Gerbils are social, burrowing rodents whose welfare is frequently compromised by inadequate housing, solitary keeping and failure to meet their strong digging and foraging behavioral needs.
Gerbils are marketed as easy, low-maintenance pets but their welfare needs are substantially more complex than typical small enclosures provide. As burrowing animals, they have a strong drive to dig tunnels — shallow bedding in most commercial cages frustrates this behavior entirely. Social isolation causes chronic stress in animals that naturally live in extended family groups. Barren enclosures lacking foraging opportunities, nesting material and digging depth result in stereotypic bar-gnawing and repetitive movement. Despite their small size, gerbils are cognitively active animals that benefit from enriched environments, appropriate social housing and deep substrate. Their welfare requires both better owner education and stronger retail and import standards.