Persian Jird
(Meriones persicus)
Interview With Paula
Positives of Persian Jirds as pets?
Persian Jirds are very attractive adventurous animals with no real fear
once they settle into an envionment. They move very gracefully and are
fascinating to watch. Being slightly larger than gerbils they are easier
to handle. They are also easy to feed (see below).
Negatives of Persian Jirds as pets?
The are not 'cuddly' animals and don't really like being handled although
with patience they become very tame and will tolerate it as well as any
of the small rodents. They need a large cage, preferably a tank with a
wire climbing cage on top and so can be quite messy kicking stuff out.
They are also very nocturnal and it sometimes seems like they sleep the
whole time but you can get them tame enought so that they come out to
see you when you come in the room.
Anecdotes/stories about your Persian Jird pet?
Although they initially look like larger gerbils with big eyes and an
enormous tail they actually behave quite differently. Whilst gerbils like
to dig and build tunnels Persian Jirds love to climb and will build their
nests more in the open in the nearest thing that they can find to a rock
crevisse in their cage. They also make a food store which gerbils usually
do not and empty out their food bowl and then hang on the bars and say
"look we've got no food and we're staaarving". They are very agile - my
female loves to do somersaults around the glass bar across the top of
the tank which worrys me half to death sometimes. They are also a lot
more tolerant of company than gerbils - a pair of gerbils will often have
disagreements and fights but I have never seen the Persian Jirds get even
slightly bad tempered with each other. This is quite surprising since
Mrs Jird's preferred method of getting a tit bit is to steal Mr Jirds
and then run off. They often sleep buried in their bed but forget about
their tails so there will be a big shredded paper bed with two tail tufts
sticking up which is cute but not as cute as two fast asleep Jirds on
their backs with their mouths open!
Do they have scent glands or an offensive smell?
No
What is their average lifespan?
Between 5 and 7 years.
Do they tolerate interaction?
They become very friendly but are never very keen on being handled.
What is their general personality, disposition, and
attitude?
They will run away if you make them jump by say coming into the room suddenly
- although they will usually come back out to see what scared them! But
generally they know no real fear and will soon be flying out to see you
when you open the door particularly if they are used to being fed tit
bits. Our two can nip if you put your finger near the cage - this is not
because they are agressive but because they are slightly nervous and want
to grab whatever is on offer and go and eat it in private. Jirds that
have been handled from a young age do not do this. If you have small children
and rodents it is important not to feed them through the bars of the cage
and then they will not mistake fingers for food!!!
Are they sweet and petable, or mischievious and playful?
Definately the latter.
Are they hyper, or more sedate when being handled?
If they are not used to being handled they are very hyper when handled
- ours were over a year old when we got them and hadn't been handled at
all so they will never get really used to it. If a Jird is handled frequently
they will become tame enough to sit in your hands although they will never
stay still for long. I have seen one at a show sit in her owners hands
and pose for pictures despite all of the noise going on in the hall.
How destructive are they in their cage?
Very although slightly less so than gerbils.
Are their any problems associated with their claws?
Not with mine but some individuals may get over long claws from living
a life in a cage with nothing to wear them down. I have a stone bird perch
in their cage which wears their claws down slightly every time they jump
on it. Small animal claws should always be trimmed by a vet.
How messy are their droppings?
Not really - they are quite clean little animals and tend to always use
the same corner in their cage.
Can they be litter box trained?
No
Can they be trained?
Not unless you mean to beg for food!
What size cage do they need?
While they would manage in a four foot tank they are climbing rodents
and are best off if you can build them a cage on top of their tank to
climb in. A chinchilla cage with the mesh floors taken out and replaced
with branches might also do but they would be very messy kicking out the
litter. The cage should be filled with branches and parrot toys and cardboard
rolls and boxes for them to play with. Make sure that the holes in any
toys are big enough so that they don't get stuck - some gerbil toys are
a bit small. They should also have a nesting box - they'll probably use
it as a food store - and plenty of bedding material. They build beautiful
nests especially in the winter! Another hint to make life more interesting
is to rearrange the toys in their cage once a week! They do however get
quite upset when you clean them out. It is sometimes possible to preserve
their nest for a couple of cage cleans as they will never mess in it and
this reduces the stress involved. Just lift it out in one piece and put
it back when you have cleaned the cage. Another thing that they enjoy
is a roll in Chinchilla Dust. Unfortunatley they don't really like to
do this with someone watching so the best bet is to put a dish of dust
in their cage and leave them alone with it for an hour or so - they will
mess in it so it will need changing regularly but it keeps their coats
nice and shiney.
What is the best diet for them?
They need hamster food and a daily small piece offresh fruit or vedgetable.
They also need additional protein as they are omnivores. Small (about
pea sizes) pieces of cooked bacon or chicken or cheese every few days
- our two beg when we cook bacon sandwiches which is disconcerting! A
few cat biscuits can also be added to their diet. Apparently they absolutely
love Waxworms or Mealworms which you can get from bait shops. The oils
in a piece of millet given regularly will help to keep their coats shiny
as well.
They also need plenty of fresh water and their water
bottle should be kept spotlessly clean. Wash it in hot soapy water and
rinse really well once a week and replace it every couple of months.
Persian Jirds are hoarders like gerbils. They will stuff
as much food as they can manage into their mouths (very comical to watch)
and then run and put it in thier food store rapidly emptying their bowl.
If you fill up their bowl every time they empty it before long they will
be unable to get in their nest box because it is full of food. On a more
serious note this can result in malnutrirition as they will live on only
the bits from the food that they like best and leave the rest and so should
be avoided. To encourage natural scavanging behaviour I give ours a set
amount of food a day and distribute it all around their cage, hiding it
in tubes and under bits of cardboard and the like.They then spend the
next hour finding it all and depositing it in their nest box (they sleep
upstairs and just use the box for storing food). They also have one day
a week when they are not fed to encourage natural behaviour in using stored
food - when you clean them out make sure that you give them time to re-establish
a store before starting to do this. One other interesting thing about
Jirds is that they grab food with their feet -it can be quite surprising
to have a little paw shoot through the bars and grab a titbit when you
are used to small animals taking things with their teeth!
What vaccinations/vet care do they require?
None
At what age would it be best to get one?
About 8 weeks if you can find a breeder.
Are they difficult to breed?
We have had no luck as yet. Unlike gerbils Persian Jirds will not breed
if the population density gets too high. In captivity this equates to
having a large enough cage. The breeding season is from February to September
when the female comes into season at regular intervals. When she is in
season they indulge in lots of behaviour unsuitable for the presence of
a maiden aunt. The female will make sure that the male is good enough
stock to father her children by making him chase her around for some time
before consenting - however if he doesn't pay her enough attention she
will walk over and bat him on the nose.
What kind of person should own these animals?
They are great pets for someone that likes to sit and observe animal behaviour
as they are endlessly fascinating to watch and very beautiful. They are
friendly, active little creatures that we have become very fond of and
would certainly continue to own. They are not really small childrens pets
as they can nip, aren't easy to handle and are very nocturnal. I would
recommend rats as great pets for small children.
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