how fragile is the gerbil bond?

[0211gerbie]

We are first time gerbil owners and were sent home from a breeder with 2 very young females who were not actually well bonded. Our first day of owning them consisted of frantically running out to a hardware store to build an emergency split tank after they were fighting. We are now going to attempt to introduce them through the split tank method. But, we are a little uncertain about the future outcome. If we go through the split tank process and get them to accept one another will we have to always wonder if they will one day attack each other again? We're not sure we want to own pets who we will have to check on every day with the possibility of them attacking each other and waking up to a gruesome scene in the tank on any given day. I'm wondering if anyone has been able to introduce 2 gerbils who then lived long happy lives together with no further fighting? Are all gerbil owners just always on the lookout for possible de-clanning? How fragile is the gerbil bond? We have young children and these are our first pets and so far my children have been shocked that the only thing their new pets have done is fight. I am concerned about my young kids being traumatized in the future if their pets wind up killing each other in the future.

[reesesturtles]

Most of the time, once a pair is bonded they become bonded for life (unless you separate them yourself at some point or one passes away). However, even though this is true the majority of the time, occasionally a bonded pair (even siblings who have always been together and have plenty of space) will still declan for reasons unknown.

So if you have a gerbil pair that are bonded and getting along, expect things to continue to go well, but always be prepared just in case things don't (have a separate habitat or split around just in case it is needed). Most declannings don't start with immediate fighting. There are usually recognizable signs: chasing, bullying, one gerbil not eating or losing weight, the gerbils isolating themselves and sleeping at opposite ends of the tank. If you see these signs watch very carefully and consider splitting.

If the thought of a possible declanning fight really does worry you though, you can also just keep your girls in a permanent split. That gives them each company without worry of a declanning every happening, but each one will need a little extra individual attention from their owners.

It might help to explain to your children that gerbils can't think and reason the way people do. They have instincts and don't always know they are supposed to get along they way we want. The gerbils are just trying to protect themselves and don't know any better (they do have itty-bitty brains after all). Therefore as their owners it is your job to make sure they don't hurt eachother, since the gerbils' brains are too tiny to understand about being friends (at least at this point).

To be honest though, some breeders pay more attention to selecting for gerbil-gerbil sociability than others do. Hence some lines of gerbils are more likely to get along better than other breeder lines. Even so, odd circumstances can occur.

No matter what path you take though, I hope things settle out with your gerbils and they can become the beloved family pets you are wanting. It will take some effort on your part. Their little brains just don't understand the situation, so that means you have to be the one to manage it.

[johanne]

Your pair was not bonded before you got them, so you can't really compare the long term behaviour of bonded pairs to that.

Declanning really is a very rare event. Once they're bonded they almost always stay bonded and love each other for their whole lives. And if things aren't going well, you'll see signs of it, like reesesturtles said. They normally do much better than people in relationships. Most of us get along with and love our partners. If we're not getting along, we start by arguing rather than trying to kill each other. If we find we're not getting along, we part company; in a tank, a gerbil can't leave so we have to move them out. Even in people, murders are quite rare; we don't stop having relationships because we're worried our spouse will suddenly kill us one day. Relationships enrich our lives. It's the same for gerbils.

[0211gerbie]

Thank Johanne, you made a good point that my gerbils were practically strangers when they came home with us and their behavior is different than a truly bonded pair.
Ressesturtles, it is encouraging to know that the de-clanning is rare and that there would be signs preceding the fighting. I have two human babies that I help to manage a relationship between and make sure they don't hurt each other, so I will apply that to my new gerbil babies
On a positive note, the split cage seems to be going well. Both gerbils are sleeping in each other's nests. They have come to the mesh divider to smell each other and touch mouths a few times. The younger one even stayed near the divider nibbling at something for the first time instead of running away while the older one was walking around near it on the other side.

[banana3685]

From what you've wrote, it sounds like everything is going great!! I got two gerbils from the store from the same tank and they loved each other right away. I have done the split tank for 2 other boy gerbils and it worked. It took a bit of diligent switching and rotation, but after about a week it was alright to lift up the split so they could socialize. If you're worried about declanning, just watching for signs that someone else said help -- especially if they start sleeping in different nests consistently. My girls always sleep in the same nest overnight, but they still fight (which is so cute!). They'll fight over food, their water bottle, and who gets to occupy their mason jars (sleeping vs. digging). They'll squeak and play fight with each other also, but if they ever start going for the tail area, separate immediately. That means they want to fight.