Pet recommendations please (newbie) gerbil? Degu?

[HanleyGirl123]

We moved home a month ago and I promised my daughter aged 9 her first pet as a house warming present. She has been very upset about leaving our old home so I hope this is going to help settle in better. Dogs are not an option (my son is terrified of them) and we are not keen on cats. So small furries it is.

The original idea was to get a hamster but they are nocturnal so not an option as the pet will be based in her (large) bedroom so it needs to be something else. We are considering gerbils but she wants to play with them and I'm not sure they will like to be handled. Am I wrong? Do they like playtime?

Any recommendations?

We are completely new to pets so any advice gratefully received!!

Rats

They're by far the best small pet, easy to train, enjoy human company and are really friendly.

Rats are not an option I'm afraid, they give DH the creeps.

Whatever you get you will need to get 2 or more of (unless it’s a hamster as they often like to live alone). If you go down the route of Guinea pigs, which are lovely, keep in mind they can be noisy (lots of squeaking) and you will need a very large (min 2m long cage for 2) indoor cage - google c and c cages, don’t buy an indoor cage from pets at home etc they are too small.

kaveecage.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA1NebBhDDARIsAANiDD1WQe17PJIzM4Moo2OZ3_3uHtuZcrHZmaSImv-93f3ENnk5aET5nqYaApY7EALw_wcB

We got our cage and accessories from here - we have 4 piggies in a huge cage in our kitchen diner. Don’t get more than 2 boys though. We have one neutered boy and 3 girls.

Hello, I volunteer for an Animal Rescue and I specialise in Gerbils. Thank you for asking for opinions. Things to bear in mind with Gerbils;

*Gerbils are diurnal, so awake, asleep, awake, asleep etc day and night.
*They must be kept in at least pairs, otherwise they will become depressed and lonely. Be aware that in rare instances they can de-clan so you need to understand how to re-bond new partners.
*Gerbils need a large glass tank with at least 20cm of burrowing substrate. Usually nothing sold in pet shops is suitable. Including Hamster style cages or anything with wire ladders and floors, or small glass tanks that don't allow enough space to burrow.

*Avoid woodshavings or sawdust as they are irritants, and they can't build tunnels effectively either. Dust extracted Finacard, Timothy hay mix is suitable.
*They are very much watch pets, rather than cuddle pets, but given the right set up they are absolutely fascinating.
*They are desert animals and very clean, so given the correct sized set up don't need a full clean until 4-6 weeks.
*They are prey animals and delicate, so we don't rehome to children and 8 years old.

There is a lot of misleading information on the internet, so I've written my own Gerbil Care Guide to answer all questions gerbilcare.co.uk/

Below is a pic of my Gerbils setup, which is an Ikea Detolf Unit (£70) on its side with lids built on top. It's a cheap and common housing hack. 163cm long, 43cm wide.

Any questions let me know and I hope you find the right pet(s).

I wouldn’t go for guinea pigs in a bedroom. They can be quite noisy and are probably the messiest of all the small furries. They are a delight but they poop everywhere!

are you sure your DH can’t be converted to rats?

Re Degus. As the saying goes "You're not getting a pet for your children, it's your pet, and if they take any interest it's a bonus".

Degus live 5-9 years, of everyday care, spot cleaning and interaction. Your 9 year old daughter could be 18 and left home. I'd always recommend a rescue as the advantage is less commitment in terms of years, not funding pet shops, corporations and breeders, while giving an older pet it's forever home.

Rats are honestly the best! They are very friendly and don't mind being woken in the day for playtime. They are clean and intelligent and know their names. You would need a decent sized cage for them, with some toys and things to keep them occupied. They are prone to respiratory issues and so I would recommend finding a good vet, if you did go down the rat route. Also, boys would probably be best as they are more snuggly and less prone to health issues like tumours.

Their tails may look off putting but they are super-soft! I kept rats for a few years and they are definitely the best personality out of all the small furries.

I thought I would never have a rat but they are delightful. They are part of the family. I love coming home as they start jumping up madly to say hello. They have different personalities and are so much more interactive than other small animals.

Agree with everyone about rats being the most suitable. Lifespan of around 2 years, awake day or night, highly intelligent, enjoy (generally) playtime, much easier to introduce new members into the group than other rodents.

We just adopted 2 female GPs at half term. They are in a spare bedroom.
They are lovely but the hay is getting everywhere (and the smell of hay is around a lot too)!
We started with a C&C 2x5 cage but it just didn't seem big enough so we have built them an extension so it is now 2x7 equivalent and seems much better.

Rats really are the best furry pets having had them all, even MIL was converted.
Ds really liked his gerbil but he wasn't a touchable pet more one to look at.

Gerbils are very entertaining. Not really cuddly though.Very easy to keep clean and not smelly.
GP's can be friendly but messy and need a lot of cleaning
Hamsters are cute but not always friendly! Ours also drove us potty with noise at night. And bit everyone.
Haven't had rats but everyone I know with one absolutely loves them. Sweet, intelligent and affectionate but keep on top of cleaning!

Rats or guinea pigs

Thank you all but she seems really set on gerbils and is keen to research them.

@SilentHedges thanks for the info and link to the info. She is a reluctant reader and I've never seen her engage on her own with a long piece of text like she did with yours so this could work on several levels! I may need to contact you with some questions is that okay?

We are keen to adopt if possible and know that we need to do our research and prep before we are considered suitable. We have started looking at some of the recommended tanks etc but nothing seems to be in stock or available. Where do you by them if you don't want to adapt the IKEA unit?

We have found two places in London who rehome gerbils so will contact them.

@HanleyGirl123 That's lovely feedback thank you, I'm so pleased your daughter found the Gerbil information engaging. By all means contact me with any questions.

Re tanks, yes availability is sporadic. Detolfs are easy to buy but understood if it's not your choice.

Off the shelf, the Marrakesh is available here and i do show the best set up in the "tanks" section of my website. www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/hamster_cages/hamster_cages_wood/437277?mkt_source=59309&awc=2940_1668875134_37300f2fba61cf2d6b99cbb6dcaa5b7b

Diverse Tanks on Ebay can be adapted like the Marrakesh or they can have a topper added. Lids will need to be made.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192639015882

Or of course second hand sites, gumtree, ebay etc can sometimes have good stuff.

If you are around London I volunteer for ARC (Animal Rescue and Care). We are currently nuetering and bonding a male and female but they won't be ready until new year. You've probably found Jay, at Gerbil and Rodent Rescue. He does a sterling job and I would 100% recommend him. He has a lot of lovely Gerbils looking for homes
www.gerbilandrodentrescue.co.uk/

He will advise to the same standards ARC / I do, so you're absolutely right to get organised first so the online home check will be a breeze!

Thank you, I emailed both those places this afternoon 🙂
Thanks for the link the to Marrakesh. We are between that one and the larger Skyline Falco. Do you know where there is one for sale? We have followed all the links and it's always unavailable.

also I see from your tanks that you add bridges and walkways etc. Do they also like a little shelter or house (non plastic of course) or will the burrows do?

@HanleyGirl123 Skyline Falcos are only available if you can pick them up 2nd hand. Import issues from Germany currently. So the Marrakesh is the only suitable off the shelf option right now. They do allow quite a bit of interaction, which your daughter would like.

Yes, definitely give them a wooden nest box underground. If you go to the tank cleaning up setup page on my website, I do steo by step pics of how to create a tank, and you can see the nest box go in gerbilcare.co.uk/cleaning-and-tank-setup/

You'd set up a Marrakesh in the same way as the detolf in the pics, just smaller scale. I can send you links of where to buy the right bits if needed.

Another tip is male gerbils can be easier than females, temperament wise, so at Gerbil Rodent and Rescue a pair of boys might work well.