Sheffield pets: ‘Unwanted’ gerbils named Cheese and Pickle need new home

A pair of gerbils that were given as an unwanted birthday present to a child are looking for a new home.

The 10-month-old pair have been in foster care with Blue Cross in Sheffield since February and are desperate to find a permanent home of their own.

Sophie Andrews, adoptions coordinator at Blue Cross in Sheffield said: “These girls are more entertaining than the TV. They love to play hide and seek in their bedding, digging so deep you’d think they were searching for gold.”

Cheese is brown and Pickle is white. When not digging away, they run around their tunnels and climb around their cage to take in different views. They also love foraging for food and gnawing on cardboard before cuddling up for a snooze.

In the wild, gerbils live in underground tunnels up to three metres long. The best housing for them is to mimic this environment as best as possible. They will need a gerbilarium or tank with cage additions or a large tank or old aquarium with a secure wire lid to allow oxygen.

To find out more about rehoming Cheese and Pickle, or about becoming a volunteer foster carer for Blue Cross in Sheffield, visit www.bluecross.org.uk, call the centre on 0300 777 1851, or email [email protected].