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Yes, gerbils can eat strawberries as a treat. Burgess, PetMD and the Gerbil Care welfare site all list strawberry as safe. Give a thumbnail-sized piece of fresh, washed strawberry per gerbil once or twice a week. It is sweet and juicy, so too much can upset a gerbil's stomach. Skip jam, yoghurt-coated pieces and sweetened dried strawberries.
| Safe? | Yes, as a treat |
| How much | A thumbnail-sized piece per gerbil |
| How often | Once or twice a week |
| Best served | Fresh, washed, cut small |
| Watch out for | Sugar, juice in bedding, coated or sweetened pieces |
Are strawberries good for gerbils?
Yes, in small amounts. Burgess names strawberries first in its list of safe fruit for gerbils, alongside raspberries and blueberries. PetMD and Gerbil Care list them too.
Burgess adds that fruit should only come in tiny portions because it is high in sugar, and PetMD says fruit should be fed in smaller amounts than vegetables to avoid weight gain. Strawberries are also juicy, and Gerbil Care warns that too much fresh food can cause diarrhoea, which can be fatal in a gerbil.
How much strawberry, and how often?
A thumbnail-sized piece, about 1 cm (0.4 in) across, per gerbil, once or twice a week. For most strawberries that means one berry is enough for four to six gerbils. Gerbil Care's guide for all fresh food is about one thumbnail-sized portion per gerbil around twice a week, and PetMD says extras together should be no more than 10% of the daily diet.
How to serve strawberries
- Choose a firm, ripe berry. Bright red, with no soft, bruised or spoiled patches.
- Wash it. Rinse under cold water and pat dry.
- Cut small pieces. PetMD suggests bite-sized pieces. One piece per gerbil.
- Serve in a dish or by hand. Juice soaks into bedding, so a small dish keeps things tidy.
- Clear leftovers. PetMD says to throw away uneaten fresh food after 10 hours. Check the nest, as gerbils hoard.
Tops, seeds, dried and sweet versions
- Green top (calyx): not covered by our sources. Not on any unsafe list we checked, so a small piece now and then is our view.
- The tiny seeds: fine, eaten with the fruit.
- Frozen: fine once thawed and patted dry.
- Dried or freeze-dried: a crumb, plain only.
- Jam, yoghurt drops and strawberry-flavoured treats: no. Burgess says to avoid sweet treats and dairy.
Strawberry is a strong-smelling treat, which makes it a good one for scatter feeding. Hide a few small pieces in the bedding and let your gerbils dig for them.
Who should skip strawberries?
Overweight gerbils, gerbils with loose droppings and young gerbils still settling in. Start any new gerbil on a crumb and watch droppings for 48 hours.
Other treats to rotate with strawberry
Try a raspberry piece, half a blueberry or a bit of apple without pips. Our safe food list for gerbils, gerbil diet guide and complete gerbil care guide cover the rest.
Strawberry questions
Can gerbils eat strawberry tops and leaves?
Can gerbils eat the seeds on strawberries?
Yes. The tiny seeds on the outside of a strawberry are eaten with the fruit and are not a concern. The Gerbil Care welfare site lists fruit seeds as unsafe but also lists strawberries as safe, so we read that warning as pips and stones such as apple seeds.
Can gerbils eat dried or freeze-dried strawberries?
Plain ones, in a crumb-sized piece, now and then. Drying concentrates the sugar, so a dried piece is far sweeter than a fresh one the same size. Gerbil Care lists organic dried fruit with no sweeteners as a moderate treat. Avoid yoghurt-coated or sugared strawberry pieces.
Can gerbils eat strawberry jam or yoghurt?
No. Jam is mostly sugar, and yoghurt is dairy. Burgess says to avoid sweet treats and dairy for gerbils. Only fresh strawberry, or plain dried, is suitable.
