Publisher: John Wiley & Sons/Howell Book House
Year: 2000
ISBN: 1-58245-156-7 Description: Hardcover: 121 pages. The text is enhanced with many color photographs.
Author: Betsy Sikora Siino
Review
"The Gerbil" (part of the "Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet" series) is authored by Betsy Sikora Siino, author of several other pet care books. Like others in this series, it is enhanced by many good color photographs. This series of books tend to have a lot of extra information (about species, natural history, characteristics) not necessarily directly related to care and husbandry of the animals covered. However, while some of the introductory material becomes a bit redundant, it does help enhance the understanding of the needs of gerbils in captivity.
Organization
"The Gerbil" is divided into 4 sections: "About Gerbils (information and natural history), "Caring for Your Gerbils" (housing, feeding, medical concerns), "Enjoying Your Gerbils" (understanding behavior, playtime), and "Beyond the Basics" (more resources, a very limited section in this book).
Information
"The Gerbil" combines general information a good section on preparing for gerbils and caring for pet gerbils. The information is presented in a logical progression and with helpful tips along the way. The introductory information gives a good idea of the characteristics of gerbils and what sort of commitment is required to care for a pet gerbil, especially for those just in the stages of considering a gerbil for a pet. The advice on picking out a gerbil was quite helpful. The care inforamtion is not overly detailed but covers the basics. The feeding section discusses what to feed, how often to feed and the importance of avoiding overfeeding. The health chapter does a good job of providing very basic information about major medical concerns. Good, practical advice on signs that might signal a medical problem needing veterinary attention was the highlight of this chapter.
The section about having fun with gerbils was interesting and also contained some practical advice. One chapter in this section covers gerbil behavior, including common gerbil behaviors and what they mean, how to tell playing from serious fighting, protecting gerbils from stress due to other household pets, and introducing gerbils (including reasons why you might consider doing this, given the risk of fighting). The other chapter in this section talks about bringing gerbils out of the cage for play and socialization, including gerbil-proofing and finding lost gerbils. It also includes a brief mention of why not to breed gerbils for fun.
Most of my complaints about the book are relatively minor. The biggest is that the book is written in a very conversational style and is a bit redundant in places, and much of the material could have been covered in a more concise fashion. I would prefer that photos of solid surface running wheels were included, as well. The resources section is quite minimal, and most of the web addresses are out of date.
Summary
I would consider this quite a good book about the care of gerbils. Like other of its kind, "The Gerbil" is primarily aimed at beginners, particularly where the care information is concerned. A good portion of the introduction is aimed solely at helping decide if a gerbil is right for you. The care section starts with a couple of quite lengthy chapters on preparing for a gerbil, where to find a gerbil, and settling new gerbils into your home. The author's understanding and fondness for gerbils is pretty clear, and I like that the book consistently talks about keeping a pair (same sex) of gerbils to satisfy their social needs. Overall, this is a good book for the beginner or someone just considering a gerbil as a pet.
