Taming gerbils: How to handle them safely and pick the right bedding?

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.

I recommend separating the male and female now before the female gives birth to avoid potential cannibalism of the pups by the male. Other than the female having an obviously distended belly, females have a shorter anogenital distance than males and lack a scrotum. For the pregnant female, I would not try to house her with other females until after the pups are weaned at 3 weeks of age (also to prevent cannibalism). When ready, the split cage method is recommended for introducing males or females that are not from the same litter. It involves keeping the 2 males (or 2 females) separated by a divider (plexiglass with holes drilled placed corner to corner dividing the enclosure into 2 triangles works well) and switching the gerbils 4-5 times a day for at least a week to get them accustomed to each other' ascents. After a week remove the divider only when you are able to carefully monitor them for fighting for 5-6 hours or longer. Generally they cannot be safely left alone together until you see them grooming each other and sleeping next to each other. Even then, if you notice any bite marks/wounds on either gerbil, separate immediately and do not attempt to rehouse together. Best of luck!

In most instances a cage is recommended over an aquarium for small mammals because there can be inadequate ventilation with glass aquariums and ammonia from the urine can build up within the cage and cause respiratory problems. A wire cage with small bar spacing is often recommended with a thick layer of paper bedding (such as Carefresh bedding) and plenty of areas to climb and hide.

Wow I can't believe she is allergic to plain care fresh paper bedding. You can always try plain AstroTurf or reptile carpet which is really easy to clean but may not be as comfortable. I honestly think your shredded t-shirts are a great idea as long as she isn't trying to eat any of it.

It would depend on the species of vine being offered. Certain woods, such as Apple, Ash, Sycamore and Willow, are safe for gerbils to chew on. Gerbils like to burrow, so the layer of bedding should be 5-6 inches deep.

Generally you need to know gerbils tend to fight and are better kept separated, it's just too common to end up with a severely injured gerbil when kept together. if you do decide to introduce them after all, put them in 2 different cages next to each other first for 2 weeks, then try to put them together under your supervision only.

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.