Hamsters and gerbils are small, but a change of place matters to them. The easiest trip is the one where the cage, the bedding and the food look and smell the way they did at home.
Heat is the main risk for hamsters
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine explains that hamsters have no sweat glands and cannot pant, so they have no efficient way to shed heat and are prone to heat stress. It recommends keeping them in a cool part of the house in summer, in a room between 75 and 85 degrees with 40 to 60 percent humidity.
That matters in the Central Valley. The nearest NOAA station to Dixon, in Vacaville, averages a July high near 97 degrees. Never leave a cage in a parked car or in a sunny window. Happy Paws Kennels buildings are air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter.
Keep the diet and the bedding the same
UC Davis advises a pelleted diet, such as a rodent block, with fresh vegetables like carrots, squash, broccoli and greens. It says seed mixes are not recommended, because a hamster picks out the seeds and skips the pellets, and that hamsters handle high-sugar fruit poorly. For bedding it recommends recycled paper products and no cedar, pine or corncob.
Bring enough of the usual food for the whole stay, plus a little extra, in a sealed bag. Do not try a new food right before the trip.
Gerbils: ask about pairs
The American Veterinary Medical Association describes gerbils as active and social, happier when housed as a pair or in a small group, unlike hamsters, which are often kept alone. If your gerbils live as a pair, say so when you book and ask how they will be housed together. Average lifespans are 2 to 3 years for both, so a week away is a bigger share of a small pet's life than it looks.
Travel and drop-off
The AVMA says most small mammals travel best in a secure, covered carrier or cage, and suggests packing any dietary supplements and extra bedding. Cover the cage with a light cloth for the drive, keep it level and make sure the door latch is tight.
Happy Paws boards hamsters, gerbils, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds, and may ask you to provide the cage. Write a card with your name, phone number, the food and amount, and anything unusual about the schedule. UC Davis notes that hamsters are nocturnal, so a quiet day and an active evening is normal. See hamster and gerbil boarding and the small pet packing list.