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Original poster

Just found one of our gerbils dead and it was horrible

16 replies

MummyDoIt · 15/01/2010 21:40

Feeling really bad about this as I went to give the gerbils some food and realised I could only see one of them. Opened up the cage and could see the other one lying in the sleeping bit, not moving. When I took it out, its head was horrible - looked like it had an eye missing and blood round it. It looked like something had chewed a chunk out of its head.

I'm wondering what could have caused this. The two gerbils have been together for nearly three years and never fought so I doubt it was caused by fighting.

What makes it worse is that I'm not sure when exactly it died. It's a big cage with nooks and crannies and they often hide away. I can't actually remember when I last saw it so it could have been dead a few days.

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IsItMeOr · 15/01/2010 21:59

Poor you! Sorry I don't know much about gerbils, but I didn't want to leave your thread unanswered. I think it is quite common for rodents to eat their dead, so I suspect that the poor thing probably died of natural causes and the chewing is post mortem. Bit traumatic for you though!

jooseyfruit · 15/01/2010 22:05

that happened to me when i was about 12.
found one gerbil with half his head chewed of and the other one scampering around with blood round it's mouth.

gerbils eat meat! who knew.

i used to feed my gerbils dead moths [psycho emoticon] so i think i just increased their blood lust.

sorry you've had a nasty shock.
have a cup of sweet tea.

Original poster
MummyDoIt · 15/01/2010 22:06

I did wonder if the other one might have been gnawing at it but have no idea if gerbils do this. I've dealt with a few dead gerbils/hamsters/fish in my time but not come across this before.

I think I need a large glass of wine. And probably chocolate too.

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Original poster
MummyDoIt · 15/01/2010 22:08

Jooseyfruit, what a horrible thing to happen when you were a child. I'm just glad the DSs were in bed when I made the grim discovery so they won't find out the gory details. I'll just say it died of old age (almost certainly true) and leave it at that.

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IsItMeOr · 15/01/2010 22:08

Sounds like it might be quite common.

Yes, definitely go for wine and chocolate. And some trashy tv.

jooseyfruit · 15/01/2010 22:11

yes, alchohol and chocolate is a much better idea.
Hope dc's aren't too upset.

you'll never look at the surviving gerbil in the eye again, given it's cannabalistic tendencies

PortBlacksand · 15/01/2010 22:11

Yes my mum had several Gerbils and one got out and instead of escaping it actually got into it's siblings cage (next to it) and ate him....

I remember as a kid having a Gerbil that our (now long dead) cat got - pulled him between the bars so one end was flat and sucked and the other had gunk bulging out of it....gross and most upsetting for me aged 8!

jooseyfruit · 15/01/2010 22:14

ooooohh that's rough Port.
Stuff like that really stays with you

Original poster
MummyDoIt · 15/01/2010 22:17

IsItMeOr, I just Googled and came across that page! Looks like it is a common thing. I had no idea, though looking back we only ever had single gerbils as kids. This is the first time I've had two together.

Thinking of changing the other one's name to Hannibal! On a separate note, will he be lonely now? Should I get a new one or will they fight?

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midori1999 · 16/01/2010 00:32

I don't keep gerbils but I do have around 150 rodents here (mice, multimammates and rats. Well, and one syrian hamster). It is really common for them to eat the dead, in the wild a dead animal in the nest would attract predators, so they keep the nest clean by eating any that have died.

It's not nice, but it is perfectly natural.

I am not sure how easy it is to introduce new Gerbils into an exiting 'group' of gerbils. It can be easiyl done with rats, but he mice and multimammates do nto tolerate newbies well and the multimammates will attack new comers right away. If he is also three it is probably best to let him live out what time he has left alone, tbh. 3 is a good age for gerbils.

PoppyIsApain · 16/01/2010 00:36

This happened to my mum's rats, she found one with half a head, you could see bone, never owned rodents since.

wheredidmyfeetgo · 16/01/2010 01:07

Poor you on your grim discovery!
I hope my DS's never ever want Hamsters or Gerbils.
My sister had two Hamsters, Ruby and Murry, they had babies, very cute. My sister came home one evening to discover what can only be described as the Hamster Chain Saw Masacre!
The adults had eaten nearly all the babies they had obviously tried climbing up the cage to escape as there were some feet hanging off the bars!
Who knew Hamster could be so horrible, the smallest fury I will let my DS's have is a Guina Pig. But I'm hoping they will stay happy with our lovely Boxer dog.

Original poster
MummyDoIt · 16/01/2010 10:30

I'm actually not too bothered now I know it's normal, natural behaviour and I don't think it would put me off having more. It was just a bit of a shock last night as I had no idea gerbils did this. I was really worried that he'd suffered some terrible injury and I was a neglectful owner and hadn't noticed.

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belgo · 16/01/2010 10:38

When I was little we had a hamster (Hammy), who gave birth to 10 babies, two of which she ate. Fortunately I never saw this, but I think my mother was quite traumatised!

IsItMeOr · 16/01/2010 10:41

That's good. I thought for a moment there you were going to say you had been worried that you'd be next if the surviving one ever got out.

Original poster
MummyDoIt · 16/01/2010 21:37

IsItMeOr, I'm not too worried but the cat had better watch her back!!!

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