Would a Bin cage for gerbils? - Page 2

**chinesehammy** · 01-21-2014, 07:49 AM

thanks everyone. you have all put my mind at rest, that I won't be a bad gerbil owner of if I keep them in a 110L bin cage!

I am going to buy it tonight and then hopefully the girl will get back to me soon! If not I'm sure I will see others needing adopted! Also there is two in my local p@h adoption centre, however what put me off was that I heard that pets at home just out them there if they haven't sold in a while, but I am wanting to rescue two truly needing gerbils, so would it be better to rescue these ones free to good home from gumtree or pets at home adoption centre, who needs me most!?

JBH316 · 01-21-2014, 07:54 AM

Not all the animals in the p@h adoption centre are unsold stock - some get surrendered by their owners. It should say on their little card by their enclosure why they are there.

**chinesehammy** · 01-21-2014, 07:59 AM

Ok thanks, I will have a look.

racinghamster · 01-21-2014, 08:20 AM

Yes, the card in PAH should give details on why the gerbils are there. Either too old to sell (although I doubt it would say that!), or they were returned to the store due to other reasons. I would give the Gumtree person time to respond in case she really wants a nice home for her gerbils (circumstances and all that) but after 24 hours she hasn`t returned your message, I would go with the PAH gerbils. Just make sure you get two males or two females! I feel males co-habit best but gerbils as a whole can `de-clan` at any stage. Sometimes they just fall out or one becomes ill or old and the other senses this weakness and starts to pick on the other gerbil. But many pairs go on to live happily, so don`t worry about that. Larger groups usually de-clan rather than pairs. x

poppiet · 01-21-2014, 02:54 PM

Pictures of bin cage (and gerbils)

Hope this helps

**chinesehammy** · 01-21-2014, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poppiet

Pictures of bin cage (and gerbils)

Hope this helps

how cute are your gerbils! omg adorable! how many litres is that bin? It looks pretty spacious, and I am have bought the 110l bin so is it similar size to that?

poppiet · 01-22-2014, 05:37 AM

Thanks, I got them just after Christmas 2011 so they were called Holly and Cracker. Holly went to the bridge in December with a chest infection but Cracker seems to be coping OK on her own. I don't want to put her through the stress of trying to get her a companion especially as she didn't get on with the gerbil she and Holly were bought as friends for.

Dimensions of the box are:

Extra large Really Useful Box - 145 Litre capacity
Product Details: (Measurements = L x W x H)
External dimensions: 810 x 620 x 430mm
Internal dimensions: 710 x 545 x 400mm
Capacity: 145 Litres
Weight: 4.17 Kg

It's more expensive than most boxes but thicker plastic and straight sifdes with nothing to chew.

Hope you find something that you can use

**chinesehammy** · 01-22-2014, 05:59 AM

Oh that's good, my dimensions are similar, except the box I have ordered is longer and thinner. It is 110l by wham Amazon. I would of ordered the extra large really useful box but they don't deliver to the part of the UK I live in. Thanks for posting it as it has really helped me see how lovely it should look and has given me inspiration for a few gerbil related cage ideas!

racinghamster · 01-22-2014, 06:02 AM

Just wanted to agree about female gerbils being harder to `pair up` than males. If a female is paired with another and one dies, it`s better to allow the remaining gerbil live alone with plenty of playtimes. With adult males, a baby male gerbil can be introduced to an adult male using a properly constructed cage/tank splitter, but knowing the adult male`s behaviour is always needed because while some male gerbils are laid back and lovely, some can be more territorial and be more pushy with a newcomer. x

**chinesehammy** · 01-22-2014, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racinghamster

Just wanted to agree about female gerbils being harder to `pair up` than males. If a female is paired with another and one dies, it`s better to allow the remaining gerbil live alone with plenty of playtimes. With adult males, a baby male gerbil can be introduced to an adult male using a properly constructed cage/tank splitter, but knowing the adult male`s behaviour is always needed because while some male gerbils are laid back and lovely, some can be more territorial and be more pushy with a newcomer. x

What about existing pairings ie. when I rescue a pair gerbils? The girl didn't get back to me and they have since been removed from gumtree, so maybe she decided to keep them, or maybe they were already sold when I contacted her? I have not found a pair yet to rescue and I won't be buying from pet stores or breeders.

I don't think I will have a choice because I will be rescuing but say two rescues come up at once (highly unlikely!), should I choose male or female, if I get the option?