# Gerbils. Good pets, or boring?



## wagz77 (Feb 27, 2010)

I currently have.. 2 rats, 2 mice, some fish, a dog, cat, and 4 kittens. I love animals. I have been thinking for a while about gerbils. They seem like theyd be really cool to have as pets. Im not planning on getting any now or anything, but.. if i did.. Are they easy to tame? Can you handle them like rats, or just watch them in their cage.? Ive heard yes and no to this question. On a scale 1-10, how easy are gerbils to tame/handle? Thankss


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

I got two male gerbils as babies in February 2007, one passed away a few weeks ago. I doubt I would get any more gerbils in the future. They're aren't a cuddly pet and they're always on the move - more of a pet to watch their antics really which involves digging pretty much all the time and demolishing toilet roll tubes/other cardboard. I actually had to separate my two in January 2010 as they had a fight. They are NOTHING like rats if that's what you were after.


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

I've never had gerbils but my friend did and she said they aren't smart and you can't really play with them. I think they look real cute but I think the most you can do with them is watch. Take a chance if you want but I've never heard great things about them.


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

I agree with Ema. Gerbils can be adorable and some will tolerate being handled. But generally, they are kind of all about them. Gerbils like to do their own thing, where as rats enjoy interacting with their people.


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## toby (May 11, 2009)

i had gerbils when i was young and i always found them to be great pets. very clean and great fun. never a dull moment with them.


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## PandaBee (May 14, 2010)

I own two gerbils and I have to say, if I could take one of them back and exhange him for a clone of the other, I would. They are SO different from one another.

Vegas is really sweet. Doesn't like to be carried, but does like to sit in my hands and crawl on my arms and shoulders. Had him tamed in a few days. Rooney is a nipper. I know by this constant nipping that he came from a bad breeder. Well bred gerbils rarely nip or bite. It doesn't hurt, but it is annoying. Rooney is taking me a lot longer to tame than Vegas.

Really interesting pets. Keep them stimulated and they'll keep you entertained. Every few days they get mealworms. ENTERTAINMENT! I let my gerbils see that I have the mealworms, but I don't give them to them, i release them into the cage and let them hunt. It's amazing. They talk to each other, and you should see these guys build and tear down a nest! incredible!

Downsides: Can't be trained to do fun stuff like rats can. Don't like being cuddled, as they are very on the go animals.

I would say, having owned gerbils, they are NOT boring. They aren't the same as owning a guinea pig or a dog or a rat, but they are special and unique. They also aren't for people who just want cuddly animals.


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