How to Make a Gerbil Maze

Create a play space for your gerbil by constructing a gerbil maze, which can provide the rodent with hours of entertainment. Place two gerbils in the maze at one time so they may enjoy chasing each other through tubes and other maze areas. Add food dishes or toys to the maze to make it more fun. If constructing the maze out of cardboard or other paper material, replace the maze every few weeks or months to avoid placing your gerbil in a maze that has become soiled with waste.

  1. Maze Materials

    • Though you can purchase gerbil and hamster mazes made from plastic, most handmade gerbil mazes are constructed out of cardboard or wood. How large or small you choose to make your maze depends on access to proper materials. Thick, sturdy cardboard is probably your best bet for a DIY maze, which includes a thick cardboard base. The maze should be tall enough to prevent the gerbil from easily leaving the maze and running loose in your home. Use a box cutter to create maze pieces out of the cardboard, and a strong, preferably non-toxic adhesive to glue the maze together. Whether you choose to decorate the maze with non-toxic paint is up to you. It is also a good idea to sketch your maze design on scrap paper before you begin maze construction.

    Cardboard Maze

    • Create a gerbil maze from cardboard. Use a thick cardboard base and build your maze up from there. If applicable, use a large box top as your box base. Cut cardboard pieces with a box cutter to create an intersecting maze with one or more "rooms." The design is up to you, but the gerbil should be able to navigate the maze without getting stuck in any one spot.

    Tube Maze

    • Use cardboard or PVC tubes to create a gerbil maze. Collect tubes from paper towel and toilet paper rolls, though you can also create tubes of varying sizes with construction paper. Note that construction paper rolls typically will not last as long as rolls made from sturdier materials. Use a box cutter to make cuts all the way around a medium to large-size box so the box is about 4 or 5 inches high. Cut the tubes into various sizes or glue them together to make longer tubes. Create a tube design as desired and use non-toxic glue to adhere the tubes to the box base.

    Wooden Maze

    • Create a gerbil maze by reusing pieces of scrap wood. Use a saw to cut the pieces to desired length and size, and use wood glue to attach the pieces to a solid wood base. All wood pieces should be thoroughly sanded to avoid rough edges that can harm your gerbil. Glue the pieces directly together or make cuts in the wood to fit pieces together as desired.