Please turn off the all caps. On email that is considered "shouting.
>I HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED THE "CRITTER TRAIL" FROM SUPER-PET.
>I WAS WONDERING IF IT IS SAFE FOR THE GERBILS.
They'll chew out of it.
Best housing I've found so far is 10-20 gallon aquariums, with
a metal mesh clip-on lid (available at most pet supply places).
Get a rounded end 'aquarium water bottle' that is virtually
unclimbable, and hang it from the mesh such that the animals
inside can't perch and chew on top of it.
>I ALSO PURCHASED "ALFA PET'S 100 PERCENT CEDAR SHAVINGS"
>THEN I LEARNED OF THE HARMFUL EFFECTS THEY CAN HAVE ON GERBILS, SO I READ
>THE BAG AND IT SAID THEY WERE 100 PERCENT STERILE. SO ARE THEY SAFE OR IS
>THE ALFA-PET COMPANY JUST SAYING THEY ARE SAFE TO GET YOU TO BUY THEM. IF
>THE PRODUCTS ARE NOT SAFE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD REPLACE THEM WITH.
Manufacturers are notorious for labelling things "SAFE" when
they ARE NOT.
Cedar is NO GOOD for small animals such as hamsters, gerbils,
and other rodents. It causes respiratory problems.
Take it back and get 'white pine' or 'aspen' shavings (light
yellowish white) or corncob based bedding.
Do NOT get "fluffy bedding" (this looks like polyfill or cotton
balls, or compressed cotton waste blocks the animal can
'shred' and fluff). These have fibers that can wrap around
limbs and amputate, around necks and strangle, and if
ingested, causes intestinal blockages and a slow painful
death.
Give your gerbils a few sheets of unscented undyed toilet
tissue, and they will shred it and use it for nests. It is safe,
as the fibers are chopped up really short and it will 'dissolve'
if eaten.
They also like the center cardboard from toilet tissue rolls.
They will gnaw those up in minutes with relish....
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
