You may be lucky and adopt Gerbils that are very tame, or you may have spent time socialising your Gerbils so that they trust you well enough to walk into your open hand. However, as Gerbils are prey animals, unless they fully trust you, they will need some encouragement.

If your Gerbils are nervous, please give them time. Don’t think this is how they will always be. We’ve adopted Gerbils that we haven’t seen for the first 6 weeks, that would only come out for food and water when we weren’t around. Please don’t strip back their substrate so you can see them, they need the protection and safety of their burrows more than ever. Using the steps below, and by being patient and gentle, they will become more sociable. We’ve never known a Gerbil not to make a complete turn-around.

How can I tame my Gerbils?

When your Gerbils first arrive, if they are nervous, please give them the time and space to adapt to their new surroundings. Don’t force them.

Start by gaining your Gerbil’s trust, sit by their tank and speak softly to them so they are used to your presence.

Use treats to entice them to take from your hand. Pumpkin seeds are rarely refused! Give them in halves to limit over feeding.

Put your hand palm up in their tank so they get used to your open hand.

Try stroking them very softy to replicate the grooming Gerbils do to each other, but be aware that some Gerbils don’t like being touched.

Gerbils are prey animals so try not to approach them suddenly or from above, as a predator may do.

Be patient, never force any animal into doing something it doesn’t want to or like. Never grab at them in their tank or disturb them in their nest.

To pick up your Gerbils, ideally you should place your hand either side of the Gerbil so that you are able to scoop it up from below.

Cup your Gerbils in your hand close to your body. You can gently place one hand over the top of them, but be careful not to squeeze. They will feel more comfortable if they sit in your hands and are not restricted.

Gerbils do jump so for that reason make sure they are securely held as even a fall from a few feet can cause them an injury.

Otherwise an effective way to remove your Gerbils from their tank, in an unstressful way, is to offer them a tube. As Gerbils are naturally inquisitive they will step into and investigate a tube fairly easily. These are cardboard postal tubes which you can purchase (7cm+ diameter to prevent them becoming trapped and to give plenty of room, especially if used in a tank with substrate).

When they are ready to accept a tube or sand bath to be transported to free-roam time, sit with them still and quietly and let them approach you.

Our latest rescue pair are being trained to associate the sound of tapping on the glass sand bath with a treat. They are learning to come to the sand bath which makes them easier to remove for play time.

Pet Connection International have a great video with more information on how to hand tame your Gerbils Struggling to hand tame your Gerbils?

Top Tip – If you have an escapee, do not panic! Try the postal tube method, or use any other receptacle that looks worthy of investigation. Likewise when they are free roaming and its time to go back in their tank, don’t cause them stress by chasing them, use this method instead.

Never pick up a Gerbil by its tail. This is something a predator would do and it’s stressful and painful for your Gerbil. It can cause de-gloving, which is the skin and bone detaching from the rest of the tail. This is extremely painful for your Gerbil, and results in full or partial loss. In the picture below, this lady has lost half of her tail due to being picked up incorrectly.