Want to save some money on your gerbils? Well, here are 7 ways to do so!
- Use cardboard
- Feed leftover veggies and fruits
- Use seeds and nuts as treats
- Use a ball pit as a playpen
- Make DIY toys and accessories
- Buy gerbil supplies and toys from other stores
- Take good care of them
Use Cardboard
I would say that this is probably the easiest way to save money on gerbils, as you will most likely have some of it lying around somewhere in your home.
You pretty much can use any piece of cardboard as long as it is clean, dry, and free of sharp objects and plastic.
Different people say different things about using cardboard egg cartons for gerbils; some say that they should be avoided because they say that they may cause salmonella, while others say that they are fine to use.
I personally choose not to give my gerbils cardboard egg cartons, so I am not sure if they are fine to use or not.
Anyway, cardboard boxes, such as cereal boxes, tissue boxes, or pretty much any other cardboard box can be used as hideout for the cage or for out of cage time. You can also cut or rip the boxes into pieces and throw them the cage for the gerbils to chew on!
Toilet paper or paper towel rolls not only are great for your gerbils to chew on, but they make great tunnels for them to run through!
And, of course, you can do all kinds of other things with cardboard; your imagination’s the limit!
Again, just make sure that the cardboard is clean, dry, and free of sharp objects and plastic.
Feed Leftover Veggies and Fruits
Although gerbils do not need to eat fruits and veggies as much as some other pets (such as guinea pigs and rabbits), they still should eat small pieces of vegetables (and occasionally fruits) regularly.
You can save some money on vegetables and fruits for your gerbils by feeding them leftovers such as:
- Cucumber or carrot peels
- Kale or lettuce (not iceberg) leaves
- Strawberry tops and/or greens
These are just a few examples; you can also use just about any other fruits or veggies as long as they aren’t unripe or rotten (although slightly wilted ones are okay).
Also, every veggie or fruit you give your gerbils must be safe for them to eat, and if you aren’t sure if a fresh food is safe for them to eat, don’t feed it at all!
Feeding leftover veggies and fruits not only saves you a bit of money, but you also won’t be throwing away as much fresh food!
Use Seeds and Nuts as Treats
Treats from the pet stores are often a bit pricey (and most of them aren’t the healthiest options, anyway). Using seeds or nuts as treats can save you some money; just make sure that:
- The type of seed or nut is safe for gerbils (Almonds, Cashew nuts, Pecans, Peanuts and Walnuts are a few gerbil-safe options)
- You do not feed them flavored, salted, etc nuts or seeds
You can save even more money on treats by doing what I do for my gerbils:
Pour a few handfuls (at a time) of gerbil mix onto a plate or something similar and separate out the nuts, seeds peanuts and corn and put it in one container to be used as treats. Now put the rest of the mix in another container.
Not only will using seeds and nuts as treats save a bit of money, but nuts and seeds are healthier treat options (in moderation, of course)!
Use a Ball Pit as a Playpen
Gerbils should be let outside of their cage to play regularly.
Since playpens specifically made for gerbils are often small or expensive, and ones made for dogs or other larger animals are not suitable for them (because the gerbils could easily escape), a ball pit is a great alternative!
Ball pits are larger than most gerbil playpens sold at pet shops, and they are often cheaper as well (the ball pit I use was less than $20)!
You can also use a large plastic storage bin as a playpen, but it won’t provide as much play space as a ball pit would. If you would like to use a ball pit as a playpen, here is the link to the one I use (and recommend):
Make DIY Toys and Accessories
If you want to have nicer-looking toys or accessories than cardboard boxes for your gerbils, but don’t want to spend the extra money to get them from a pet store, try making them yourself!
There are lots of online tutorials on how to do this; all you have to do to find them is a quick search on Google, Bing, YouTube or another online search engine and tons of tutorials will come up for you to try out!
Buy Gerbil Supplies and Toys from other Stores
You don’t always need to go to a pet store to buy toys or supplies for you gerbils.
At a craft store, you should be able to find untreated wood blocks, which are great for making DIY accessories or toys, or even can just be placed in the cage for them to chew on.
You can buy PVC pipes from home improvement stores to be used as tunnels during out of cage time (it’s not a good idea to keep PVC pipes in their cage, since it’s not good for gerbils to chew PVC) as long as they have been sanded down so that there are no sharp edges.
At a gardening store, you can find ceramic or clay plant pots, which can be used as hideouts! At the Dollar Tree, you can find a variety of gerbil safe items for only a dollar each!
As long as everything you buy is safe for gerbils your imagination is the limit!
Here are some unsafe gerbil items:
- Items made of any unsafe materials
- Items that have strings, holes, etc, that gerbils could get stuck, trapped, or tangled in
- Items that the gerbils could splinter off sharp pieces from
- Items made of plastic or have plastic in them should be avoided (unless you just use them for short periods of time, under supervision)
Take Good Care of them
Taking good care of your gerbils usually cuts down on vet costs, unless some of them are just prone to getting sick (but even if this is the case, you still should take good care of them).
Good care includes making sure they have fresh water available at all times in a bottle or bowl; are fed a healthy diet of fortified gerbil food, a mix of vegetables (and fruit about once a week), as well as the occasional treat.
Get them a large enough cage (for one gerbil 10 gallons, and for every other gerbil you have, you should add at least 5 gallons per gerbil), and let them exercise and play outside of their cage regularly. Also, clean their cage at least every other week.
Of course, there is more to caring for your gerbils than this!
I hope this helps!
