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When you look at the gerbils in the store the first thing to look for is
curiosity. When you walk up to the cage they should come to see what is
happening. (Of course, they might be sleeping, that's normal.) Have the store
clerk take the cages off the shelf and handle the gerbils. They will run when
you try to catch them; make sure you pick them up with two hands. When picked
up, the gerbil should be curious and try to investigate, provided you have it in
a stable position. The eyes should be large and clear, the fur soft, and the
tail as long as the body with a tuft of fur at the end. The body should be well
formed and stocky.
You should avoid a gerbil that has bites on it or that bites you, this may indicate overcrowding or a bad disposition. Gerbils that are missing part of their tails normally indicate a pet store or owner that gave them an improper wheel (to be discussed later) and there is nothing inherently wrong with such an animal except that they look less attractive. Look closely for a depressed, listless gerbil or one that has diarrhea. This indicates a serious disease and might indicate that the store does not take care of its animals properly. Make sure the animal does not have a sore, red, or bleeding nose, which indicates an infection or allergy to the bedding in the cage -- this may be aggravated by metal bottom cages. Dry or ruffled fur and runny or dull eyes are also indicators of a sick animal. Sometimes a healthy animal will be depressed if it has been alone for too long -- if the animal perks up when you handle it and the fur and eyes look good, then it is probably healthy. |
