Ask The Gerbils

Hi Nellie!

My sister and I each had two gerbils, two were girls and two were boys and they lived separately.

Now one of each has died and we were wondering if the boy and girl could live in the same cage if it was always a split cage? Or could they get pregnant?

We're worried they're lonely but we aren't allowed to get anymore gerbils. We've spent lots of time with them, but we're still worried.

Thanks,

-S.

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Hi S.!

Yes, as long as the split cage you build is sturdy and they can't get around, over, or under the divider, your gerbil and your sister's gerbil should be able to live in a split cage without any trouble. :)

Use a good, sturdy divider, too, so that they can't chew through it.

As long as your gerbils can't get to the other side of the divider, you shouldn't have to worry about the female getting pregnant.

Living in the split cage won't be the same as living together, but I think they will feel safer having another gerbil nearby than living completely alone.

You can find information about building a really good split cage here:

http://www.twinsqueaks.com/split-tank.html

You'll need a parent or other trusted adult to help you build the split tank.

If you can't build a split tank for your gerbils, just keep doing what you've been doing and give your gerbils lots of love and attention. And give them lots of cardboard to chew and an exercise wheel to run in.

Good luck! Tell you gerbil and your sister's gerbil hi from me!

Your buddy,
-Nellie

Hi Nellie!

I have heard about giving gerbils dust baths. So I found some at the pet store and bought it. I have a dish to put it in, but they don't take it. All they do is lick it.

I am worried that they don't know how to do it. Do they? I have been putting the dish in their cage for about 5 to 10 minutes every day for about three weeks.

Thank you,

-A.

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Hi A.,

Thanks for writing! Not all gerbils will use a dust bath, but most of us will!

It can take us a while to figure out what to do with the sand or dust. Almost all gerbils will first lick or chew on the sand before they roll in it, so that's okay that your gerbils do this. :)

You might try sprinkling a little bit of dust on their backs while they're standing in the bowl. Sometimes, a gerbil will shake to get the sand off his or her back, and that will prompt them to start rolling.

Most gerbils will take a sandbath, but some just don't. Here at Twin Squeaks, we have just one gerbil who doesn't take sand baths. His name is Buster. His tankmate Gobo loves to take sand baths. But Buster just sits in the bowl and looks around.

Try to sprinkle some dust on your gerbils' backs while they're standing in the bowl. That might help. Good luck!

Your pal,
-Nellie

Dear Nellie,

We have had a male gerbil for over a year, and we want to adopt a friend for him.

How do we choose a proper friend? Our gerbil, Nibbles, is a very inquisitive, friendly gerbil who loves to be held and played with.

Do two males live well together?

From,
- E.

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Dear E.,

The easiest type of gerbil to introduce to an adult male is a young male gerbil. If you can find an American Gerbil Society breeder who lives close to you, the breeder can help you choose a gerbil that is young and likely to make a good friend for your gerbil. The younger the gerbil, the better the chances that Nibbles will get along with him.

You will also want to do a split-cage introduction, because gerbils won't get along unless you introduce them the right way. If you don't want to build a big split tank yourself, you can also buy a great little split cage from Jo at Black Wolf Clan Gerbils.

Just remember that it is important that Nibbles and your new male gerbil pup are introduced with the split-cage method so that they do not hurt each other.

Good luck! I'm sure that Nibbles will be very happy to have a friend! :)


Your friend,
- Nellie

Dear Nellie,

Every time I touch my gerbil, it bites me. I got it a few days ago. What do I do?

From,

- E.

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Dear E.,

Thanks for writing! Remember that your gerbil is in a new home and probably still feels a little bit scared.

You can find some ideas for taming your gerbil on our Web site. Try the ideas and see which ones work best for your gerbil.

• Hand-Tame Your Gerbils — These tips will help your gerbil get used to you.


• How To Pick Up A Gerbil — These tips will help you learn how to pick up your gerbil without scaring him or her. If your gerbil continues to bite, try using a plastic cup, as suggested at the end of this tip.


• Use Your Bathtub As A Gerbil Playground — If your parents are willing to let you sit in a dry bathtub with your gerbil, this is a good way to let your gerbil have fun and learn to trust you.

Finally, make sure that you don't have any food on your fingers, or your gerbil might try “tasting” your fingers. Also, if your gerbil bites when you try to pick him or her up, just wait. Let your gerbil get comfortable taking treats from your hand. Once your gerbil feels safer with you, you can try again.

I hope one of these tips help! Good luck!

Your friend,

- Nellie

Dear Nellie,


Last week I found a gerbil that was being given away because the little girl no longer wanted to take care of her, and her cat was always attacking the cage. I have given her a week of privacy now so that she could get used to being here, but she just stays in her little house.

Is it ok for me to take her out and cuddle her so that she can see that I love her? It is really hard to see what her favourite foods are because I never see her.

Can you give me some advice please?
Her name is Princess, we thought we should keep it because she is so pretty.

Thank you,

- TJ

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Hello TJ!

It's great that you've given a loving home to Princess! I'm sure she'll be very happy with you!

It will be easier for Princess to see that you love her if you are patient with her. You can also show her how much you like her by offering her little gifts, such as toilet paper tubes to chew or an occasional treat. You might also try pouring some of her food into your hand and then setting your hand on the floor of the tank so that she can come over and eat from your hand.

Does she have an exercise wheel? If not, try to give her a wheel. This will probably get her out of her house and more active. :)

Once she gets a little bit more used to her home, you might try sitting in the bathtub (no water) while you let Princess explore the tub and crawl on your legs. This helps make many gerbils more tame. You can read more about it in our Use Your Bathtub As A Gerbil Playground tip.

Just remember to be patient with Princess. She is still getting to know you and her new home, but if you are patient, she should learn how much you love her. :)

Your friend,

- Nellie

Hello Nellie and Herman,


My gerbils Tinker and Belle are always keeping me up at night. I read the one message, and I have tried giving them toilet paper at night, but it still doesn't work. What they do is chew it really fast and then start scratching at the sides. It's so annoying! Please tell me what I can do!

Oh, and what kind of gerbil are you, Nellie? I think you're adorable with all the colours. You're adorable, too, Herman.

Also, where did you get the spiral toy in some of your pictures?

From,
S.

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Hi S.!


Thank you for your letter! Sorry that I didn't have a chance to write sooner. We were very busy, because we went to the American Gerbil Society's Midwest Gerbil Show last month. It was a lot of fun! :)

Usually giving your gerbils something quiet like plain white toilet paper or tissue will keep them busy, quietly shredding it while you fall asleep. You could try giving them a little bit more so that it takes them longer to finish it.

You could also wait until just before you go to bed each night to feed your gerbils. That way, instead of digging against the sides of the tank, they will be busy munching on snacks while you fall asleep.

Also, if you play with your gerbils after supper, they will hopefully be awake in the evening and ready to sleep at night. (Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's something you can try.)

Finally, if your gerbils are keeping you up at night and nothing else works, you should consider moving your gerbils out of your room, at least at night, so that you can get a good night's sleep. Is there another room in your house that would be safe to put your gerbils?

Thank you for asking what color I am! I am a Spotted Slate. (Slate is a very dark gray color.) My nephew Herman is a Dark-Eyed Honey.

A very good friend sent the spiral toy as a gift a long time ago. We like it a lot, but we haven't seen one at any pet stores here! It was a very nice gift. We want to say thank you to Nancy for the great spiral toy!!

I hope your gerbils find something quiet to do at night so that they don't keep you up. Good luck!


Your friend,

- Nellie

Hi Nellie and Herman!!

I just got my two gerbils today. Their names are Olly and George. We adopted them from a local pet store. Olly is alert and active like a normal gerbil should be but George is sort of lazy and a little chubby. Is there a way to get him moving and active like Olly? Please help!!

From,
-V.



Hi V.,

Thanks for writing! Usually when you adopt a pair of gerbils, you want to choose ones that are active, because it's a good sign that they're healthy. But it's also true that each gerbil has his own personality. It might just be that Olly is naturally more active than George.

There are some things you can do, though, to get George a little bit more excited and active. First, make sure that you give your new boys lots of cardboard tubes, cardboard boxes, and chew blocks. These things should be interesting and exciting for both Olly and George. You can also give them brown paper lunch sacks to run in, dig inside of, and chew. That will get George moving around a bit, too!

If you haven't already given Olly and George an exercise wheel, you might try that, too. Not all gerbils like to run in a wheel, but most do, and that could be a great way for George to stay active and fit.

Good luck with Olly and George! Tell them that we said hello!

From your friends,
-Nellie & Herman