Buying live from a pet store

[Anatopism]

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.

Slim (and everybody else) ask your PETCO to show you their P&PS where it states they cannot sell mice or rats as feeders. It is NOT PETCO policy to refuse mice/rats as food, but it is against policy to feed anything other than goldfish, minnows, crickets, fruitflies, mice, or rats as food. I know this bc I was a PETCO employee for 5 years, know the policy like the back of my hand, my boyfriend works there, and I have several friends in PETCO management in different states.

As for gerbils, try gerbil scented bedding (right where they have been pooping/peeing) on a rat. If you are set on gerbils, I would suggest breeding them instead. They are a pain to breed, but it will be FAR cheaper than the 8-15 dollar ones at the petstore.