|
Post by GerbilUK on Apr 29, 2014 9:52:07 GMT -8
Hi, sorry to hear you are discouraged. Remember you are doing this with the best intentions to make their lives better, if it doesn't work out well at least you tried. Having said that, I really would persevere in your situation. Can I just ask, when you say they are sniffing at the wire, is that just in passing or do they stop and lick/sniff each other fora few seconds? All mine did that and intros were successful. Swapping saliva like that is the first step to becoming friends I think! They did that first, then groomed with claws (as best they could) later on.
Cheers. W
|
|
keldamouse
Member
rest in peace my dear lovely Leela youre in our hearts
Posts: 374
|
Post by keldamouse on May 7, 2014 9:01:41 GMT -8
Hi, sorry to hear you are discouraged. Remember you are doing this with the best intentions to make their lives better, if it doesn't work out well at least you tried. Having said that, I really would persevere in your situation. Can I just ask, when you say they are sniffing at the wire, is that just in passing or do they stop and lick/sniff each other fora few seconds? All mine did that and intros were successful. Swapping saliva like that is the first step to becoming friends I think! They did that first, then groomed with claws (as best they could) later on. Cheers. W Hi W-thanks for the encouragement. I do see that now when they sniff they are sniffing more like a greeting and a slight bit of grooming-like licking sniffing on the back. Also Fiona and Leela don't turn their sides or backs to each other after grooming. It has been 40 days in the split (6 weeks). I still haven't seen them sleeping next to each other or any really obvious attempts to groom. There isn't scent marking anymore either except Fiona kind of humps things when she is in heat-this is my take on what she does because she kind of puffs up her butt and I've observed this behavior in Amy and Leela when they were younger. I may try them this weekend or I may wait another week. This weekend will be 50 days-over 7 weeks but we may wait for 8 weeks and make that our last try. Praying that it will work but I also have a new 10 gallon for Fiona if they don't bond. My advice to everyone who wants to bond adult girls or adult girl to young adult girl. Make sure you start off in a barebones set up, don't give them the affection and grooming that they need to reach out to their split mate for, and be prepared for a long haul. It requires a lot of patience and time and it may not turn out so be prepared for that also.
|
|
|
Post by GerbilUK on May 8, 2014 7:45:30 GMT -8
That sounds like some much better signs! Well done for persevering. I used to see mine attempt to groom through the mesh- looked like scrabbling with the front paws at the other gerbil, at the nose/head. occasionally the other gerbil would put its head down and shut its eyes during this. only lasted a second or two. I am really hoping that you have a positive outcome this time. Sounds like they are a lot more used to each others smells now. Best of luck again. Let us know what happens.
|
|
|
Post by sparky on May 9, 2014 4:02:46 GMT -8
Hope all goes well when you try them together again
|
|
keldamouse
Member
rest in peace my dear lovely Leela youre in our hearts
Posts: 374
|
Post by keldamouse on May 12, 2014 7:29:29 GMT -8
I have some FANTASTIC news!!!!! After so much worrying, I tried the girls Friday night and they were good for about 1-1/2 hours. They would not sleep together but I was so encouraged. So yesterday I tried them for almost 2 hours together and Fiona slept on Leela's tail. It was so cute!! It was a Mother's Day miracle!!! Woo Hoo. I am just going to try them for longer and longer because they still haven't figured out who is going to be the dominate one but as soon as Leela sleeps with Fiona we are good to go. When I have more time I will describe their behavior. My husband is a freaking gerbil whisperer and it is amazing so I will have to have him help me put in to words what we saw later. I am so happy!!! Thank you all so much for sticking with me and giving me encouragement and positive thoughts!! YEA!!!!
|
|
|
Post by GerbilUK on May 12, 2014 10:28:36 GMT -8
That's brilliant news! Well done you and your two little girls! I am so pleased for you.
If they have slept together, you can consider them as bonded as they are going to get. Next time you put them together, wait to make sure they settle down together, once they have slept together its safe to leave them unattended from then on. You will want to check on them to make sure no funny business is going on, but you don't need to split them again.
Be sure to post some photos of them together!
|
|
|
Post by sparky on May 14, 2014 5:05:09 GMT -8
That wonderful. Well done to you and to them
|
|
keldamouse
Member
rest in peace my dear lovely Leela youre in our hearts
Posts: 374
|
Post by keldamouse on May 17, 2014 12:22:34 GMT -8
So they have been together for almost 2-1/2 hours and the are sleeping but not together. What the frell? ?? Any advice? Help, thanks!
|
|
keldamouse
Member
rest in peace my dear lovely Leela youre in our hearts
Posts: 374
|
Post by keldamouse on May 17, 2014 12:37:40 GMT -8
Okay I just reread all my info and they do have to be in the same nest sleeping.....so we wait.
|
|
keldamouse
Member
rest in peace my dear lovely Leela youre in our hearts
Posts: 374
|
Post by keldamouse on May 17, 2014 13:45:31 GMT -8
Yes! They are sleeping together!! They are bonded, I almost can't believe it. It took 3 and a half hours. We will watch closely/in the same room today and tonight and we'll give them a honeymoon period and then sloooowly introduce one really clean item at a time. I am so happy! Yippie
|
|
|
Post by snowballandnugget on May 17, 2014 19:24:20 GMT -8
Yay! That's wonderful Kelda! So happy for you and your gerbils!!!
|
|
keldamouse
Member
rest in peace my dear lovely Leela youre in our hearts
Posts: 374
|
Post by keldamouse on May 19, 2014 9:45:10 GMT -8
As a bit of an ending to this post I would like to look back and see how nervous each of my gerbil girls were before they were bonded. Fiona was scent marking even before the split (she was alone at the petstore) she was a little bit skiddish and seemed like a tween with nervous engery. After the bond she is confident and is better to focus her energy into normal gerbil things. Leela before the split seemed okay but in reality was nervous over the upstairs neighbors noises (not that at times she wasn't when she had Amy but this behaviour was an increase) and didn't seem to enjoy her normal gerbil life without her sister. After their initial bond after sleeping together, they did do boxing and Fiona did a bit of playing tag with Leela. Fiona is a geek, she would run over to Leela and tag her with her nose and then run to the other side, I think that was playing but was annoying to Leela, even after the sleeping bond she did thump her feet and sit in the corner I think she was annoyed and worried about a Dominate nervous Fiona. I kept the girls by my bed all night and would wake up occasionally to check on them. In the morning it was a totally different story. Not only was Fiona grooming Leela (which she did and Leela solicited it) but Leela groomed Fiona back (Fiona kept asking to be groomed but Leela was a stubborn girl). Now Leela is not worried about Fionas nervous energy but now plays with Fiona in a very positive wonderful way. They go over and check in with each other and seem so content to play and chew together and It is Just AMAZING how wonderful the bond between these gerbil girls are in such a short time after spending 2 nights together. I see now that all the work, the worry, the planning and the sort of wasted Saturday and a bit waking up in night was SO WORTH IT ALL. They are better well rounded gerbils for their bond. It seems like they were now born together. I am so pleased to have a happy pair of gerbil girls. If anyone needs advice on a split cage into, specifically adult girl to adult girl intro(with what limited knowledge I now have) I will be more than happy to calm a nervous person down or assist in any way I can. Thank you all again for everyone's invaluable advice, encouragement and support!
|
|
|
Post by streetwisegerbil on May 19, 2014 20:56:43 GMT -8
Great thread. Great posts/ info. Well done. I looked at this thread and all the links myself. Maybe you could point out the info given in links which you found conflicting and not helpful to you ( like you pointed out in another post in another thread. Eg the intro on neutral territory not working. My personal try at one of the suggestions. ( didn't like it) gerbilforum.proboards.com/thread/29248/putting-cage-inside-tank-splitSo pleased for you, Leela and Fiona. ( really adore PEWS /REWS/ white gerbils)
|
|
|
Post by GerbilUK on May 20, 2014 2:49:01 GMT -8
Excellent photo! They look so cute. I put all my three pairs together and it still gives me pleasure and satisfaction every day to see them snuggled together or grooming or playing. Well done you for your persistence and patience.
|
|
keldamouse
Member
rest in peace my dear lovely Leela youre in our hearts
Posts: 374
|
Post by keldamouse on May 20, 2014 21:20:06 GMT -8
I took out the split from my 20 gallon today. It was simple to pull out and the hot glue mostly came right off. I cleaned a bit of residue with nail polish remover. I am happy to report the tank is now back to normal.
The girls were introduced in my 10 gallon that had all their old bedding (I've been removing handfuls every few days and tossing it in there).
I think by Saturday I will put them into the 20 with all the bedding from the 10 gallon along with a lot more inches of new bedding. I've added in a wheel and will continue to add stuff every couple of days. I'm anxious to get it back to normal but I'm taking it slow.
They are freaking adorable together! Their bond is lovely and they just enjoy each other emensely.
|
|