Yes, they can. My local PETCO won't sell you anything if you state you are going to use it as a feeder. They claim it's company policy. I have no way to varify that or not.

My local regional chain pet store, Pet World, not only are happy to sell feeders, they raise them in the back.

Are you really sure you wan't to go down the gerbil road? BPs can be impossible to swtich back once they've been on gerbils.