I’ve kept gerbils for years, with just half an inch of sawdust in their cages. A friend puts eight-inch deep bedding in his gerbil tank, with just a bit of air space at the top. Isn’t there a risk ...

Small, soft, gentle and friendly, a gerbil makes a good pet for a family. Gerbils require little space and food, most household gerbils sleep at night and they can be held if the handler is careful.