A gerbil can prove to be one of the best pets to have. While they are cute and adorable enough to cuddle all the time, it’s important to take care of their hygiene. Gerbils basically require a space adequate enough for exercise, eating and sleeping. For this, a gerbil cage needs to be cleaned regularly so as to allow your gerbil to stay healthy and stink free. A gerbil by nature is a very neat rodent. They don’t smell as bad as guinea pigs and they don’t litter large pellets like rats and mice. However, this does not exempt the owner of a gerbil from cleaning its cage.

The following are a few steps that an owner can follow to clean a gerbil cage:

1. Gently remove the gerbil from its cage and place it in a secure area where he is in no danger of getting hurt. A bucket or a container is recommended so as not to allow the gerbil to jump out and hurt himself. To keep your gerbil occupied, put him on a running ball. To help the gerbil adapt to his temporary location, take something from his cage like his bedding with it.

2. Remove all the litter from the cage. Dump out all the old bedding. Since gerbils tend to litter in particular spots, generally the corner of the cage. It will be easy to remove. Use a dustpan to do this.

3. Rinse and clean the cage with mild soap and warm water. Use a soft cloth to do this. Clean until the foul odor is gone and the soap has been removed. To dry the cage, use a paper towel. Make sure that the cage completely dries off.

4. Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper. On top of the newspaper use aspen, care fresh or corncob bedding to absorb the droppings. To add comfort to the setting, place shredded newspaper or toilet paper.

5. Refill the food tray and water tank.

A clean healthy gerbil is a happy gerbil and an even better bet. It is important to do your part in making sure it stays this way. An ideal situation would be to clean the cage at least once a week. A perfect situation would be to do this twice a week. The clean cage will allow the gerbil to feel good and also stay loyal to you as a pet. Even more, by keeping his cage clean, you will ultimately keep him healthier. His cleanliness will also allow you to keep him near you more often.