> Amir Abdulla wrote:
>
> Dear All,
>
>
> When you are buying a Gerbil cage what are the important facts that
> you consider ? e.g. Price range, materials and other accesories.
The two main factors for me are how much it costs and if it's big
enough for the gerbils but small enough to fit in my room. I tend to
stick with glass aquariums that have wire screen tops.
>
> Are there any bad or weak points you have noticed about any cages that
> you have bought recently that need to be improved and altered?
Well, I had one of those plastic habitrail cages a while ago (for
hamsters, not gerbils) and the water bottle kept popping out leaving a
gaping hole for the critters to escape out of. Aside from that, just
the general annoyances: they would make a huge mess by kicking their
litter out of the bars in wire cages, which is why I switched to
aquariums.
>
>
>
> Do you personally have any advice for me on the natural environment of
> and handling in captivity of rodents? or know any good web sites where
> I can find out any useful information aout their habitats?
Well, if I remember correctly, www.gerbils.co.uk has some stuff about
gerbils in the wild, and other species too if you wanted info on them.
>
> Do you have any advice about the material or manufacture of the cage?
Personally, I think glass aquariums are best, as I've heard acrylic can
easily be scratched. Wire cages are not only messy but I've heard since
the gerbils constantly gnaw on the bars they can hurt their noses or
even chip their teeth. I've found that with those plastic habitrail
type systems, the pieces never seem to interlock securely enough.
>
> What would you be willing to pay for a good habitat cage?
Hmm...well I got my last aquarium for $5 at a garage sale, but at a
store I guess I'd pay up to $25.
>
> Do you think there is a need or a market potential for a habitat cage
> that suites the need of the Gerbil as well as the owners?
Sure, if it's affordable and widely available. Especially if it comes
with free accessories, like a water bottle and a solid metal exercise
wheel (I have yet to see one of those).
>
> Are any of you in search of a free cage for gerbils and live in the
> UK?
>
>
>
> If you can answer any or all of the above questions I would be most
> grateful thank you for your time.
>
> Khalid Abdulla
>
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