What wood is safe for gerbils to chew, and how deep should their bedding be?

I would not give Jelutong wood to a gerbil as it has gum that may be detrimental to your gerbil. Meranti has been reported to cause eye, throat, and skin irritation, so I am not sure if this would be a good idea for giving to a gerbil to chew. You may try giving him bamboo or coconut shell for a chew toy.

Gerbils come from a desert environment, but sand as a substrate is not practical and difficult to keep clean. Instead, you can use aspen shavings, hay or recycled paper bedding. Make it deep enough so they can tunnel through it and make little nests.

As long as the toys are "hamster safe", there is no cause for concern. Hamsters are burrowers. They like to dig through and under bedding. You can use aspen shavings or recycled paper bedding. Do not use pine or cedar shavings.

Thanks for reaching out. Some animal tame better than others. The key is gaining their trust, often with the use of treats. Once they're used to your hand in the cage with slow and deliberate movements, leave the hand flat and allow them to crawl over it. Next your can attempt to lift them from below. Grabbing them from above often results in fear biting. Not sure if your asking about breeding or bedding. The bedding should be spot cleaned daily, as gerbils will often choose a corner to use as a toilet. The flooring should be a solid bottom to prevent leg damage. It can be covered with a softer material such as recycled paper products, which are absorptive and non-toxic. Many of the wood products are aromatic and damage lungs if inhaled over long periods of time. Good luck.

Those things should be safe to chew on as long as they are clean. Egg carton should not be treated with any stains or chemicals. T-shirts need to be clean, a concern would be if they chew and ingest. Popsicle sticks should be fine. Newspapers generally use non-toxic inks but can possibly stain fur if gets wet and on the fur. Good luck.

Paper bedding such as Carefresh bedding or this type is currently recommended. There would be no greater issue with them ingesting the paper bedding versus the wood shavings bedding, as the paper bedding would actually be more easily digested (as paper is actually a product made from broken down wood!). The paper is more expensive but has less risk of causing wounds (occasionally the wood shavings can have sharp pieces and cause injury to the skin or eyes or mouth) and less risk of dust or other irritants to the respiratory tract.

Thanks for reaching out about your gerbil. There are definitely some leaves that could be toxic, but not many household vegetables are toxic. You should avoid any plants from the onion family (onions, leeks, etc.). If using outdoor plants, leaves from apple or fruit with pits (apricot, peach) can contain some cyanide and be toxic. If you can't identify a plant, research it before feeding. Good luck.