Comprehensive Guide to Gerbils Diet

Gerbils are popular pets that are relatively inexpensive and easy to care for, making their diet pretty easy to follow. So, what kind of diet should a gerbil have?

A gerbil’s diet typically consists of a wide variety of seeds, fruits, vegetables, and insects. Gerbils are omnivores, which means they can eat both plants and animals. It’s a good idea to introduce a pet gerbil to pellet mixes to provide them with the nutrients they need.

Now that we know the basics of a gerbil’s diet, we are going to dive into everything they should eat, what they shouldn’t eat, and what they typically eat in the wild.

What Should Gerbils Eat?

Gerbals appreciate a variety of food options around their cage and environment because the food will keep them entertained and healthy. Provide your gerbil with fresh produce so that they have a healthy alternative to their usual store-bought food mix or supplement. If you give your gerbil commercial food options, it’s best to choose food that contains around 14% protein. Make sure that the mix you buy has around 6%-8% fat content so that your gerbil doesn’t become overweight.

Add variety to your gerbil’s diet by feeding them a variety of fruits, vegetables, and even small insects. However, make sure you give your gerbil these types of food in moderation. If you feed your gerbil too many fruits and vegetables, they can cause digestive issues and diabetes.

You can feed your gerbil certain vegetables daily. These are the vegetables we recommend:

• Timothy hay
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Peas
• Cucumbers

You can also feed your gerbil bite-sized amounts of fruit daily. These are the fruits we recommend:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Pears
• Apples
• Melons

Now that you’ve nailed your gerbil’s diet, in order to keep them healthy, you must provide them with constant access to clean water. You can do this by purchasing an upright bottle with a metal sipping tube. Make sure to change the water daily and clean the drinking tube regularly.

While you should give your gerbil a moderate amount of fruits and vegetables, you should give them as much Timothy hay as they want. It will help your gerbil’s digestive system function well. It is also a great thing to use as bedding. Spread Timothy hay across the bottom of your gerbil’s cage and replace it as necessary.

What Gerbils Shouldn’t Eat

Gerbils are unable to process certain foods. Make sure to consult with the vet if you plan on feeding your gerbil anything other than the commercial food from the store or the fruits and vegetables we listed above. Gerbils are able to eat seeds in moderation. Seeds contain fat, and if gerbils are fed seeds too often, they will become obese, which will cause them to develop other health issues.

While many gerbil owners try to feed the following foods to their gerbils, they shouldn’t because they are dangerous and toxic to gerbils. Don’t feed your gerbil the following foods:

• Citrus fruits
• Onions
• Chocolate
• Beans
• Rhubarb

The most toxic food to gerbils is chocolate. Gerbils enjoy chocolate because of its sweet taste, but it is incredibly toxic to them. Gerbils can’t eat foods like chocolate because chocolate contains theobromine, which gerbils are unable to metabolize. Small amounts of chocolate can lead to seizures, irregular heart rhythms, and even death. If your pet consumed any amount of chocolate or any of the foods listed above, consult a veterinarian right away.

What do Gerbils Eat in the Wild?

Wild gerbils live in grasslands and deserts, which makes them quite good at foraging for their food and getting food wherever they can. In the wild, gerbils need animal protein in their diet, which means they will often eat small insects. The insects they eat vary by where they live.

The insects that gerbils typically eat are:

• Mealworms
• Waxworms
• Superworms
• Crickets
• Locusts

If available, they will also eat fresh vegetables. Gerbils usually don’t eat fresh fruits in the wild because they are extremely hard to find. That’s why it’s important to feed your gerbil fruit in moderation, as gerbils aren’t used to eating that much fruit in the wild. When both of these foods cannot be found by a gerbil in the wild, they will live off of dry seeds.

Gerbils typically eat both alive and dried insects, so it is up to you which one you feed to your gerbil.

Importance of a Feeding Routine

It’s important to know when it’s appropriate to feed your gerbil so you aren’t underfeeding or overfeeding it. Gerbils need a feeding routine just like any other pet. If you buy a store-bought food mix, it will give you serving sizes and the amount of food you can expect to feed your gerbil throughout the day.

For most gerbils, you can expect to feed your gerbil about once per day. However, this might not be the case for all gerbils. Your gerbil will let you know that they are hungry by digging into its substrate to search for food. If you catch your pet doing this, make sure to give them another serving of food.

When feeding your gerbil, you don’t have to put the food in a specific spot or dish in the cage. You can sprinkle the food around its cage so that it can search for its food. Gerbils are foragers, and they really enjoy searching for their food. They will be more likely to enjoy a larger variety of food which will allow them to get all the nutrients they need to stay healthy. It will also ensure that your gerbil stays active, as they will have to move around in order to eat.

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Overall, gerbils can eat a lot of things. This is great, as while you may want to feed them pellets to make sure they are getting the nutrients they need, you can also feed things that you are eating as well, which makes it easy for you to find food to give to your gerbil. Just make sure that you aren’t giving your gerbil too much of one type of food.