Hammocks and hanging bridges for gerbils: an extra level in the enclosure

Gerbils mainly live in and on the ground. They dig tunnels, build a nest underground and run along fixed routes. Even so, they also like to climb up a little, to look around or to reach another spot in the enclosure. A hanging bridge, platform or low-hung hammock can then be a fun addition. It does remain an extra, though: for gerbils, the digging layer is and remains the most important part of the enclosure.

In this category you will find hanging bridges and platforms made of bark wood, coconut houses with a hanging bridge, a ladder, shelters with a hammock, and hammocks, ropes and nets. Not everything is equally suitable for gerbils; below you can read what works well. Every bridge or hammock needs a soft, deep layer of bedding underneath. For our own animals we use Zooply for this, our own premium brand for bedding and hay, among other things.

At a glance

• ✓ Hang everything low, so a gerbil that falls lands on a soft layer of bedding.
• ✓ Preferably choose natural materials such as bark wood, wood or coconut.
• ✓ Gerbils love tearing fabric and rope apart: check soft hammocks and ropes often for loose threads.
• ✓ Attach bridges and platforms firmly, so they do not tilt or come loose.
• ✓ Never let bridges and hammocks take away digging space.

What will you find in the Hammocks & Hanging Bridges category for gerbils?

Hanging bridges made of bark wood and wood

The Trixie hanging bridge with chain (27 × 17 × 7 cm) is a short bark wood bridge that you hang between two points. The flexible hanging bridge of 61 × 8 cm is longer and can also be used as a walkway between a platform and the floor. The wooden hanging bridge with rope ladder (35 × 15 × 15 cm) combines a bridge with a short section of rope ladder. For gerbils, bridges work best when they hang low and at a gentle slope, as a route to a platform or a house.

Platforms and ladder

The hanging bark wood platforms come in 17 × 17 cm, 28 × 28 cm and 33 × 33 cm. A platform adds an extra level where your gerbils can sit and look around. A sturdy platform is also a handy place for the food bowl or the sand bath, so they do not sink into the bedding. The bark wood ladder (55 × 7 cm) makes a platform accessible. Hang a ladder at an angle and not too steeply.

Coconut houses with hanging bridge

According to the product information, the two coconut houses with a hanging bridge between them (ø 13 × 100 cm) are made for hamsters, mice and gerbils. You hang them in the enclosure or place the coconuts on a platform. Coconut is sturdy and lasts a long time, even with enthusiastic gnawers. Hang the whole thing low; gerbils are better diggers than climbers.

Shelters with hammock

The Trixie Sunny shelter with hammock is a wooden shelter with a fabric hammock underneath. The smallest model (28 × 24 × 28 cm) is for guinea pigs and other rodents, the larger model (37 × 29 × 27 cm) for rabbits and rodents. In a gerbil enclosure, the shelter mainly works as a hiding place. Gerbils often gnaw the fabric hammock; remove it as soon as threads come loose.

Hammocks, ropes and nets

This category also includes fabric hammocks, such as the Sunny hammock (ø 12 × 17 cm) and the hammocks for rats, and soft hanging houses from Flamingo that are made for hamsters. There are also knotted ropes, a rope bridge, a net and a cargo net that, according to the product information, are intended for rats and ferrets. For gerbils, we do not recommend rope and fabric as permanent furnishings: gerbils chew them to pieces and work them into their nest, and loose fibres can wrap around little legs. If you still want to try a fabric hammock, choose a small one, hang it low and check it daily.

Why hammocks and bridges are an extra for gerbils

Gerbils come from dry steppe regions, where they live underground. Their most important needs are digging, hiding, gnawing and a sand bath for their coat. They do climb, but it is not a main activity as it is for rats or mice. So an enclosure full of hammocks and ropes means little to a gerbil. An enclosure with a deep digging layer, a few hiding places, a sand bath and, above that, one or two low platforms with a bridge strikes a good balance.

Notice that your gerbils hardly use the bridge or the platform? That is not a problem. Remove it and use the space for more digging depth or an extra hiding place.

Hanging things safely

Hang low

A gerbil that falls from a great height can hurt itself. So hang platforms and bridges low, and always make sure there is a deep layer of bedding underneath. With a digging layer of at least about 20 cm, a platform a short distance above the floor is already a real extra level.

Attach firmly

A bridge that swings or a platform that tilts makes gerbils feel insecure. Attach everything firmly to the bars or mesh. Tighten screws and fixings well and check them at every clean. Gerbils push and dig against everything, and that can loosen fixings.

Allow for gnawing

Bark wood, wood and coconut may be gnawed. Over time, a bridge or platform like this wears out and you replace it. Fabric and rope are a different story: loose threads and frayed bits appear. Remove such products as soon as you see damage. Also give your gerbils plenty of chew wood, cardboard and hay, so their gnawing has a safe outlet.

Hanging in a glass tank or a barred cage

How you attach a bridge or platform depends on the enclosure. In a cage with bars or mesh, you hang platforms and bridges on the bars with the fixings supplied. Choose a spot above the base, so the digging layer continues underneath. In a glass tank or an enclosure with solid walls, you cannot hang anything from the sides. There, a platform on legs or a sturdy platform on a stack of cork or a piece of wood works better. You can then lay a hanging bridge between two platforms instead of hanging it. In all cases, make sure nothing can shift when your gerbils dig underneath, and after a big digging session, check that everything is still standing straight.

Clever combinations in the enclosure

A platform with a bridge works best when it leads somewhere. For example, hang a platform above the digging zone, with the sand bath or food bowl on it, and a bridge or ladder leading down. That creates a route your gerbils use every day. Never put a platform close to the top edge of a tank without a lid: it then becomes a springboard to the outside.

Useful combinations

• Bedding: a deep, soft layer under every bridge and platform, with Zooply as our own brand.
• Houses: a hiding place on or under a platform.
• Sand & Sand baths: a sand bath on a sturdy platform does not sink.
• Chew wood: so the gnawing does not all end up on the bridge.

Frequently asked questions about hammocks and hanging bridges for gerbils

Do gerbils use a hammock?

Some gerbils lie in one now and then, but many gerbils hardly use a hammock or turn it into nesting material. That is normal behaviour for animals that prefer to sleep underground. So for gerbils a hammock is an experiment, not a basic item. A bark wood platform is usually used more.

How high can I hang a hanging bridge?

As low as is practical, and always above a deep layer of bedding. Gerbils are not practised climbers like rats. Hang a bridge at a gentle slope, so your gerbils can walk across it securely instead of having to scramble.

Are ropes and nets suitable for gerbils?

According to the product information, the ropes, the rope bridge and the nets in this category are made for rats and ferrets. For gerbils, we do not recommend them as permanent furnishings. Gerbils chew rope to pieces and loose fibres can wrap around legs and toes. For gerbils, it is better to choose bridges and platforms made of bark wood or wood.

My gerbils are gnawing the hammock. What should I do?

Remove the hammock as soon as you see loose threads or holes. Gerbils love working fabric into their nest, and loose threads can be dangerous. Instead, give them safe nesting material made of natural fibres, such as paper or hay, and plenty of chewing material.

How do I clean bridges and platforms?

Brush bark wood and wood off while dry and wipe away sand and bedding. If necessary, rinse them with warm water without added scents and let them dry completely before they go back into the enclosure. Replace a platform that keeps smelling musty or is badly damaged.

Is a platform useful even if I do not want to hang a bridge?

Yes. In a gerbil enclosure, a sturdy platform is often the most useful product in this category. It provides a dry, flat spot for the food bowl, the sand bath or the wheel, and underneath it a sheltered corner forms that gerbils love to dig their tunnels towards.

Hammocks and hanging bridges at Knaagplaza

At Knaagplaza, the webshop of 't Knaagplein, you will find hanging bridges, platforms and climbing material to make your gerbils' enclosure more playful. Take care of the basics first: a deep layer of Zooply bedding and Zooply hay, our own premium brand that we use every day for our own animals. Then bridges and platforms are a fun extra level on top.