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Post by pyrotarukia on Oct 19, 2014 1:05:32 GMT -8
Sneaky Pete and Pepper love it! They are both absolutely adorable I wouldn't worry too much about them not drinking straight away they don't actually drink that often maybe once or twice a day and probably at night too but I never see mine drink more then that as long as they've sniffed the bottle they know it's there I'm sure your daughters will love watching them and also I see you've stocked well up on cardboard underneath the tank lol they go through it so fast so it's good to have a collection already going. Although your youngest daughter is too young to handle them maybe in a couple of months when the gerbils are more tame you could make a play pen on the floor for them and she could sit with them that way she doesn't have to pick them up and you don't need to worry about them being dropped or anything but they will run and climb all over her and I'm sure she'd love it lol
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Post by mothman on Oct 19, 2014 10:59:00 GMT -8
Yes, we've been collecting cardboard for a while. My older daughter has been diligent about keeping the toilet paper tubes. So far the gerbils haven't done a ton of cardboard chewing, but they have started a bit. We've now seen both gerbils drinking, so I'm happy. And I have a few big cardboard boxes that I plan on breaking down and building into a fold-down playpen area for the living room floor, so we will definitely do as you've suggested. Couple questions... (not sure if I should start a new thread... for now I'll put them here. The water bottle is finicky as far as drips. Yesterday I got it to stop dripping, today I refreshed the water and it seems to want to keep dripping now... but very very slowly (maybe a drop every few minutes or so). Is that anything to fret over? I can easily spread the bedding around a bit occasionally under the bottle to prevent that one spot from getting soggy, if it even does with that slow of a drip. And the water bottle is big, so I'm not worried about it running dry. And, I'm guessing it's normal that the gerbils have not ventured into the topper yet. However, they haven't even set a paw on the ladder I built... I'm wondering if maybe the ladder is not suitable (made out of scrap cage wall with small willow stick as the rungs, about every 1/2 inch or so), or if they simply have not been interested yet and eventually will check it out.
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Post by pyrotarukia on Oct 19, 2014 11:47:02 GMT -8
From my personal experience I wouldn't worry too much about the water bottle dripping every water bottle I've had always drips until there is about 1 finger width empty from the top and then it just stops dripping.. not sure why? but I've never had issues with the gerbils being disturbed by the dripping and the substrate seems to dry up quickly so there isn't a lot of mess. Also I think I mentioned before about my current and past gerbils never explored the topper the first couple of days I have a feeling it's due to the fact that in the petshop they don't have a topper at all and the flooring of the ladder and the topper itself is not something they have ever walked on before but their curiosity will eventually get the better of them once they have settled and feeling a little braver. If you wanted to help encourage them up you could leave a small amount of sunflower seeds scattered on the 2nd level that they will be able to smell and find their way up
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Post by gerbillover9612 on Oct 19, 2014 12:28:16 GMT -8
Aw congrats on your new gerbils Sorry about suddenly appearing ;D i just read through the thread and i love their set up XD and brilliant photos also i cant help but notice how cutee Loki and Benji look in the middle photo phrotarukia ;D haha xxx
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Post by pyrotarukia on Oct 19, 2014 12:41:10 GMT -8
Thanks lol it's actually Genji guess I picked a bad font xD loving your Halloween themed sig mothman you should definitely post more photos of your 2 cuties when they are less camera shy
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Post by gerbillover9612 on Oct 19, 2014 12:49:26 GMT -8
haha, oops. i was thinking that it was Genji, i got a bit confused. So sorrry. haha thankyou XD zz
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Post by lucille on Oct 19, 2014 18:36:57 GMT -8
set up looks great and cute gerbs - glad to hear things are going well : ) I usually give my water bottle one sharp shake with the nozzle sorta pointed like a hook toward the ground - it's hard to explain lol but it brings the drip down enough that the bedding doesn't get wet - it'll have like one drop clinging to the tip of the bottle threatening to drop off but somehow it seems it never does. Experiment with it a bit - but if the bedding isn't getting too wet I wouldn't fret about it - there really is no such thing as a total leak proof bottle
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Post by mothman on Oct 20, 2014 7:32:26 GMT -8
Thanks for the advice all. Pyro, yes, you had said that the topper will be ignored for a while. I've just been a bit surprised that the critters haven't even looked at the ladder. lol I will make a point of being more patient.
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Post by lucille on Oct 21, 2014 17:31:08 GMT -8
they may be going up there when you're asleep or out of the room also - you'd be surprised what they do when they think you're not looking ; )
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Post by mothman on Oct 23, 2014 12:08:06 GMT -8
One of them (Pepper) found the topper right away after I switched the ladder to a solid ladder.
Joey has still not gone up, he's afraid of heights apparently. lol
It has been interesting watching them and getting to know their personalities and behaviours.
One of the interesting things (to me) is that they keep moving their nests. They thus far choose to make their own hideouts in the substrate, and don't use the wooden house. Since bringing them home Saturday they have moved their nest 3 or 4 times. Currently they've made it right beside their food/water area, which is a pain lol... this morning on waking up I saw their food bowl had been tipped over and their water had been made inaccessible because of how/where they were digging.
I wonder, do they move their nests due to 'contamination' in their old ones? Do they go to the bathroom down in there? I think not, but not sure. Or do they move simply out of curiosity and exploration?
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Post by crittercrazy on Oct 23, 2014 12:58:48 GMT -8
Moving their nests is normal. . . I have a female who literally makes a new nest everyday. I don't really know why, maybe they just think its fun. It is certainly annoying when they nest under or next to the water bottle, but that also is normal. I just try to put the food dish and water where they can't nest.
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Post by gerbilgrl89 on Oct 24, 2014 9:55:44 GMT -8
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Post by mothman on Oct 24, 2014 11:54:50 GMT -8
Sounds fun! We've got a wooden house up on a shelf in the tank, with some aspen and toilet paper in there, but so far they are not interested in it, other than Pepper uses it as a perch.
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Keeper
Member
Enjoying my new Gerbils.
Posts: 108
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Post by Keeper on Oct 30, 2014 12:47:45 GMT -8
What lucky gerbils. You chose well with gerbils, I own hamsters too and although I got hamsters first I will always choose gerbils from now on. They interact and are so much fun to watch
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Post by mothman on Oct 30, 2014 14:17:02 GMT -8
Thanks Keeper.
Yes we are glad we got them. Right up until when we were driving to get the gerbils, I was second guessing whether I really wanted to have gerbils as family pets, but since getting them we are enjoying them.
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