How Handle-able?

[elliriyanna]

I am back to looking at possibly getting a gerbil ... But I want to make sure I am making the right choice. Are gerbils fairly handleable or easy to tame at all? 


Boyfriend says its between a hamster and a gerbil ( we narrowed it down to these due to our lifestyle and what we are looking for in a pet) 

[lizb]

They will be more handable if you work with them and you get two gerbils. Otherwise, it depends on the individual gerbil some tame easier than others.

[elliriyanna]

Well I was certainly planning two. Its just I am worried about getting an unhandleable pet. I have tamed difficult rats, aggressive pets etc. But I would really rather not do that this time. I just lost my two oldest rats ( both 2 1/2 years old) and I just want something to love. Yes tehre will be work no matter what but I don't want a several month long taming adventure.

[elliriyanna]

I am honestly also a bit worried because the tank I have to work with is a 20 long with a screen top, not the recommended tall tanks

[lizb]

Actually, 20L is exactly what they recommend for two gerbils. But, honestly, there aren't any guarantees, no matter what pets you get. As I understand it (and I'm new myself), most gerbils can be tamed with patience.

[daisy]

I had hamsters when I was a child and was set on getting a hamster, but then I did some research and realized that gerbils were a better pet for my home.  I like that gerbils are not nocturnal, are not solitary and are very active.  Also, I heard that hamsters are more likely to bite.  So, I got two boys and a 20 gallon long tank and it works well. Gerbils definitely have to be kept in pairs.

My gerbils were relatively easy to tame, but I didn't rush it at all. After about week of their getting used to their new home, I started putting my hand in the tank, keeping it still on the bottom. In time, they started to investigate and then started to crawl on my hand. I didn't pick them up for quite awhile.  The whole thing may have taken a month.

Daisy

I

[elliriyanna]

I have had hamsters on and off for years and surprisingly I think I have been bit by one even though people swear they are biters.

I am going to wait until after the holiday season and start buying supplies.

[crittercrazy]

If you do the taming process properly, it shouldn't take more then a month, if even.
Though it also depends on where you get your gerbils from. . . pet store gerbils are, as I well know, not overly tame sometimes!! If you have a breeder nearby, definitely go for that. But even if you don't, I've had perfectly tame pet store gerbils so its not that big a problem.
If/when you do get some I hope it goes well!!

[Thelodar]

Depends on what you mean by easy to handle. In my experience I've found gerbils to be less aggressive, but of course I know people with the opposite experience. I've been bitten by pretty much every hamster I've picked up. But I've never owned one, these were friend's hamsters. They were also SUPER sleepy and disturbing them while they slept was a big no-no so a lot of times we couldn't handle them at all because they were asleep and wouldn't get up. With my gerbils if they are asleep and I open the lid they're fully awake and ready to go in seconds. They're much more alert and curious.

That said hamsters are slower. They are more likely to just chill in your hand whereas a gerbil will be moving and you have to go hand over hand or deal with them crawling up your arm and that sort of thing. You need to really focus on them while you're handling them, you can't just place them in your lap and have them waddle about like a hamster, they'll speed right off. That's why I don't usually recommend them to young kids, they're easier to drop.


But I have never had an aggressive gerbil (I've had 8). I have been bitten to the point of bleeding once by my first gerbil but I was in second grade and was treating her like a toy at the time. The next four never bit at all and of my current three one was a nibbler when I first got him (no blood though) but never puts his teeth one me now. They've always been very curious and interested in coming out to explore. Like I said when I open the lid they come running to see what's going on. I did put a lot of time into taming these three guys. I took it intentionally slow with picking up because I didn't want to move too fast and ruin their impression of handling. I trained them to jump into my hand voluntarily for treats, let them crawl all over me in a play pen, and basically got them very comfortable with me before ever forcing them to be held. It paid off big time, they are all super social and comfortable with handling. They love coming out for play pen time and enjoy sitting on my head, they think I'm the best jungle gym ever. No biting and they're easy to catch.

But each gerbil is an individual, I've heard of some people having severe biters that can't be tamed or gerbils that are so skittish they can't be caught or run and hide when people come into the room. I adopted these three from a shelter where they were never handled and they turned out perfect. So they each have their own genetically determined temperament (even among my three they have different levels of "outgoingness". Logan, who was my nipper early on is now the most social, doesn't try to get away at all when I go to pick him up. Theo is the least happy about being caught). I agree that a breeder is the safest bet, if the parents/other known relatives are friendly and the breeder is diligent about handling the pups then you're stacking the odds in your favor.

[elliriyanna]

I would love to get them from a breeder or a rescue ( I usually rescue) but gerbils just are not a common pet here. So I will probably have to just go through a local pet store unfortunately.

I am a rat owner ... Fast pets you have to watch I am more than familiar with. Being crawled all over, not a problem. I am pretty easy going.

I have tons of experience with Skittish and aggressive. I was a rat foster for the special ones. Yes rats are very different but some of the same techniques and mannerisms can be applied.

[mothman]

As a new gerbil owner (got them Oct 18), I can give some input from that perspective... that being that it seems gerbils are very individual, as others have said.

Of our two gerbils, one will climb on our hand, but will not stay there, he won't climb on us, and we've yet to actually pick him up. The other, however, will climb and sit on our hand, and climbs up our arms, onto our lap, etc. As others said, the gerbil doesn't just sit there, we're always moving our hands, arms, etc, to sort of keep him 'contained', but he is certainly handle-able.

[lizb]

I have heard that gerbils who are tamed (climb on owners an such) when young are more likely to sit when they get older and slow down.

[elliriyanna]

I should specify I am a female rat owner lol. The boys are big and lazy and the girls ... are like 2 years olds on candy.

[Thelodar]

All of my gerbils before these were pet store gerbils and were great but they were still quite young when I got them and were from a small local store, not a chain. They may even breed gerbils themselves...I know they always have some tanks of rodents that are still too young to sell. I might be hesitant to get an older gerbil from a pet store, but as I said upbringing isn't everything, some animals will just inherently have a more outgoing, trusting, laid back temperament and take very little effort to tame.