Graham is upsetting Tillda!

[rennmaus]

I think I need some advice.

I am a first time gerbil owner, living with two male gerbs (Tillda & Graham). They are seven months old now. We got them from a pet shop, and I’ve always assumed they were brothers.

They used to get on really well. However, over the last few days we have seen a change in behaviour.

From what I can tell, Graham, who used to be ‘my little man’, is challenging Tillda’s dominance. Tillda is the one with the bigger scent gland, he always used to be around 10g heavier as well. He used to be lively, curious and active. Graham used to be the more timid, skittish one.

Now both of them weigh roughly the same (90g) and Graham has started bullying Tillda. He is chasing her around the tank and playpen quite a lot. I’ve even seen them rolling in a ball, fighting (which I understand is a really bad sign?). They have not harmed each other physically (yet). But I do feel that Tillda is getting anxious and stressed about all of this.

They live in a 18gal tank with two-level topper, and their food bowl is on the first floor of their home. Graham keeps scent-marking the area around the bowl, keeps sitting inside/on top of the bowl...and as a result, I think Tillda seems to eat less as well. Having said that, Tillda hasn't lost weight, he even gained 2g over the last few days. But then, he's less active than he usually is (but maybe that's the warmer weather?).

Graham also cleans Tillda very vigorously at times, until he squeaks loudly.

They sometimes sleep together, sometimes apart. Graham built his own ‘tissue mansion’ on the top level of the topper, Tillda sleeps in a coconut house below ground. However, a lot of the time they do share these spaces.

I have read a few other threads on this forum, and am now concerned our two boys are in the process of falling out and having to live apart. We would hate for this to happen! But of course, we don’t want anyone to get hurt either.

We were thinking of doing a full tank clean, and of possibly changing the location of the tank to see whether this might change things?

Can I ask for your thoughts on the situation.

[fluffy501]

I was going to say maybe they need more space from each other but I think 18gallons is bigger than my tank. You don't need to put all the food in a bowl...you can leave pieces around the cage for them to find and that way they'll both get some too and they like looking for it. And you can feed Tilda food from your hand through the bars.
Mine like the location of the cage to be near a window that has a lot of light coming through and in a place where you'll walk past often/be around, is that how you have your tank?

[johanne]

I does sound like they're declanning. If they keep ball fighting both of them are likely to end up injured or worse. For the moment you can try spreading their food all over the bedding as suggested. Be sure to have at least 6 inches of bedding and lots of cardboard in there at all times. Whatever you do, don't do a full tank clean! That's a major trigger for starting fights if there's going to be one. You can play around with these suggestions for a little while but don't wait until injuries start to happen.

[rennmaus]

Thank you for your advice! A couple of days after I wrote my initial post, things thankfully started to calm down - the reason for this I do not know for definite.

We took the coconut house out of the tank, and we stopped covering the topper top with cardboard from the outside (which acted as a sort of roof for the tissue mansion)... they now both sleep underground again, together, I think. Graham does come across as the dominant gerbil now, but he has stopped chasing Tillda who seems okay with this for now. As far as I can tell, he is not stressed or anxious at the moment.

The tank used to be in front of a window, but Tillda and Graham didn't like the sun much. They do get 6-8 inches of aspen and carefresh with every tank clean, and additional cardboard to shred every day.

I have not seen a ball fight in days now. However, we will remain vigilant. The tank is in our living room. We will start scattering the food, and continue to weigh both of them regularly.

[qtoffer]

Sometimes a new toy can cause a falling out. I remember reading about someone here whose previously peaceful gerbils started fighting over a new plastic wheel - she replaced the old metal one, and all was well again. I once had a pair who started squabbling over a very thick cardboard tube - I tossed it, and all was well again. It must have had a unique scent because they never fought over regular paper towel tubes.

Too many potential nesting spots can cause territorial tension where none existed before - I think that's what happened in your case. Removing the coconut house and/or removing the tissue mansion roof probably averted a possible declan between your boys. I'd still keep an eye on them and be aware that their relationship is probably going through some changes as they are getting older.

[rennmaus]

Thanks for your advice, qtoffer. We'll be keeping an eye out for any sort of trouble...I do hope the fact that they now share a nest again is a good sign, and that this peace will last.