Before buying a pet you must make sure that you can care for it properly.

You MUST:

• provide the right housing
• have room for it to exercise
• feed and water it daily
• handle it daily
• exercise it daily
• groom it regularly
• clean out the cage daily to control germs
• check for signs of illness or disease
• take your pet to the vet for regular health checks and other procedures
• know someone who will look after it for you when you are away

Once you are happy that you can provide everything that your new pet will need you can then choose the perfect gerbil for yourself. Make sure that you have everything ready for him before you bring him home so that you introduce him to his new home as soon as you arrive. It is best to let him spend the first 24hrs getting used to his new environment. Dont forget that he is naturally timid and will be missing his brothers and sisters. He will like you to talk to him and will soon get used to the sound of your voice. We suggest you dont handle him too much for the first day or two, but give him plenty of clean water and some food, and allow him to get accustomed to his new home. You will soon know when he has settled as he will begin to eat, drink and groom himself.

WHICH GERBIL WILL YOU CHOOSE?
Gerbils have only been domesticated for the last 30 years so there has not yet been an opportunity for extensive development of colored varieties.

The Golden Agouti is the most common gerbil found in pet shops and is a sandy color with a dark stripe down the spine and tail. Other varieties include Albino, Black, Cinnamon, White Spot, Dark Tailed White, Dove, Lavender and Argent