gerbils won't climb up/down!

[DonkeyHohtay]

We have just got our first pair of gerbils. Very cute. We have the attached gerbilarium, bought second hand with lots of kit and man in pet shop said it was ideal for gerbils.

Brought them home after school. They are very happy burrowing in the bottom tank area which we've filled with pet bedding and sawdust. However they won't climb the pipe to the top area, where the food and water is. Some websites advise to sprinkle the food among the bedding which is fine, but obviously we can't do that with the water.

DS is getting stressed that his pets are going to starve or die of thirst. Is it just a matter of waiting until they get the hang of it?

That cage isn't designed for gerbils they can't climb in the way that cage requires them too. A 3ft glass fish tank with a lid or "tank topper" would be a better option.

Asking a gerbil to climb that pipe is like asking you to climb up the inside of a smooth vertical tunnel.

Looks more like a hamster cage. Syrian only, dwarf ones couldn't climb that either.

You can get ladders for the tubes for dwarf hamsters, don't know if gerbils could figure them out.
<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=<a class="break-all" href="https://www.[[//amazon.co.uk/Rotastak-Ladder-Rotastack-Accessory-Hamster/dp/B001DJ833I&ved=2ahUKEwiepuTqp7_iAhWfRxUIHcgPCaMQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0ElbLQ5TeuhqO7jrZLJBUh?tag=mumsnetforu03-21"" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.[[//amazon.co.uk/Rotastak-Ladder-Rotastack-Accessory-Hamster/dp/B001DJ833I&ved=2ahUKEwiepuTqp7_iAhWfRxUIHcgPCaMQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0ElbLQ5TeuhqO7jrZLJBUh?tag=mumsnetforu03-21" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">amazon.co.uk/Rotastak-Ladder-Rotastack-Accessory-Hamster/dp/B001DJ833I&ved=2ahUKEwiepuTqp7_iAhWfRxUIHcgPCaMQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0ElbLQ5TeuhqO7jrZLJBUh]]

To be honest that picture looks like a gerbilarium to me, so you would image the gerbils will get it eventually. The other option is to by bendy tubes as most of my rodents have found them easier than straight up and down.

Unfortunately cages like that are designed with one sole purpose, to appeal to the human because they are the ones with the money.

That cage isn't suitable even for a hamster, it's far to small and just isn't practice for a gerbil.

Sadly many pet shops and manufacturers sell cages like this simply for money with little consideration to the animal it's marketed for.

The same applies to hamster "starter cages", rabbit cages etc

Small and nice looking is what the human wants, the animal just wants to run around and have lots of space.