How To Create the Perfect Gerbil Cage Setup

A well-designed gerbil habitat should encourage your pet’s natural instincts while keeping them safe and comfortable.  

Every gerbil enclosure should include: 

• Plenty of floor space 
• Deep bedding for digging and burrowing 

• Excellent airflow 
• A solid exercise wheel 

• Safe chew toys 

• ​​​Hideouts and nesting areas 

• Fresh food and water 

• A sand bath for grooming 

Gerbils are highly active animals, and their environment should give them opportunities to dig, forage, climb, chew, and exercise every day. 

The best cage is one that’s roomy enough for natural behaviors and allows for deep bedding. For that reason, bigger is almost always better.  

The enclosure should be large enough for: 

• At least two compatible gerbils 
• A deep digging area 
• Separate spaces for nesting, eating, and exercising 

Many veterinarians and exotic pet experts recommend a habitat at least as large as a 20-gallon sized aquarium. But for a pair of gerbils, larger enclosures provide a much better quality of life, especially when bedding depth is considered. Tanks 40 gallons or more are typically recommended for two or more gerbils.  

​​​​​Glass aquariums are often the preferred option because they hold the deep bedding gerbils need without making a mess. If you use an aquarium, make sure it has a secure mesh lid to provide proper ventilation. 

​​​​​Wire cages offer better airflow and climbing opportunities, but many don’t have a deep enough base to hold enough bedding. If you choose a wire cage, look for one with a tall plastic base, such as the​​ PawHut 2-Tier cage, or consider adding a tank-style bottom. 

Avoid small plastic tube-style habitats. They don’t provide enough room for digging and often have poor ventilation. 

Burrowing isn’t just something gerbils enjoy. It’s an essential part of their normal behavior. 

Aim for at least eight to 10 inches of ​​bedding whenever possible—typically with larger tank setups, like 40 gallons or more.  

The deeper the bedding, the more stable your gerbils’ tunnels will be. 

​​​Safe bedding options include: 

• Paper-based bedding  

• Aspen shavings  

• Hemp bedding 

• Recycled paper bedding  

You can also provide shredded paper, plain paper towels, or hay for nesting material. 

Avoid cedar bedding, because the aromatic oils can irritate your gerbil’s respiratory tract and liver. Pine bedding is also generally discouraged.  

Adding cardboard tubes and boxes throughout the bedding encourages tunneling and provides additional enrichment. 

A few carefully chosen accessories help keep gerbils active and healthy. 

Choose a solid-surface wheel rather than a wire or mesh wheel. Wire wheels can trap toes or tails and may cause serious injuries. 

Gerbils like enclosed spaces where they can sleep, nest, and feel secure. Untreated wooden houses, cork tunnels, plastic hides, hay hides, and cardboard boxes all work well. 

Gerbils’ teeth grow continuously throughout their lives, so they need safe items to chew every day. 

Good options include: 

• Untreated wood chews  

• Cardboard rolls 
• Hay-based toys  

• Apple wood sticks 

Provide fresh water in a sipper bottle at all times. A heavy ceramic food bowl helps prevent tipping, although many gerbils also enjoy scattering and foraging for food. 

Gerbils, like chinchillas, use sand bathing to manage coat oils. You can offer a sand bath several times a week—or daily if preferred—to help keep their coat clean.  

Use chinchilla bathing sand or another dust-free sand made for small pets in a sand bath container. Never use dusty bathing powders, which can irritate the lungs. 

A busy gerbil is usually a happy gerbil. 

Keep their environment interesting by: 

• Rotating toys every few weeks 
• Adding tunnels, climbing platforms, and hammocks  
• Hiding healthy treats like vegetables, fruits, or other treats throughout the enclosure 

• Wrapping treats in paper for your gerbils to shred open 
• Occasionally rearranging accessories  

Simple changes encourage natural exploration and help prevent boredom. 

Location matters more than many pet parents realize. 

Choose a spot that’s: 

• Quiet and away from constant household activity 
• Out of direct sunlight 
• Away from heating and air conditioning vents 
• Free from drafts 
• Maintained at a comfortable room temperature, ideally around 65 to 75 degrees F  

Gerbils tolerate dry environments well but are sensitive to high heat and humidity. Because they cannot sweat, overheating can quickly become dangerous. Gerbils are prone to heat stroke at temperatures of 80 degrees and above.  

Gerbils are surprisingly clean animals and make very little urine compared with many other rodents. 

Daily maintenance should include: 

• Removing soiled bedding 
• Refilling food and water 
• Checking that the water bottle is working properly 

Complete cage cleanings are needed much less often than many people expect. Rather than replacing all the bedding every week, replace only portions as needed daily and leave some clean, familiar bedding behind. This helps preserve your gerbils’ scent markings, which help reduce stress. 

If you notice a strong ammonia odor, it’s time for a more thorough cleaning. 

Avoid these common care errors: 

• Using too little bedding. Without enough depth to dig, gerbils may develop repetitive digging behaviors and become frustrated. 
• Choosing unsafe bedding. Cedar and other aromatic softwood beddings can be harmful. 
• Buying a cage that’s too small. Tiny habitats don’t allow enough room for digging, exercise, or enrichment. 
• Using a wire exercise wheel. Solid wheels are much safer for gerbils’ feet and fragile tails. 
• Skipping enrichment. Gerbils are intelligent, active animals who need opportunities to chew, forage, and explore every day. 
• Housing a gerbil alone. Gerbils are social animals and usually do best in compatible same-sex pairs or family groups. If introducing unfamiliar gerbils, use proper introduction techniques, such as the split-cage method, to reduce the risk of fighting. Older male gerbils carry the highest risk of introduction conflicts and fighting. 

The cage should be large enough for at least a compatible pair of gerbils, with room for deep bedding, exercise, and enrichment. A 40-gallon tank is often considered the minimum for two gerbils. 

Yes. Glass aquariums are often one of the best choices because they easily contain deep bedding. Just be sure to use a secure mesh lid to provide proper ventilation. 

Yes. Most gerbils enjoy running, and a solid-surface exercise wheel is a great way to get daily activity. Avoid wire or mesh wheels, which can injure their feet or tail.