How to Care for a Shaw's Jird

Co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Last Updated: May 7, 2020 References

Shaw’s Jirds are great little family pets – full of energy and affection. Plus they require very little cleaning up after! They are a bit larger than their gerbil relatives, but live just as long (typically 5-7 years). They need a large tank to run and climb around in with lots of toys and tubes. Help your jird stay healthy, active, and interested in its food by giving it a variety at mealtime. Include pellet food, seeds, fresh fruits and veggies, and even a tiny bit of meat every now and then!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Creating a Comfortable Home for Your Jird

1
Choose a location to keep the jird in your home. Males are sociable and like to live in pairs, females are territorial and should live alone. Once you’ve decided to get a pet Shaw’s jird, you’ll need to think about where to keep the animal when you bring it home. You should choose a room where people are often present, so your pet won’t be isolated or get lonely, but also a place where other animals in your home won’t have easy access to it.
- Shaw’s jirds thrive in arid, room-temperature settings. This would be about 70 °F (21 °C). If you keep them in a location that is too hot, too cold, or too humid, they are likely to develop a cold or respiratory infection.
- Place the jird’s tank on top of a table or other flat surface that is up off the ground. This will help protect the cage from getting knocked over on accident.
2
Purchase a glass tank or large gerbilarium. Jirds are very active animals, so they need quite a large enclosure if they are kept as pets. You’ll need to get a glass tank that is at least 4 ft (1.2 m) by 2 ft (0.61 m) to contain a pair of jirds.^{[1]
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- Remember to always keep a lid on the cage to prevent escape. Jirds are excellent climbers and jumpers, so you don’t want your pet to be able to get out. A wire or mesh lid should be sufficient.
- Female jirds should be caged alone, unless they are introduced to their cagemates at a very young age.
- Be careful about where you keep your glass tank. Direct sunlight could quickly cause a jird to overheat. Instead, look for areas that will always have partial shade.
3
Fill the tank with bedding. Since jirds love to dig and burrow, they need a solid layer of bedding across the entire floor of their tank. The bedding should be at least 2 in (5.1 cm) deep all the way across to allow for burrowing. The bedding will also absorb the jirds’ urine and feces.
- Avoid pine and cedar wood shavings for bedding, as they can be irritating to jirds. Choose aspen, corn cob, or Carefresh bedding.
4
Provide some toys. Jirds are active rodents, so be sure to give them lots of things to keep them engaged while they are in their cage. You should consider an exercise wheel, as well as various tubes and tunnels.^{[2]
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- Jirds are also avid climbers, so include some climbing toys inside their cage – various ropes, ladders, branches, or even parrot toys.
- Include some chewing toys as well to keep the jird active and happy. Wood branches and cardboard tubes work well for this.
- Avoid placing pine and cedar branches or shavings inside your jird’s tank, as they can be harmful to small rodents.
5
Give your jird plenty of active exercise time. To keep your shaw’s jird happy and healthy, you should interact with it and play with it on a regular basis. Providing it with an exercise wheel in its tank is a great way to encourage your jird to stay active. You can also purchase a large hamster wheel and let your jird roll around in it – just make sure you are always supervising the hamster ball time.
- The best type of exercise wheel for your pet jird is one with at least an 8 in (20 cm) diameter made of wire mesh, with no plastic parts.
6
Interact with your jird. You should engage with your Shaw’s jird to help develop the bond between you and your pet. Speak to the jird in soft, soothing tones. Let it learn to recognize your voice. Handle your jird often so that it remains socialized with people.
- It may take your jird a little while to trust you enough to be held. Start slowly by placing your hand inside the jird’s tank and letting it get used to your smell. Once it is no longer afraid of you, move to gently petting the jird inside its cage. After it is comfortable with this, you can try picking it up.
7
Spot clean the tank as needed. You typically only need to change the bedding in your jird’s tank once every three to four weeks. But you should monitor the cleanliness of your jird’s enclosure on a daily basis. If some food or water gets spilled, you should remove the soiled bedding and replace it as soon as you notice it.
- If the bedding seems overly soiled from your jird’s feces or urine, you should also change that more frequently.
- If there seems to be a smell coming from the cage, you might want to clean it sooner.
8
Clean the tank regularly. Your jird’s tank needs to be cleaned about once every three to four weeks. During the cleaning, you’ll need to take out all of the toys and supplies, throw away all the bedding, and clean the tank with a petsafe spray cleaner and a cloth or tissue of some sort, rinsing it would take away the good bacteria that you have just added, much like rinsing your mouth with water after brushing your teeth. Let the tank dry completely before adding new bedding, you could wipe it with a clean towel or blow dry it with a hairdryer on the cold setting.^{[3]
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- You will also need to clean out the jird’s food and water dishes each day to prevent food spoilage. Throw away any old food and clean the dishes with a petsafe cage cleaner, don't ever use soap even if it is mild as if there are any bits of it left around, it could make them seriously ill.
- Remember to put your jird somewhere safe during the cleaning process – like another enclosed cage, a hamster ball or a bathtub, you need to watch them though as they can jump up to two foot or more and escape. It is suggested that you shut the bathroom door!
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Feeding Your Shaw’s Jird

1
Give your jird a base diet of pellets and seeds. Provide your jird with a pelleted food where each piece is identical. Gerbil muesli works as well as they are pretty much the same animal. Give then a very tiny amount of cheddar cheese at least one time a week and at most three. This helps add protein. A bit of carrot or apple every now and then won't hurt either. Give them seeds sparingly as treats, as these are high in fats.^{[4]
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- Typically your jird will eat about 1 US tbsp (15 mL) 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of food each day.
2
Supplement your jird’s diet with fruits and vegetables. Jirds thrive with some variety added to their diets. You should supplement the pellets and seeds with a bit of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try giving your pet jird small pieces of carrots, melons, cucumbers, broccoli, pears, or apples. Do not put fresh fruit in their dry food bowl and remove any uneaten fruit and veg as old food could harm them.^{[5]
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- Cut fruits and veggies up into small pieces that will be easier for your jird to manage.
- Try to give your jird 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.
3
Provide some meat on occasion. Unlike their gerbil relatives, Shaw’s jirds actually need a little bit of meat in their diets. More so if they're pregnant. Consider giving your jird small amounts of canned cat food or mealworms to provide the necessary nutrients. Little bits of cold boiled pork are good too.^{[6]
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- A good rule of thumb would be to give your jird ¹⁄₂ US tbsp (7.4 mL) of meat every other day.
4
Provide constant access to fresh drinking water. Your jird may not drink very much, but it’s essential that water is available at all times. You should give your jird water in a bottle as they shouldn't get their coats wet as they can get chills. It also stops the risk of them spilling water and messing up their bed.
- Water bottles need regular cleaning, especially around the drinking tube, to remove any debris or bedding that gets caught in it.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Watching for Potential Health Problems

1
Monitor your jird’s eating habits. One of the best ways to keep an eye on your jird’s health is by making sure the animal is eating and drinking regularly. If you notice changes in the jird’s appetite or thirst levels, consider contacting your vet.^{[7]
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- Loss of appetite or thirst can be a sign of respiratory infections, tumors, reproductive diseases, or other illnesses.
2
Make sure to check their coat, it should be bright and soft with a decent shine. Their eyes should be bright and full of life as well as clear from mucous. Check their ears and nose for mucous and blood. Try not to let their teeth grow too long as they are constantly growing even though you cannot see it. Give them wooden chew bought from pet stores to gnaw on.
3
Confirm that your jird is maintaining its body weight. Weight loss or gain is often symptomatic of a larger medical problem. Jirds typically weigh around 70–120 grams (2–4 oz), with the males tending toward the heavier end of the spectrum and the females usually weighing in the lower region of this scale.^{[8]
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- With such a small animal, any weight change (except for a baby growing to its adult weight) is significant, even just a few grams.
4
Notice any behavioral changes. You should monitor your jird’s behavior on a daily basis and notice any changes that might occur. If your jird starts sleeping more often, sleeping away from its tankmates, or acting lethargic or listless, these could all be signs of underlying medical problems.
- If you notice any behavior changes, contact your vet for a professional opinion.
5
Inspect your jird’s coat. Look at your jird’s coat and notice any changes that appear over time. Pay close attention to any alterations in the texture, sheen, or thickness of your jird’s hair.
- You should also watch out for any lumps, bumps, scabs, or sores on your jird’s skin and face. This could be a sign of fighting among cagemates, or indicative of more serious medical problems.
- Bloody-looking mucous around the jird’s face could be a sign of a cold or other respiratory problem.
6
Consult your veterinarian. Typically, Shaw’s jirds are quite resilient little guys that don’t need much medical attention from your vet. If you become nervous or suspect that something is wrong with your jird, call your vet and make an appointment as soon as possible.^{[9]
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- The vet will examine your pet jird, give it a physical examination, and maybe even run some tests. It’s possible that your vet will run some bloodwork tests, get a stool sample, or take X-rays.
7
Read a detailed gerbil handbook as these are the most similar animals to jirds. It can give you a good idea on how to look after jirds. Maybe even own a gerbil first to get a better idea of it.

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