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Post by Charliebob on Jan 12, 2015 21:49:15 GMT -8
So I think I've done something so stupid and I've worried myself to where I can't sleep.
I bought a new gerbil yestarday from the Pet shop I work in. I attempted to introduce her to my girls.. And they seem fine with her I've monitored them now for a day - going to continously monitor them for the rest of the week - as I put them in a play bin together - and now their tank..
But I'm worried because the baby one is squeaking a lot - everytime one of the others goes near her. They smell one another's mouths and then move on.. I think one of my girls even tries to show her there's nothing to be scared of.. But she's so terrified of everything.. :-(
She was on her own - and she's from the same parents - just the next generation.
My four girls are all sisters.. Persephone, Nepthys, Sahara, and Freya.. Now baby Isis.
I won't have a spare tank till Saturday :-( so I can't separate them.. But I just want them to get along.. I wish she knew nothing was going to hurt her.
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Post by Charliebob on Jan 13, 2015 5:41:13 GMT -8
Update: So she's had quite the roam around during the night, I kept waking up to check on her, from worrying. Never the less whilst all the others were asleep she had a lot of fun in the wheel, ate some food, chewed her mineral stone, and ran about quite a bit... But still when the others come out from their bed - she runs into her own hiding place, and squeeks like mad - but they go in and "kiss" her, but she just stays there.. Isolated  She won't cuddle up with them. Right now - as they're asleep, she's popcorning around and bouncing. Haha, running in her wheel - eating.. THen digging somee.. Playing basically.. But when one comes out she hides.. |
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Post by catnut on Jan 13, 2015 16:06:44 GMT -8
I would find something safe you can put her in, even the playbin if she can't ascape from that, or even a very high thick box that you know she can't jump out of. She seems very scared and that isn't good for her. A split cage would be a good start so they get used to each others' scents but maybe since she is stressed, put her in a cage by herself so she can calm down. It's not worth something happening to any of them or you losing sleep over worrying something bad will happen. Can you borrow a cage from work or a friend? How old are the other gerbils? It may be better to get another young girl for the new girl instead of trying to put her with your current gerbils, you don't want a Declan.
Take care,
Tammy
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Post by Charliebob on Jan 14, 2015 7:03:57 GMT -8
Thanks, yeah, I noticed some fighting so removed her and for the time being put her in a separate cage. I'm getting a new gerbilarium on saturday.
They're all very young - my four girls are no more than 2 1/2 months old, then this little one is 1 1/2 month x
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Post by betty on Jan 17, 2015 4:09:45 GMT -8
I am not expert on splits or gerbil behaviour, but I did have a quintuplet of females, 4 from the same litter and 1 older sister all together from the mum.
They all got on fine for the first 6 months and I thought I knew which one was dominant etc and how they all worked together. However, I was planning to split them into a 3 and a 2 based on my assumptions, when they fought.
And it wasn't how I thought it would happen. The oldest sister got it worst from who I don't know, so I took her out and was going to put the quietest one with her - but then the quietest one started chasing the other 2 injured ones round the tank like a banshee, so I didn't want to put her with the injured one incase it was her who did that! So after on the spot deliberation I ended up with 2 pairs and a single. 1 injured badly, 2 with injured legs, 1 angry but with no injuries and 1 totally oblivious to the whole thing.
So from my experience, I wouldn't put the new one in with the sisters to make a 5, I would probably get a new baby for your baby and leave the existing 4 as they are. If you really want to keep your sisters together, I would perhaps take a single one out of the 4 and make a 2 with your new baby, and leave the other 3 together. You need to decide on what to do soon though before they really form a proper clan otherwise taking just a random one out could upset the existing clan.
Like I said I am not expert, but I know that breaking a clan can sometimes have disastrous effects (as you could unbalance the existing status quo) - so if they are still very young then you need to act fast. Once they are over 12 weeks, I wouldn't try anything new with them.
Perhaps someone else has more experience with siblings?
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Post by Charliebob on Jan 18, 2015 3:35:08 GMT -8
I took your advice Betty! I got a new gerbilarium fit for baby Phoenix, and I took the quieter more shy one from my other four girls, little Frøjya (Freya) and put her in. So far so good.. at the start she was chewing the bars at the top of the gerbilarium for hourssss.. I was worried she wanted her sister, so I put in Persephone - but Persephone was chasing baby Phoenix! So instantly removed her and put her back, and Frøjya began chewing the bars again... So I took the silent spinning wheel out from Nepthys, Persephone and Sahara's tank - and put it in with Phoenix and Frøjya's. Now she's stopped biting the bars, and actually is cuddling up and grooming Phoenix.. So! I'll keep my eye on it  Question: I decided to litter train, and the girls took to it really well... The only thing is, Frøjya keeps kicking bedding from the tank, into her jar...  why? Haha Thanks! |
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Post by Charliebob on Jan 18, 2015 3:38:00 GMT -8
Uhh so she was kicking bedding in - and now she's sleeping in it... But she was sleeping with Phoenix all night?! SO confused... Frøjya that's a toilet! not a bed! |
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Post by betty on Jan 22, 2015 8:32:38 GMT -8
That's great news that they have bonded together. Hopefully that will remain perfect for them and for you - and then everyone is happy.
And about the toilet - they really don't care what we put things in for - they just do what they want...
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why? Haha