What should I do when intoducing them?

[cathy123]

I've been using a split cage now for just under a month. I have introduced my two male gerbils to each other a few times now and they have all been failed attempts. I found out that I'm supposed to introduce them in the cage instead of where I have done before. So, I want to know if it would be ok to but the divider back into the cage at night if it all goes well because I don't want to wake up to dead gerbils or blood everywhere.

Please help!!

[betty]

Yes, ideally you would only take out the split when you had hours to spare watching them as once they sleep together you should be ok for the night if no other negative signs are seen.

So avoid doing it late at night or if you have to leave them alone less than 2 hours after taking the split out to be sure.

I usually do it before lunchtime when I am going to be home for the whole evening. That way I can keep my eye on them the whole night.

I have only ever had to keep them by my side all night one time because I wasn't around the next day and I didn't want to split them again for a few days. It was fine as it happens and I went to work the next day happy that they were fine together.

[cathy123]

Thanks Betty, I will be introducing them over the weekend so I should have plenty of time.

[betty]

Good Luck then - let us know how it goes....

[vexorg]

Wear heavy gardening gloves to separate them

[cathy123]

Well, it went ok. It lasted about an hour before I needed to split them up. One gerbil(Jake) was trying to have a nap and the other(Tom) wanted to join him, but Jake didn't want to nap with Tom so he jumped away from the burrow. I don't think Jake likes Tom because he was trying to escape from the cage and actually succeeded....oops! Luckily I caught him, and that's where I decided to put the divider back in.