And their cage stays cleaner because they are a desert animal that doesn't drink or urinate much. Gerbils are relatively inexpensive to purchase and feed and require only minimal space and care. They also make good solitary pets. However, they enjoy interaction, and the more a gerbil is handled, the tamer it will be. Gerbils that are not accustomed to being handled may bite.
Most gerbils live three to four years and have few health problems.
Like other mammals, gerbils can develop cancers in their later years. Twenty to forty percent of gerbils have a genetic predisposition to epileptic seizures. The seizures are initiated by loud noises or stress and may first strike when the gerbil is about two months of age. There is no treatment, and the gerbils usually recover on their own. Since this runs in families, it is best not to breed your gerbil if it has seizures.