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Gerbil Advice Please

2 replies

RandomUsernameHere · 22/11/2018 19:19

One of our gerbils has sadly just died, leaving DGerbil on her own. She is 2 1/2 years old. I know it is not ideal for a gerbil to live alone, so need to decide from the following options:
A) Get another single gerbil and try and integrate them. If it is a young one (which would probably be the case) then DGerbil would in all likelihood die first and then I will be faced with the same problem again.
B) Get 2 more gerbils and try and integrate them so they can live together. If they were young, would this work? Or would the younger ones bully her, as she is quite elderly.
C) Let DGerbil live alone and give her as much attention and time out of the cage as possible.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

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Badbadbunny · 22/11/2018 20:39

We've had this scenario twice. Tried the first time to integrate a new young gerbil, but it failed miserably despite spending a week trying to integrate them slowly. We just make them as comfortable as possible.

Firstly, we give them a little house to live in to make them feel secure, i.e. either a little wooden one from Pets at Home or a small cardboard box (they'll eat through them though). Bury the house in the bedding at the bottom of the tank and put a layer of bedding in it. Gerbils love a little house!

Then, lots and lots of human interactivity- give them treats by hand, encourage them out by leaving your hand/arm in the cage, they love running up and down your own legs and arms (and will often try to burrow in your clothes, i.e. up your sleeves or down your top!). They're sociable animals - if they can't be sociable with other gerbils then a human is the next best thing for them. If you're really brave and have a secure room, let them out and let them run around your room - they've love that too and our two happily came up to us and also climb back in their cage if you improvise a ladder or ramp for them.

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RandomUsernameHere · 22/11/2018 22:12

Thank you so much @Badbadbunny
She has a wooden house and a constant supply of cardboard so that is good.
I will try securing the room and setting up a ladder for her too!