What Food Can Gerbils Eat?

In their natural habitat of arid grasslands and deserts, wild gerbils forage for a variety of foods, including seeds of various grasses, leaves and herbs. They’ll also happily chow down on locusts, worms and beetles.

If you’re wondering what can gerbils eat when kept as pets, these small omnivores need a good quality, balanced diet that includes specially designed gerbil food.

A gerbil diet should contain protein and fibre to help their digestive system function correctly, as well as all the essential nutrients and minerals they need for bone, teeth and heart health, and to support a healthy coat. Gerbils also enjoy small portions of gerbil-safe fruit and vegetables.

A healthy gerbil diet should comprise of:

• Nutrition-packed nuggets – especially designed for gerbils that replicates their natural diet – steer away from ‘muesli-type’ mixtures as gerbils may pick out the bits that are high in sugar, which can cause painful problems with their teeth, and lead to an imbalanced diet.
• Sometasty, high-quality feeding hay is great for gnawing, along with some untreated softwood such as hawthorn, hazelnut, pear, poplar or apple wood to chew. This will help keep their teeth healthy and stop them getting overgrown.
• An occasional treat of gerbil-safe fresh food, such as a small piece of fruit or vegetable, but be aware that too much green food can cause diarrhoea. Before you give your gerbil pals any fresh food, make sure you know what’s safe for them and what’s not.

Gerbils also need a constant supply of fresh drinking water. Choose a bottle with a valveless sipper tube to make it easier for them to have a refreshing drink. Ensure the spout is placed at the appropriate height.

Wondering whether gerbils can eat blueberries? Yes, they can! Wild gerbils will naturally eat any fruit they come across (although this can be quite rare in a desert!), so small amounts of fresh fruit will be enjoyed as a treat. However, fruit is high in sugar, so too much can cause obesity.

Along with berries, such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, animal charity PDSA advises that the following fruits are suitable for gerbils – but only give them a tiny portion:

• Apple
• Pear
• Peach
• Melon

Can gerbils eat oranges?

No. NEVER feed citrus fruits, rhubarb or grapes to your gerbils as these are toxic to rodents.

When planning a gerbil diet, some fresh veg (think small slices or cubes) will provide some welcome variety. Gerbils like to sit up and hold pieces of food in their paws to munch on.

PDSA advises that the following vegetables and herbs are suitable for gerbils.

• Carrot,
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chicory
• Spinach
• Sweet peppers
• Cucumber
• Cress
• Courgette
• Fennel
• Pumpkin
• Basil
• Sage
• Parsley
• Coriander