The most important thing to realize before you buy gerbils is that a normal lifespan is anywhere from 2 1/2 years to 5 years. Three years is about average. Be prepared to care for your gerbils for their entire lifetime.

The next responsibility you should be prepared for is the possibility that your gerbils may, at some point, need to see the vet. In our view, too many people refuse to seek veterinary treatment for sick gerbils because the vet's visit may cost more than a new gerbil. Of course, we are attached to all of the gerbils at Twin Squeaks and can't fathom watching one of them suffer or die without seeking medical treatment. We hope that, if you adopt gerbils, you will feel the same way.

Gerbils rarely need visits to the vet. They do not need any vaccinations when you first adopt them, and they rarely get ill. However, if your gerbil seems lethargic, is making clicking noises when he or she breathes, or has developed any other troubling symptoms, it is best to see a vet right away. You will need to do research ahead of time, before you have a sick gerbil to know what vets in your area will treat gerbils and what services they provide. Also, have a small plastic critter keeper on hand in case you need to make an emergency trip to the vet.

Generally, a trip to the vet's is not terribly expensive, usually somewhere between $25 and $40. After-hours emergency care will run higher. If your gerbil needs surgery, this will run about $40 to $140. Remember that these are only estimates, and it is always best to check on prices with the vets in your area.

If you are adopting gerbils as a child's pet, we believe it is especially important that you seek veterinary treatment for any pet that is ill. This teaches children a valuable lesson: that all life is to be respected and that their gerbils' lives are valuable. Gerbils can teach your child both compassion and responsibility. Kids can learn responsibility by cleaning the gerbils' tank, making sure the pets have food and water, and by letting an adult know if a gerbil seems to be ill. Kids can also learn patience and compassion by hand-taming their gerbils and by spending time with them.

Day to Day Responsibilities

These are some of the things you should be prepared to frequently do for your gerbils:

• Check your gerbils' food dish every day to make sure that there is enough to eat.
• Tap the end of the water bottle every day to make sure it dispenses water easily. Although gerbils' bodies process food in such a way that they can live longer than most animals without water, gerbils are happier if they have easy access to water. Also, a sick gerbil gets dehydrated easily. Do what you can to keep your gerbils stocked with food and water.
• If the water bottle has leaked, clean the tank immediately. Large amounts of damp bedding can lead to mold which can be toxic to gerbils.
• Clean your gerbils' tank about every two weeks. Some people clean tanks every week, others every three weeks. Some types of bedding require more frequent tank cleanings. Follow your nose and your instincts when deciding what cleaning schedule is right for your gerbils.
• Interact with your gerbils every day. If it is possible to take them out of the tank to a gerbil-safe area for playtime, this is wonderful for your gerbils. If you do not have such an area, make sure your gerbils can hop onto your hand, crawl up your arm, and eat food out of your hand every day. This keeps them tame, entertained, and happy. It is also fun for you!!

Learn Everything You Can

You are reading this Web site, so obviously, you care enough about your gerbils to read about them and learn more about proper gerbil care. Keep learning. Gerbils are very interesting yet complex creatures, and you can provide the best care for them by learning all that you can about them. Reading will help you learn what to do (such as covering exercise wheels to make them gerbil-safe) and what not to do (don't simply place two gerbils in a tank together if they don't already know each other).

A Word About Breeding

There is no doubt that gerbil pups are adorable. Well, they start off as little hairless squirmy things. They very rapidly because adorable miniature gerbils, and it is very tempting to jump right into gerbil breeding. Please, please if you want to start breeding, stop to think through things carefully before you get started. Gerbils can have many, many litters (three to nine gerbils every five weeks). If gerbils are not split by sexes into appropriate pairs at the appropriate ages, you will end up with fights and possibly more pregnant gerbils. You need to make sure that you can find homes for potentially 50-100 gerbils over the course of a year. If you sell gerbil pups to a local pet shop, they may be sold as snake food rather than as pets.

Finally, we think it's important that you keep a same-sex pair for at least eight months before you start breeding gerbils. This gives you time to learn first-hand about gerbil care. You will know what a healthy gerbil looks like and what the signs are that a gerbil isn't feeling well. You will know how to tame your gerbils, and you will be an expert in caring for your gerbils. Breeding can be great fun, but there is a lot of risk and responsibility that comes with it. You can read more about the risks and responsibilities at Gerbils Anonymous' How Many Gerbils? page.

If you decide to breed gerbils, it is very important that you visit the National Gerbil Society's (NGS's) Web site and the American Gerbil Society's (AGS') Web site.