My gerbils have taken to eating my clothes!

[psandy]

Hi

I've recently got three boy gerbils, about 8 weeks old. Other than a couple of them being quite flighty and difficult to catch for out of cage time, they've been really good and seem to be settling. I just wanted to ask... They've started gnawing lots of holes in some of my clothes, especially when they've been, for example, snuggling under my dressing gown. This isn't a sign of stress, is it, or that they aren't happy with me?. I've had occasional little test nips on my hand from a couple of them, so was just wondering? I've only had them about 10 days.

PSandy

[sofluffy]

I wouldn't worry Remy always gnaws at my hoodie, but I take it as she likes gnawing and is a little naughty

[streetwisegerbil]

Ha ha. Wondered when this was gonna arise. 

I have soooooo many nibbled clothes, it's unbelievable. They climb on you, which is wonderful and then there's a nibble of the clothing. Usually in the same places. Some material is irrisistible . I have TOTALLY  decimated jeans which Turbo used to attack. They run up the trouser leg and gave a nibble or they attack them whilst you are sitting on the floor. He seemed to enjoy that.  Holey  tops , shredded fleeces. My OH had his work shirt nibbled ( luckily the tucked in bit.)

They either do it really quickly, in which case you can't do anything about it, or surreptitiously , ie you're sitting  there ....and can suddenly feel this 'certain movement'. 

Recently they do this thing where they try to climb up the inside of the back of my clothes and go wriggling around underneath. If it's really persistent, this tells me they want to go back in. It's very cute.

The latest victim of chewing was OH's beloved Arsenal towel which was dangling down too temptingly.    It shouldn't have been in there . I was careless and a bit worried after that one. 

I just wear clothes which are already chewed although they don't chew so much the older they get.

[ninestone]

We've just learned to wear old / work clothes when playing with them. They *will* chew holes in them, it's just what they do.

[Deleted]

looooool my clothes are rags.
luckily i'm not one for expensive designer stuff.
my duvet cover has lovely little circles adorning it, really quite pretty. but then bits fall off...

[psandy]

Thanks everyone. I was just a little worried in case they'd taken against me or something. But, on the basis of you all having similar experiences, I will assume from now on that gerbils will be gerbils. I suppose they need to be busy, after all .

[Deleted]

lol you've been conned if they said they wouldn't chew your stuff!

[streetwisegerbil]

Apr 21, 2013 12:00:35 GMT -8 @oiyou said:

my duvet cover has lovely little circles adorning it, really quite pretty. but then bits fall off...

Ha ha. I used an old towel as a cover for Sierra. Pablo and Miro dragged it down  and nibbled it. When i opened it, all these tiny squares of towel  fell out like confetti.

[Jill M]

Hi, I've had my gerbil Nibbles (she gets her name for a reason) for a little over a year now, and she nibbles on everything, including clothes. I don't think its bad for them, and I doubt it means anything. If you don't want your gerbils to eat your clothing, just bring a toilet paper tube out when you want to handle them.

[vexorg]

One of ours has odd behaviour of only going for the cuff of whatever my daughter is wearing. He never goes for mine, only my daughter's. And he gets snaky about it, pretend he's going to walk past then subtly goes for it.