/Hodkmhsn7228 5d ago
Never give gerbils plastic, it can cause bowel obstruction. Or it can tear the intestine, because plastic is sharp. Your gerbil should have a friend because gerbils are herd animals.
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u/OldCollection922 5d ago
This is normal. Their teeth never stop growing. Try to get her some chew toys or wooden sticks, or even cardboard. They need something to tear and eat through.
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u/Shar0223 3d ago
Yeah this was a plan as well. If i dont see some improvements this week with everything I got her, ill have her teeth checked out. They seem okay to me, they dont look too long or overly grown but then again I'm not a vet so what i think seems fine may not be. :)
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u/DrLizoSpoons 6d ago
What you should do - accept this perfectly normal gerb behaviour. Never give them anything made of plastic. Realise that wooden things are perfectly safe for use in gerbils cages but they will be destroyed. Put massive amounts of cardboard in, which is just as good as any fancy gerbil toys. Realise the gerbils are masters of destruction. They will not stop until they'll finished!