Enrichment Ideas?

[Leine]

Hi! This is for a gerbil but there aren't any active gerbil forums I could find and they're very similar regarding enrichment so here I am. I'm struggling to think of more enrichment ideas for her so any advice would be really appreciated. She loves paper towel rolls, and the baked Timothy hay treats but she is fully uninterested in other kinds of chews. I've done a lot of DIY toys but she gets through them in 30 seconds. She also has hides, a 10 inch wheel, and other items to interact with but she's showing signs of boredom and I'm worried about her teeth growing too much so if anyone has ideas on how to help it would be amazing.

Thank you so much!

(here she is by the way)

 

[Maz]

Hi there. @Daisy on here has been keeping gerbils for a long time and may have some tips for you Hopefully she'll see this.

 

[Amy]

She is very sweet how about dandelion roots? My hamster loves those and they keep him busy for ages.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Piles of hay might be interesting. In addition, the silicone in the hay should be excellent for her teeth. Hay is something she can manipulate and is light enough to cart off into her tunnel system, which should encourage her to maintain her tunnels. The more exercise she gets, the more she will eat and chew down. If you can get a bigger wheel, that could also be good as it could be more comfortable, but if 10" is suitable for her size that should be OK. Does she have to compete for wheel time with a cage mate? Of course, gerbils like to play fight, so a companion is the best source of fun she can get

 

[Amy]

Hi! This is for a gerbil but there aren't any active gerbil forums I could find and they're very similar regarding enrichment so here I am. I'm struggling to think of more enrichment ideas for her so any advice would be really appreciated. She loves paper towel rolls, and the baked Timothy hay treats but she is fully uninterested in other kinds of chews. I've done a lot of DIY toys but she gets through them in 30 seconds. She also has hides, a 10 inch wheel, and other items to interact with but she's showing signs of boredom and I'm worried about her teeth growing too much so if anyone has ideas on how to help it would be amazing.

Thank you so much!

(here she is by the way)
View attachment 13215

Look at those crossed paws it looks like she is lecturing us

 

[Maz]

She looks like she is smiling I believe they do need to have a mate - Daisy knows quite a bit about this, having introduced cage mates before - it needs to be done gradually I think. I'll link her thread and see if that helps There is quite a lot of info about gerbils on her thread.

Introducing my gerbils

My other passion aside from hamsters is gerbils. I got my first gerbils for my 11th birthday. They were 3 males: a white one called Sugar, a black one called Spice and a golden one called Coffee. Spice lived the longest. He died aged about 4.5, and then I wasn't allowed to get any more gerbils...

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Leine]

Piles of hay might be interesting. In addition, the silicone in the hay should be excellent for her teeth. Hay is something she can manipulate and is light enough to cart off into her tunnel system, which should encourage her to maintain her tunnels. The more exercise she gets, the more she will eat and chew down. If you can get a bigger wheel, that could also be good as it could be more comfortable, but if 10" is suitable for her size that should be OK. Does she have to compete for wheel time with a cage mate? Of course, gerbils like to play fight, so a companion is the best source of fun she can get

She does love her hay! I'll see what I can do about a bigger wheel - it's big enough where it's not going to hurt her back but bigger is better when it comes to wheels. Unfortunately she is a rescue and cannot live with other gerbils which definitely makes it harder to keep her entertained.

 

[Leine]

She looks like she is smiling I believe they do need to have a mate - Daisy knows quite a bit about this, having introduced cage mates before - it needs to be done gradually I think. I'll link her thread and see if that helps There is quite a lot of info about gerbils on her thread.

Introducing my gerbils

My other passion aside from hamsters is gerbils. I got my first gerbils for my 11th birthday. They were 3 males: a white one called Sugar, a black one called Spice and a golden one called Coffee. Spice lived the longest. He died aged about 4.5, and then I wasn't allowed to get any more gerbils...

www.thehamsterforum.com

Thank you! I'll check it out. My gerb was a rescue and I was told she specifically cannot be kept with another gerbil. I'm worried about trying to introduce one since either may be injured and I don't have the room or money for two gerbil enclosures if it doesn't work out (plus a third gerbil for the new one to have a friend). The thread looks like a great resource!

 

[Leine]

Look at those crossed paws it looks like she is lecturing us

You're probably right lol. This picture was taken at the vet so she was quite annoyed.

 

[Socks' Mum]

It looks like the vet had a bite proof glove on

 

[Hamster Haven]

She's adorable. I haven't kept a gerbil, but what about a small Whimzee? A lot of hamster really enjoy chewing those, so maybe that would be something she'd like?

 

[Maz]

There's also the cardboard creations thread which might give a few ideas Although I know you said you had already made her a few things

Cardboard creations

This is a thread to show how many things you can make for your hamster or enclosure, out of cardboard :-) Cardboard is your friend.

www.thehamsterforum.com

And this one too

DIY cardboard setup!

Hi everyone! 🐹 So my hammy and I absolutely loveeee cardboard, so here is what I managed to create so far! 💕 P.S If you have any suggestions or ideas ( DIY enrichment, hideouts, etc.) feel free to write them down c:

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Leine]

It looks like the vet had a bite proof glove on

She's a very intimidating creature so naturally precautions had to be taken

 

[Rescued One]

She looks like she is smiling I believe they do need to have a mate - Daisy knows quite a bit about this, having introduced cage mates before - it needs to be done gradually I think. I'll link her thread and see if that helps There is quite a lot of info about gerbils on her thread.

Introducing my gerbils

My other passion aside from hamsters is gerbils. I got my first gerbils for my 11th birthday. They were 3 males: a white one called Sugar, a black one called Spice and a golden one called Coffee. Spice lived the longest. He died aged about 4.5, and then I wasn't allowed to get any more gerbils...

www.thehamsterforum.com

I agree with Maz - she needs a same-gender companion (unless you want lots of little gerbils). I have a rescue bonded pair of males that keep each other busy with home-improvement projects involving digging, demolishing cork logs, and mulching cardboard

 

[Maz]

I think Leine said she had been told she couldn't be kept with another gerbil for some reason? Daisy's thread shows the introduction process and then they live together fine, but I guess there might be some failures. I also read they can be happy alone, as long as you are prepared to be that companion and give the attention needed. But I'm not a gerbil expert!

 

[Leine]

Yes, she was surrendered to the shelter because she couldn't live with a companion. I wasn't able to get too much background information but she does have a few healed injuries that I think are related. I do know they attempted it twice at her prior home, and the shelter told me that based on their own observations it wasn't worth the risk. I try to make up for it with lots of bonding time!

 

[Maz]

Well she certainly looks happy on that photo