Gerbils chew constantly, which means nearly everything you put in their enclosure will end up in their mouths. The most dangerous toys for gerbils are those made of soft plastic, built with wire components, treated with chemical finishes, or constructed from cedar and pine wood. Understanding why these materials pose risks helps you avoid the most common causes of intestinal blockages, broken bones, and organ damage in pet gerbils.
Plastic Toys
Plastic is the single biggest category of unsafe gerbil toys. Gerbils gnaw relentlessly, and they will reduce a plastic tunnel, house, or wheel to fragments within days. The problem isn’t just the chewing itself. Gerbils swallow the pieces they break off, and those sharp plastic shards can puncture or block the digestive tract. An intestinal blockage in an animal this small is often fatal before symptoms become obvious.
This applies to virtually all plastic items: exercise balls, tube systems, clip-on platforms, and plastic wheels. Even “chew-proof” hard plastics aren’t truly safe, because gerbils are more persistent chewers than hamsters or mice, and they will eventually break through. If you see tooth marks on any plastic item in the enclosure, remove it immediately.
Wire Wheels and Mesh Surfaces
Wire exercise wheels and wheels with rungs or crossbars are a well-documented injury risk. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, broken bones occur when a gerbil’s leg or foot becomes stuck or trapped in a wire exercise wheel or mesh flooring. A gerbil’s tail is particularly vulnerable. It has a thin skin covering that tears easily, and getting caught between wire rungs can deglove the tail, meaning the skin strips away from the bone.
Solid-surface wheels are the safe alternative. Look for wheels with a continuous running surface and no gaps. The wheel should also be large enough that your gerbil’s back doesn’t arch while running, typically 8 inches in diameter or larger.
Cedar and Pine Wood Toys
Cedar and pine are softwoods that contain naturally occurring phenols, which are caustic, acidic compounds. These same chemicals are the active ingredients in household disinfectants like Pine-Sol and Lysol. When a gerbil lives surrounded by cedar or pine shavings, or chews on toys made from these woods, phenol exposure is constant.
The damage works on two fronts. Phenols irritate the nasal passages, throat, and lungs directly, creating chronic inflammation that gives bacteria an easy entry point for respiratory infections and pneumonia. At the same time, the liver and kidneys work overtime trying to filter these toxins from the blood. Over weeks and months, the organs can’t keep up. The liver produces excess enzymes in an attempt to process the chemical load, and prolonged exposure leads to cell disintegration and organ failure. Research on rodents has shown this cellular breakdown happens both from high short-term doses and low long-term doses.
Safe wood alternatives include kiln-dried pine (the kiln process removes most phenols), apple wood, willow, birch, and aspen. Any wood you offer should be untreated, with no varnish, stain, or paint.
Fluffy Bedding and Cotton Nesting Material
Cotton wool nesting material and “fluffy” synthetic bedding are marketed for small rodents but pose real dangers to gerbils. These fibers don’t break down in the digestive system. When swallowed, they can clump together and cause intestinal blockages. The fibers also wrap around tiny limbs and toes, cutting off circulation. Woodgreen Pets Charity specifically warns against cotton wool bedding for gerbils.
Plain, unscented toilet paper or paper towels torn into strips make excellent nesting material. Gerbils shred it enthusiastically, it’s digestible if swallowed in small amounts, and it won’t tangle around limbs.
Painted, Varnished, or Glittered Items
Any toy coated in varnish, stain, glitter, or commercial dye is unsafe. Gerbils don’t just chew the surface; they grind through it, swallowing whatever coating is on top. Industrial paints and wood stains contain compounds that are toxic when ingested, and glitter is essentially tiny plastic or metal fragments.
If you want to add color to homemade toys, vegetable-based dyes are the safe route. Blending a safe fruit or vegetable (like beetroot or blueberries) with water and straining out the pulp gives you a pet-safe colorant. For gluing wooden pieces together, a basic flour-and-water paste works well. Non-toxic white glue or wood glue from brands like Elmer’s is also considered safe, and hot glue is acceptable in minimal amounts as long as the glue stick is labeled non-toxic.
Printed and Glossy Cardboard
Plain, unprinted cardboard is one of the best chew toys you can give a gerbil. Toilet paper rolls, plain brown boxes, and egg cartons provide hours of shredding satisfaction. The problem starts with glossy printed cardboard, like cereal boxes or shipping packaging covered in colored ink. Many commercial printing inks contain chemicals that aren’t meant to be ingested, and glossy coatings often involve plastic laminates.
Newspapers printed with non-toxic soy-based ink are generally safe for paper mache projects or shredding material. When in doubt, stick with plain brown cardboard or unbleached paper products. If the surface is shiny or brightly colored, skip it.
Toys With Small Detachable Parts
Toys designed for birds or larger rodents sometimes have small bells, beads, clips, or chains attached. These components can break off or be chewed free, creating choking hazards or intestinal obstructions. Any part small enough for a gerbil to fit in its mouth is a risk, and gerbils are surprisingly effective at disassembling things that seem secure.
Before placing any toy in the enclosure, try to pull apart every component. If a piece wiggles, detaches, or could be chewed free, remove it. Simple, single-piece toys made from safe materials are always the better choice. A block of untreated applewood or a stack of cardboard tubes will keep a gerbil just as busy as an elaborate toy, without the risk.