Update: DD's gerbils

[HexBramble]

We opted for two little boys in the end - a gorgeous, cuddly and jet-black silky chap, another nippy little sandy coloured boy. They are gorgeous.
We are watching them loads - they're little behaviours and antics are fascinating and very endearing. The burrowing is hilarious, they are so quick, they chew like machines and the way they sit on their haunches to have a nose captivates me.

I love the way they greet one another with a nuzzle of noses, and the way they groom one another is lovely. I read that blinking at them is a sign of friendship and I've been doing that every time I see them, and now they sit up on their haunches, as if greeting me. I love them.

Question for you all: we have a dust bath for them, which we've placed on the middle floor of their gerbilarium. This last week, a small pile of their poo has collected just at the side of this dust bath, and now, there's quite a pile. The side of the tank, slightly below the dust bath, is streaked with what I think is their pee. Is it possible that my little treasures are litter trained??! They're going in the same spot all the time, clearly.

Bump

Most likely, gerbils and hamsters that I've had have always 'housetrained' themselves, particularly if they have a dustbath.

Thry certsinly chosen a Toilet spot.

You mean they havent just jumped into the dust bath and dug and kicked all the sand out? How odd!

Btw you are using chinchilla sand not dust aren't you? I understand the dust isn't ideal.

Oops yes, chinchilla sand is the stuff, not dust although I have that in abundance too.

They scatter it like fury, it must be said. But yes, they seem to have trained themselves.

I'm their No. 1 fan!

Our late gerbil used to wee on the roof of his log cabin. Nice when it came to cleaning time.

The dustbath for cleaning should be removed after they have used it (a few hrs/day) otherwise it just becomes a place to poo and pee and therefore a bit disgusting if they throw the sand around.

Gerbils will use one main area if you provide a tray or dish as a loo (this is not to say they don't poo anywhere else, just that they will mainly poo in a particular area) - ours have a little sushi dish from muji (so chic!!). But they make a dirty protest if it gets too full and won't use it - they love a clean lav (don't we all?)

Also agree - chinchilla dust is too fine for gerbils' lungs, you need to use Chinchilla sand.