Hides and houses
Shelves and ledges
Foraging and toys
Cage accessories
Kits and bundles
Fairy forest
Spooky mischief
Sweetie stash
Game mode
Forest floor
Castles and cathedrals
What gerbils need in their cage: the essentials checklist
Start with the things a gerbil uses every single day. Wood Green, Gerbil Care UK and PetMD agree on the core list, even where their sizes differ a little.
- A glass tank or gerbilarium, not a wire or plastic hamster cage
- A ventilated mesh lid
- Deep, diggable bedding (substrate) and soft nesting material
- A solid wheel, 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in)
- A sand bath dish and dust-free gerbil-safe sand
- At least one hide per gerbil
- Chews: safe wood, cardboard, hay
- A heavy food bowl that won't tip
- A water bottle or shallow, heavy water bowl
- A cool tile (granite or ceramic) for warm weather
The home comes first. Wood Green gives a minimum tank of 100 × 50 × 50 cm (40 × 20 × 20 in) for two gerbils, and 120 × 50 × 50 cm (48 × 20 × 20 in) for three. Gerbil Care UK prefers tanks to cages because gerbils dig deep tunnels and kick bedding out of bars. Our gerbil cage size guide covers the numbers, and our gerbil cage setup guide shows how to lay out the accessories below.
Bedding and nesting: the accessory that matters most
Gerbils are desert burrowers, and digging is the biggest part of their day. Wood Green recommends at least 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in) of bedding across the whole enclosure, with room above it for a gerbil to stand on its back legs. Gerbil Care UK suggests at least 25 cm (10 in) and about 12 cm (5 in) of headroom above that.
Mix two or more diggable materials so tunnels hold their shape: paper bedding, shredded cardboard, hemp, soft hay. For the nest, offer soft paper bedding or plain unscented toilet paper they can shred themselves.
Never use cotton-wool style or "fluffy" nesting, or seed pod bedding. Wood Green warns these can wrap around legs and cause severe injury, and they are dangerous if swallowed. Also avoid wood shavings and sawdust, which irritate skin and airways.
Our gerbil bedding guide compares materials, and gerbil digging and burrowing explains how deep to go and why.
Gerbil wheels: size and type
A wheel gives an active gerbil somewhere to run at any hour. Gerbil Care UK sets the minimum at 28 cm (11 in), and Wood Green recommends a 30 cm (12 in) solid upright wheel. A smaller wheel makes the gerbil run with its back bent, which Gerbil Care UK says can cause back damage. If a 28 cm wheel won't fit in the tank, the tank is too small.
| Wheel type | For gerbils | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solid wood, 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) | Good | Quiet and grippy; swap to metal if they chew it |
| Solid metal, about 30 cm (12 in) | Good | Chew-proof; check the tank height first |
| Plastic | Avoid | Chewed into sharp pieces and swallowed |
| Mesh, ridged or open rungs | Avoid | Feet, legs and tails can get trapped |
| Flying saucer | Avoid | Can throw a gerbil off at speed |
| Exercise ball | Avoid | Stressful, disorienting and no escape |
Fix the wheel on a solid base or a platform so it can't sink into the bedding or be dug under and topple.
Sand bath, food bowls and water
A sand bath keeps a gerbil's coat clean and free of grease, and most gerbils roll in it every day. Gerbil Care UK recommends a large, heavy oval glass or ceramic dish, around 25 × 17 cm (10 × 7 in) or bigger, placed on a platform or stand so it doesn't fill with bedding. Avoid narrow-necked jars and bowls, which can make gerbils territorial.
- Choose the sand. Use a dust-free, calcium-free sand with no dye or clay. Gerbil Care UK lists several plain reptile desert sands as safe. Avoid fine bathing dust, chinchilla dust and clay (sepiolite) sands, which can irritate airways.
- Fill shallowly. A thin layer the gerbil can roll and wriggle in is plenty; it doesn't need to be deep.
- Place it up high. Set the dish on a platform or flat stone away from the digging area.
- Sieve daily. Gerbils often use the sand as a toilet. Sieve out droppings every day.
- Change it weekly. Replace the sand completely at least once a week, or more often if it gets damp.
PetMD suggests offering a sand bath weekly and not leaving it in the enclosure for more than 12 hours. Gerbil Care UK keeps it in permanently and sieves it daily. Either works; we'd follow Gerbil Care UK and keep it available, as long as it stays clean. Our gerbil sand bath guide has more detail.
For food, use a heavy ceramic bowl that is shallow enough not to trap a gerbil and won't tip; PetMD says to choose tip-resistant and not too deep. Water can be a bottle or a shallow, heavy bowl. Bottles should be mounted on a stand or the lid so gerbils can't bury the spout, and checked daily for blockages or drips. Our gerbil diet guide covers what goes in the bowl.
Gerbil toys and accessories: hides, chews and things to shred
The best gerbil toys are the cheapest. Gerbils love to gnaw, shred and rebuild, and a lot of what they enjoy comes out of your recycling.
- Hides: at least one per gerbil (PetMD). Wooden houses, cork logs, cardboard boxes and terracotta pots work well. Wood Green warns against solid shelves a gerbil can get trapped under
- Tubes: cardboard postal tubes or terracotta pipes at least 7 cm (2.75 in) wide, with a flat base so they don't roll
- Cardboard: plain, undyed boxes, egg boxes and toilet and kitchen roll tubes, with no glossy print or sticky labels
- Wood chews: kiln-dried apple, pear, willow, birch, poplar or aspen
- Forage boxes: a cardboard box filled with hay and a scatter of seeds
- Forage rolls: toilet roll tubes stuffed with hay and a treat, ends folded in
- Unglazed terracotta: rough surfaces help wear claws down
- A dig tray of organic, chemical-free compost or coco soil, kept a little damp so it isn't dusty
Rotate one or two items every few days instead of buying more. A new box or a rebuilt tunnel route gives gerbils something fresh to explore, and they will happily redesign it for you overnight.
Our guides to the best gerbil toys, the best gerbil hides and gerbil enrichment go further with picks and DIY ideas.
Gerbil cage accessories to avoid
A lot of what is sold for small pets is wrong for gerbils, who gnaw through almost anything soft enough to bite.
- Plastic of any kind: wheels, hides, tubes, bowls and multi-level hamster homes. Gerbils chew it into sharp edges and swallow pieces
- Mesh floors and mesh shelves, which hurt feet
- Compressed sawdust chews labelled "edible", which Gerbil Care UK links to stomach blockages
- Dyed, coloured, scented or glossy items, including coloured bedding and painted chews
- Cotton-wool or fluffy bedding and seed pod nesting
- Cedar and pine shavings, which give off aromatic oils
- Glazed terracotta, which doesn't wear claws
- Exercise balls and flying saucers
- A standard fish tank lid, which Wood Green says is not suitable: use a ventilated mesh lid instead
For everything else gerbils need, from company to health checks, read our complete gerbil care guide.
Gerbil accessory questions
What do gerbils need in their cage?
Deep bedding to dig in, at least 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in), plus nesting material, a solid wheel of 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in), a sand bath, hides, chews, a heavy food bowl and a water bottle or bowl. Most of all they need a gerbil friend and a big enough tank.
Do gerbils need a wheel?
A wheel is strongly recommended, because gerbils are very active and run a lot. Choose a solid wheel of at least 28 cm (11 in), with no rungs, mesh or ridges, made of wood or metal rather than plastic. A smaller wheel forces the back to bend.
What toys do gerbils like?
Gerbils like things they can dig, shred and gnaw. Cardboard tubes and boxes, egg boxes, kitchen roll tubes stuffed with hay, safe wood chews, willow balls, terracotta pipes and forage boxes are all favourites. They don't need much from a shop: plain cardboard is their best toy.
Can gerbils use hamster accessories?
Some, not all. Wooden hides, tunnels and solid wheels of the right size are fine. Plastic hamster cages, tubes, plastic wheels and multi-level hamster homes are not, because gerbils chew plastic and need deep bedding, which most hamster cages can't hold.
Do gerbils need a sand bath?
Yes. Gerbils roll in sand to keep their coat clean and free of grease. Use a dust-free, calcium-free sand in a heavy glass or ceramic dish, sieve it daily and change it at least weekly. Avoid fine dusts, clay-based sands and chinchilla dust.
Are gerbil balls safe?
No. Gerbil Care UK advises never using exercise balls or flying saucer wheels for gerbils. In a ball they can't control speed, see where they're going or escape, and saucers can throw them off at speed. Supervised time in a secure playpen is safer.
