It's important to clean your pet gerbils' cage often so the don't acquire health problems. If you clean your gerbil's cage frequently, it should never begin to smell. The process of cleaning a gerbil cage involves discarding the old bedding, washing the cage with soap and hot water, then adding nesting materials and fresh food and toys back to the cage.
Part 1 of 3: Getting Ready to Clean the Cage
1Put your gerbils in a safe place while you clean the cage. Gently take your gerbils out of their cage and put them in a safe place where they cannot escape. A running ball or playpen are good options. You may also put them in a bathtub if you make sure to block the drain and the bathtub is dry.
- While your gerbils are out of their cage, make sure no cats or dogs wander into the room where they're staying. Keep them out of harm's way for the hour or so it will take to clean the cage.
- You can buy a special contraption called a critter keeper, designed especially for the purpose of keeping gerbils and other rodents contained when they aren't in their cages. This might be a good investment if you don't have another safe option for your gerbils.
2Spread out some newspaper. This will protect the area where you're cleaning the cage from getting messy with dropped pieces of bedding and unclean cage equipment. Spread out a few sections of newspaper on the floor. If you don't have newspaper handy, an old towel or a plastic tarp will work just fine.
3Remove the food dish, water bottle and toys from the cage. Set them on the newspaper for now. You'll clean these items after the cage has been cleaned and dried. Note that it's important to clean the food dish and water bottle as often as you clean the cage.
4Reserve a handful of the old bedding. Before you start cleaning the cage, take a handful of the old bedding and save it for after you're finished cleaning the cage, when you'll mix it in with the new bedding. The familiar smell of the old bedding will help your gerbils re-adapt to the cage. This is especially important when your gerbils are adults, since scent greatly impacts their behavior.
- Choose bedding that isn't heavily soiled. If it's clumped together or stained, you should throw it away.
- Put the reserved bedding in a plastic container until you're ready to use it.
5Throw away the rest of the soiled bedding. Most people just throw it in the trash, which is a perfectly fine option. You could also save the bedding and either compost it or mix it in with your garden mulch or fertilizer. Toss out the mostly-chewed up toys and nesting materials as well.Ad
Part 2 of 3: Cleaning the Cage and Equipment
1Wash the cage with warm, soapy water. Rinse the cage well until there is no residue left on the cage walls. Use either gentle dish soap, a vinegar and water solution or pet-safe cage cleaner. Never use harsh cleaners on the cage, since the residue they leave behind could cause your gerbils to become ill.
- Either let the cage air dry or dry it off with paper towels.
- If you need to do a deeper cleaning, you can use a bleach solution to clean the cage. Make sure to rinse it at least twice in hot water to rinse away the bleach.
2Clean the rest of the equipment. Empty the food dish and wash it out with warm, soapy water. Rinse it thoroughly and dry it. Empty the water bottle and clean it out with warm, soapy water as well. If the nozzle is clogged, use a cotton swab to clean it out. Fill it with fresh, cool water. Finally, wash the gerbils' wheel and other wire or plastic equipment that normally sits in the cage.
3Line the cage with bedding and nesting materials. Provide three to four inches of fresh bedding such as Carefresh, corncob or aspen. Add nesting materials such as plain, unscented tissues. Cardboard box parts, an old tissue box, and toilet paper or paper towel tubes are also great for nests and chew toys. Finally, add the reserved pieces from the gerbils' old nest, so that the cage will smell familiar.
- If the gerbils have a wheel, replace it in their cage. Make sure it's completely dry, so the bedding doesn't get wet.
- Reinstall the water bottle and sprinkle some food among the fresh bedding so they'll have something to dig around for. It helps gerbils feel at home.
4Place the gerbils back in their cage. Carefully lower them back into the cage and let them spend time exploring their freshly cleaned environment. Make sure to give them some new chew toys, and they'll feel right at home back in their cage.Ad
Part 3 of 3: Knowing Some Helpful Rules of Thumb
1Clean the cage every week or week and a half. Gerbils live, eat and relieve themselves in the same bedding, so it's necessary to change it every week or week and a half. If you change the bedding and clean the cage this often, the bedding will never smell. It might be helpful to mark your calendar so you remember to clean the cage routinely.
- Don't wait until the bedding smells to clean the cage. This is a sign that it has definitely been too long since the last cleaning. If it starts to smell, you should be cleaning more often.
- Plastic cages smell more quickly than glass ones. Invest in a 10 gallon (37.9 L) tank (or larger, if you have more than two gerbils) instead of getting a cheaper plastic one, and you won't have to clean the cage as often.
2Change the bedding if it gets wet or soiled. In between cleanings, check on the bedding to make sure it's still dry and cozy for your gerbils. If the water bottle spills or something else happens that causes the bedding to get wet or soiled, change the bedding. You don't have to clean the entire cage when this happens; you can just switch out the soiled bedding for fresh, dry bedding.
3Be sure to save some of the old nesting materials to put back in the cage. Many people make the mistake of completely sanitizing the cage and everything in it, then lining it with brand new bedding and toys. When you put gerbils back into a sanitized cage, they won't know where they are, since they're guided by scent. If you have more than one gerbil, erasing familiar smells could cause them to start fighting or ignoring each other. That's why it's very important to save some bedding, preferably the gerbils' nest, and put it back in the cage after you clean it.
- You could also save some half-chewed toys and other items that aren't especially soiled. Reintroduce anything that could make the gerbils feel more comfortable.
4Be careful what materials you introduce to the cage. Make sure the bedding and nesting materials you provide for your gerbils are safe for gerbils to use. Using paper that has been treated with chemicals, pine bedding, and other materials that aren't approved for gerbils could be detrimental to their health.
- Avoid using wood chip bedding other than aspen. Pine and cedar wood chips, for example, contain oils that harm gerbils' internal organs.
- You should also ensure that any surfaces composed of wire are covered with a material that will prevent gerbils' feet or tails from becoming entangled with them. For example, if you have a wire running wheel, cover it with masking tape or duct tape.
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- Some good commercial beddings are: Wheat Scoop, Citra-max Critter Comfort, aspen shavings, hemp shavings and Care-Fresh.
- Gerbils love mostly empty paper towel/toilet paper tubes and tissue boxes.
- Soap down the entire cage every two weeks.
- Gerbils enjoy running wheels, but use mesh or solid wheels, as the ones with bars can catch their feet and tails.
- Any soap that is still left on the cage can be hazardous to your gerbils. Be certain that you carefully rinse off any soap when you are finished.
- Do not use any wood shaving-based bedding besides aspen, as the oils can be irritating.
Things You'll Need
- Gerbils, cage, and any toys they have
- Soap/small animal disinfectant
- Towel or paper towels
In other languages:
Русский: почистить клетку песчанок, Italiano: Pulire la Gabbia del tuo Gerbillo, Español: limpiar la jaula de un jerbo, Deutsch: Reinige den Käfig deiner Rennmaus, Português: Limpar uma Gaiola de Gerbil, Français: nettoyer la cage de vos gerbilles, Bahasa Indonesia: Membersihkan Kandang Gerbil
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