# Gerbils or Guinea Pigs



## loopylulucy

Should I get Gerbils or Guinea Pigs?
I was just wondering whether i should get gerbils or guinea pigs.
Which is better in your opinion and why, and also, what are their pros and cons?


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## kate_7590

loopylulucy said:


> Should I get Gerbils or Guinea Pigs?
> I was just wondering whether i should get gerbils or guinea pigs.
> Which is better in your opinion and why, and also, what are their pros and cons?


Never had a gerbil, but have always had guinea pigs..in the correct environment they make lovely pets but must have company of their own kind.


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## metame

surely that would depend on what kind of pet you were looking for. I don't see how you can compare gerbils to guinea pigs?

now, comparing gerbils, hamsters, mice, rats, yes.
comparing guinea pigs and rabbits, yes

but not really guinea pigs or gerbils?

So what kind o pet are you looking for, what's your budget, space, time etc like?


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## BattleKat

It really depends, what do you want in a pet?


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## loopylulucy

Thanks for replying, I am looking for a pet that would be fun to handle and easy to look after. I am on quite a low budget so i wouldnt be spending hundreds however i would get good quality things for my pet...

The reason why it is only gerbils and guinea pigs is because i did not want hamsters or rats or mice. 

Hope this makes the question clearer


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## GerbilNik

From what you describe you are looking for I'd say Gerbils. They are fairly hardy as far as small furries go and don't as a rule cost much to care for. Toys they love are very cheap - things like teracotta pots (less than a pound from garden centres), cardboard, paper, glass jars, innards from loo rolls and rolls of carpet. They have very very little odour and are lovely little things. (yes i'm biased)

If you want to learn any more about them, feel free to have a look at my website Indy&#039;s Rascals Gerbil Rehome and also eGerbil | For everything gerbil!


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## RattyCake

If I remember correctly both gerbils and guinea pigs must be kept in same sex pairs. Guinea pigs require more room, a very large cage (If indoor pet) or a hutch (outdoor pet). It would be ideal if you had a large, secure garden for them to play in.

Gerbils require a decent sized cage or tank. I personally prefer those half-tank, half-cages, or "gerbilariums" because it gives them plenty of burrowing space as well as decent ventilation and a place to put toys, food and water. I'm not sure what the minimum size habitat for gerbils is. My parents have the [email protected] starter kit but it looks too small even for two gerbils to me. Gerbils also need lots of "Free-range" time which you can do in a large ball if you're worried about them escaping into an unreachable place. However, I'd not recommend leaving them in there for any longer than 15 minutes as it is just an enclosed capsule with no food or water and limited entertainment. Playpens can also be bought which gives you the oppurtunity to give your gerbies more stimulation with toys and lets them play out for longer.

So if you have a decent sized garden or a large house, guinea pigs would be happy. If you live in an apartment or small house with a yard, gerbils would be more ideal. However, the former accomodation can house either, so if that's the case, you should consider the size of the animal and its temprement to sway your final decision. I stress that you do plenty of research on whichever animal you choose BEFORE adopting your new pet. Also, please rescue or buy from breeders as pet shops tend to get their stock from breeding farms which is cruel and unethical.


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## GerbilNik

RattyCake said:


> If I remember correctly both gerbils and guinea pigs must be kept in same sex pairs. Guinea pigs require more room, a very large cage (If indoor pet) or a hutch (outdoor pet). It would be ideal if you had a large, secure garden for them to play in.
> 
> Gerbils require a decent sized cage or tank. I personally prefer those half-tank, half-cages, or "gerbilariums" because it gives them plenty of burrowing space as well as decent ventilation and a place to put toys, food and water. I'm not sure what the minimum size habitat for gerbils is. My parents have the [email protected] starter kit but it looks too small even for two gerbils to me. Gerbils also need lots of "Free-range" time which you can do in a large ball if you're worried about them escaping into an unreachable place. However, I'd not recommend leaving them in there for any longer than 15 minutes as it is just an enclosed capsule with no food or water and limited entertainment. Playpens can also be bought which gives you the oppurtunity to give your gerbies more stimulation with toys and lets them play out for longer.


Just to say a cage isn't really any good for Gerbils. They need to be housed in tanks. The minimum size for a pair really is around 20 gallons or a 2 1/2 foot tank, although 3 foot is more desirable. Gerbilariums can be ok but most of them don't offer as much digging space as is required. As you mentioned the pets at home one is far too small for any Gerbil really.
I wouldn't recommend balls for Gerbils as most of the time they just try to get out of them.. I'm not a fan of them at all and think proper free range exercise is far more preferable. Most of the playpens are too small in height and your Gerbil could easily escape. The best place is either a hallway or somwhere similar that doesn't have hidey holes in which the Gerbils can find their way into it. Another option is allowing them playtime in the bathtub which is safer and also can be easily washed after use.


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## loopylulucy

I have already compiled lots of information on gerbils and read things through many times.... if i were to get 2 gerbils where would i get a tank suitable?

Also would gerbils be happy to be handled and, in a sense, give something back?


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## GerbilNik

I think the problem is there is so much conflicting advise out there that it can be difficult sometimes to find out what is accurate. If you have any questions on them I'd be happy to answer them for you.

As for the tank, you could probably get a nice 3 foot one second hand from fish forums, gumtree, freecycle and places like that. Alternatively as has been mentioned you could get a RUB and convert it into a tank for them.

If it's a Gerbiilarium type you want to go for you will have to be careful that the Gerbils you have do not bar chew. If this is the case it can turn into a stereotypical behaviour and would mean taking the topper away as it's an unhealthy obsession. Also a note on Gerbilariums - the topper should not make up the overall minimum space required. It should be in addition to the minimum required size of tank for digging.

Gerbils can become very tame and happy to be handled if you put the time in with them. They are great fun to watch, have fantastic personalities and are very intelligent. They also live longer than your average rodent like mice, hamsters, rats as average lifespan is around 3-4 years old. They are much livelier than hamsters for instance and if you want a pet that just sits there a lot of the time getting stroked then they aren't for you. Although some Gerbils will do this if they are tame enough in general they love getting out and exploring.

Just to add - something else to consider is the possible amount of vet costs. Although each individual animal varies, it's likely that guinea pigs would be more expensive as a rule than gerbils.

Where in the country are you? It might be an idea to visit a local rescue or someone who has Gerbils and Guinea Pigs already to have some time spent with them to help you decide.


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## GerbilNik

I've just remembered that if you live near an IKEA store you could buy one of these DETOLF Glass-door cabinet - beech effect - IKEA fairly cheaply and convert it into a Gerbil Tank if you made a topper for it to enable the Gerbils to still have deep substrate. Something like this but deeper bedding Detolf cage | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


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## Wobbles

I have 3 gerbils in a Zoozone 2 tank. It's see through on top like a glass aquarium, but nowhere near as heavy to move to clean out, and it's wider than an average glass tank. It gives them plenty of space to dash around and is deep enough for lots of bedding.


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## loopylulucy

Thanks, 

A few things, 
First i'm quite close to Edinburgh 
Second the glass-door cabinet looks quite good but if you need a topper for it, where would i get one?
And Last would the zoozone 2 be better than the cabinet?

Also can someone tell me what is against having gerbils as pets?

Thanks....


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## RattyCake

Personally I prefer rats over gerbils because they are bigger, more intelligent and more robust. My family let their two gerbils freerange the other day. One was good and came back when called, but the other was so fast and agile they only caught her at 7 the following morning after being up all night. With my rats I feel like if they do escape, they'll just hide somewhere and go to sleep so I can locate and grab them more easily. As long as you freerange somewhere where they can't escape, you'll be fine.


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## GerbilNik

loopylulucy said:


> Thanks,
> 
> A few things,
> First i'm quite close to Edinburgh
> Second the glass-door cabinet looks quite good but if you need a topper for it, where would i get one?
> And Last would the zoozone 2 be better than the cabinet?
> 
> Also can someone tell me what is against having gerbils as pets?
> 
> Thanks....


I know it might be a bit of a journey but I'm based in Dundee so if you wanted to come for a visit one day I would be happy to show you around my Gerbil Rescue. You might even fall in love with some of them...... :smilewinkgrin:

You could easily make a wooden topper for it that would just sit on top if you are any good at DIY or know someone else who is? There's someone on the Gerbil forum I'm on who's just done a conversion of one and it looks really good. I can't give you the link though as you're not allowed to link to other forums on this one but i'll be adding it to my website today or tomorrow so could show you that way once it's done.

I'm definitely not the person to try and give you any bad points regarding Gerbils as I genuinely can't think of any.


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## loopylulucy

Thanks to everyone who has given me advice! 

I decided i will get 2 female gerbils but before i get them i was wondering if someone could list all the things i would need for them and also, the best places to get those things...

THANKS!!!!


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## GerbilNik

Main things:

Terracotta pot - for keeping nails trim and hiding in (really cheap from gardening stores)
Wooden chews like willow sticks etc
Cardboard/wooden tubes/tunnels for playing and holding up tunnels
Plenty of hay/card/paper for chewing
NO plastic toys (except for use during supervised playtime)


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## emzybabe

I have had both. 

my guts comments are to say gerbils arnt as high maintenance, they need cleaning out weekly and love a top up of tissue paper and toilet rolls to keep them busy. They make amazing burrows which are great to watch in tanks. They are jumpy and quick but very inquisitive I never had any issues with being nipped even after just getting them. 

Guinea pigs need cleaning out daily especially if kept outside due to fly strike. they are very cuddly pets and a good size. you will find a lot of pairs or groups in rescue centers at reasonable prices and already very tame unlike farmed ones from large pet stores. cost wise they will eat more than gerbils but you can buy hay quite cheaply in bales, I would avoid using wood shavings at all cost with guinea pigs. they will need larger spaces than gerbils. If your planning on keeping them indoors then its not fair to keep them in a cage all day. They need access to a whole room to be able to express themselves and exercise. They also need to be indoors or out not a mix of both as they are very sensitive to temperatures and winds


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## RattyCake

I'd say gerbils would need cleaning out less often due to the amount of waste they produce versus amount of substrate. I clean my rats out fortnightly with no issues but they are litter trained...


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## cats galore

can i just add that guinea pigs can be kept in pairs of girls, herds of girls, a neutered male to as many girls as get on with each other or in pairs of males. reputable rescues will do 'male bonding' to make sure that you get a pair that are good friends. i have 14 pigs - a group of 4, a group of 3, a pair which consists of a neutered male and a female, a lone sow (her sister has recently died) who will be bonded with a rescue pig that i have just taken in (hopefully) and another group of 3. i find that they do cost more than my son's gerbil (RIP Shadow) but make such lovely friendly pets. i keep mine on vetbed and poop scoop twice daily then clean them out completely every week. the vetbed is more costly to begin with but soon pays for itself. it is warm, soft and comfortable for them. this is a good place to get information from:
The Guinea Pig Forum - Powered by vBulletin
hope this helps in some way.


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