As I'm sure you can guess, the cage gets wet and mucky every say, and
they are especially good at stuffing just a CORNER of klenex in so thet the
rest of the cage slooooly gets wet as the kleenex slooowly fills with water.
This seems like a silly question, but if I buy a bottle, will they use
it? I don't want any thirsty gerbils, but *my* life would be way easier
without that bothersome bowl.
To both the posters, one about chewed up water bottles, the
other about a bowl...
Buy the cylindrical straight tube water bottles with both ends
rounded. Brand names, Lixit and Quick Quench.
You need to hang it so that there is no way a gerbil can leap
up and get on top of it and stay there..because if they can,
they will chew the nub for the wire right off within minutes.
If you can manage that, then there is no other way they
can get a tooth on one, and no more holes.
I made the expanded metal mesh lids on the aquariums,
and made a 'relief hole' that the bottle wedges right into
at the top, so the gerbil can't get up on top of the bottle
and sit there and chew. They can hang from the mesh
and try to chew, but the rounded top isn't in their reach.
And they can't hang on to the sides or the bottom, so
things are safe.
When there are pups in the tank, I put a large block of
pine with steps cut out so they can get to the water
bottle without problems (nice to have a bandsaw).
They also gnaw on the pine, which is untreated and
unpainted white pine. Making those teeth wear off.
Yes your gerbil will use a waterbottle. It beats the mess
of a dish, which can be slopped, used as a toilet, and
for little ones, drown them.
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
