Not necessarily. It is a popular belief that gerbils are great starter pets and that may be true, but gerbils may not be great starter pets for small children. Why? Gerbils are small and need to be handled with care. Small children may not have learned this concept yet and will need a constant parent or adult supervision. Most children may not need to hold a gerbil at all. In addition, gerbils need to be fed at consistent times each day and their cages, food bowls, water bottles, etc. need to be cleaned weekly with smaller cleanings daily. Small children may be able to assist in this, but they shouldn’t be in charge of the gerbil completely. Instead, consider taking on the pet but letting your children assist in the care. As your child grows older then he/she can take over ownership of the pet. Talk to your vets clinic Downingtown, PA about pets for small children.
