Should I Get A Male Or Female Gerbil? | Should I Get A Gerbil?

Gerbils should always be kept in same-sex pairs, as they need company. Males and females won't fight, usually, but you will soon be overrun with baby gerbils!

As long as the gerbils have been handled from an early age, they are likely to be friendly with you. Disagreements between the pair will usually be rare, and brief. The females tend to be more territorial than the males, but in a good-sized enclosure that should not be an issue.

Pairs of males may get on better than pairs of females - but most owners find that two she-gerbils get on just fine, too

Some owners say males are more docile and friendly towards each other than females. Others say they have had no problem with female gerbil pairs. However, it’s generally a good idea to choose males if you want to keep more than two gerbils together, as they seem slightly happier in larger groups than females.

There is very little size difference between male and female gerbils. Unlike some other rodents, male gerbils’ genitals aren’t very obtrusive, so males and females look very alike.

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Amanda, 23 December 2021

Agreed, Natalie. Everything I read said get a pair of Gerbils as a singleton can get lonely and depressed. I bought two females for my daughter for Christmas and have the 2 story Omlet cage. After 1 and a half days, our smaller gerbil killed the other. Super bloody and disturbing. I'm so thankful my daughter was at her dad's when it happened, so she never knew we had two.

Jayda, 13 April 2020

Hey Natalie. I'm sorry about your gerbil problem, but I have found that not very many others have experienced your problem. In fact, gerbils thrive in same-sex pairs, and they can often grow depressed when kept alone. Here are possible things that made your gerbil act out: 1. Too small of a cage. If you have too small of a cage, gerbils may become territorial and fight. 2. Too big of a cage. Though bigger is often better, if you have too big of a cage, gerbils may lose the connection with other gerbils. 3. Stress. Are loud sounds or scary animals existing around your cage? Do you have enough food? Bedding? Toys? 4. When they were introduced. Were they litter-mates? Or were they introduced at an older age?

Natalie, 19 March 2020

I do not recommend getting more than one gerbil if they are the same gender because they get territorial and they will seek thre other as an enemy even if they are from the same litter. Mine bit the others neck because of this.