If you are the owner of a gerbil or you are planning to buy yourself such an animal, its home will need to satisfy certain conditions. On the one hand, the gerbil will need to have a cage which covers an area of at least 120 x 60 centimetres and a height of at least 70 centimetres. If you are the owner of more than two gerbils, the enclosure will need to be correspondingly larger. In the wild, small animals spend a lot of time getting food. As a result, they are constantly on the go – and they should also be able to satisfy this urge to move in their enclosures. For this purpose, a running wheel can also be a good idea: This fixture will enable your gerbil to be able to get rid of some of their energy and thus reduces stress.
You should also bear in mind that gerbils like to spend their time digging. In the wild, these animals often dig holes in the ground. In order to ensure that your gerbils are able to satisfy this natural urge, you should include a thick layer of bedding and hay: this should be at least 30 centimeters thick, although 50 centimetres are better. However, this will noticeably reduce the amount of usable space which the gerbil has in terms of height. By the way, sand baths are also very popular with gerbils.