Updated 24 September 2026: clarified when to contact a vet and removed waiting-period advice that could delay care. Practical checks or notes must not delay help for an unwell animal. See the supporting welfare guidance. From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has kept, bred, and sold gerbils at Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — … Read more
Updated 24 September 2026: corrected the appetite warning advice. Contact your vet immediately about reduced eating or droppings; do not wait for a fixed number of hours. See the supporting veterinary or welfare guidance. From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has run Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988. Sarah leads our small animal section and … Read more
From the counter at Paradise Pets Neil has kept, bred, and sold gerbils at Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988 — over 35 years of first-hand experience with these animals. In that time, he has watched the same misunderstanding cost gerbils their wellbeing again and again. This article is his attempt to fix that. It happens … Read more
It’s one of the most common conversations I have at the counter. A parent comes in, one or two children in tow, and says: “We want a small pet. Something easy. What do you think — hamster or gerbil?” And then they wait for me to say “hamster” or “gerbil.” But the honest answer is … Read more