What Should You Feed Your Cute Pet Gerbil?

Gerbils make for adorable and quite funny pets. They love to climb and play, and you can spend hours watching their antics. However, the right nutrition is essential for them to stay healthy and active and complete their entire lifespan. Here is a brief overview of the different kinds of food you can feed your pet gerbil. Sites like homepethelp can provide you with more details.

1. Seed Mixes

You can give your pet gerbil seeds mixed with dried vegetables and fruits. When you give them a mix, you might find that they will only eat the bits they like the most and leave the rest. If allowed to continue, this could lead to dietary imbalance, so you should figure out what they like and include them in the mix so that they finish everything. Try not to add too many sunflower seeds as they can be a little fatty.

2. Gerbil Pellets

You can buy these pellets at the store, and they are made with all the items that a gerbil would eat. However, since they are all rolled into one, your pet won’t be able to pick and choose, and it will result in a well-balanced diet. However, serving these pellets during every meal could be monotonous for him or her, so that you could alternate them with fruit mixes.

3. Treats

Who doesn’t like a treat from time to time? Well, it is the same for your gerbil. You can give them occasional treats by giving them fruits and vegetables that they like. However, since they are small animals, please do not feed them too much as it could lead to diarrhea. You can give them berries, green apples, broccoli, and carrots. You can give them kidney beans once or twice a week as well. Cheese is a favorite with all rodents, so they make great treats too. You can check out resources like Homepethelp for more information about the ideal gerbil diet.

4. Nuts and Grains

Nuts in small portions are suitable for gerbils, but you should not give them too much since they are fatty. It is good to mix them with grains like wheat or barley. You could give them plain cereals or also bread made from whole grains. They like them, and maybe they could have their breakfast with you too! You can also give them raisins and currants.

How to Feed Your Gerbil

Not just the right diet, but feeding your gerbil in the right way is also equally important. Do not give your gerbil a food item if you see they don’t like it or do not finish their food. When you bring the gerbil home for the first time, it could take a while to figure out what they like. Never force them to eat something if they do not like it. Remove unfinished food as it might decompose, and the gerbil might eat it again when hungry. Stick to food timings and avoid giving them snacks too often.

You could also give your gerbil meat or eggs from time to time, but it is not needed. You can give them small amounts of mealworms for their protein intake, but since they are small creatures, they get most of the nutrients from plant sources, if you choose right. Just make sure all the food items are free from pesticides and you have washed them well.