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Post by smokey on Apr 18, 2015 10:47:12 GMT -8
Ive just had to prize my 2 boys off each other.
This has come out of the blue as they are 3 years old now. And this bought them together.
Any ideas why this has happened, nothing has changed management wise.
And what should i do with them now? They are in separate cages atm.
I was wondering if this may cause a major fight. Theo had his scent gland removed about 2-3weeks ago. If he can no longer scent and thor can what would happen?
Theo is actually fine I think the blood on him is Thor's and he just has pin pricks type cuts on his side and a bit round his mouth.
Thor has a cut on his side and pin moron type cuts round his mouth too. He definitely seems to have come worse off.
How long should I wait before trying to reintroduce? I obviously dont want to leave them too long in fear its going to be permanant.
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Post by psychotherapist on Apr 18, 2015 12:16:08 GMT -8
It is indeed possible that the removal of the scent gland could have indirectly lead to a territorial dispute.
Have you given them any new toys lately, that perhaps Thor was able to scent & "claim" whilst Theo was not?
Failing that, it could be something a simple as a slight change of scent that's possibly upset the established hierarchy.
Are you split caging them at the moment? I'd have started this right away in a clean cage and let them get reaquainted in safety. Give it a week and try to introduce, if there are no aggressive signs at the mesh.
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Post by smokey on Apr 18, 2015 13:24:23 GMT -8
yeah ive split there cage. Theres been no aggression at all as far as i can tell. Theo has been chewing the bars but he was doing that before i put Thor in. The problem Im having is the water. Its in a bowl but they are throwing shavings in. Will they be ok? I havnt really got any way of hangin water bottles up. Their're in a storage tub. There currently stealing each others kitchen roll. www.dropbox.com/s/83xkpjoajom30dz/2015-04-18%2020.41.46.jpg?dl=0Ive sorted the water bottler situation. Ive tied the water bottles to the wire partition. |
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Post by smokey on Apr 19, 2015 11:57:51 GMT -8
Well they were sleeping next to each other this morning. So tonight i got them out into the bath. They ignored each other to start and then thor kept going to theos bum.
He was also grinding his teeth does that mean anything?
Theo definitely is the boss. He kept getting on top on thor and also grooming him and thor let him. Im taking that as a good sigh.
Im going to keep them seperate and keep taking thm to the bath for a little longer.
Gerbil behaviour is very interesting but cant find much about it
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Post by eleda on Apr 19, 2015 20:11:09 GMT -8
sounds to me like its going well =)
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Post by vexorg on Apr 19, 2015 22:25:59 GMT -8
You are lucky, we had a group of 4 brothers and one took a dislike to another and that was that. Not sure what happened as either of the fighting two were happy with either of the other two (we kept swapping them around every hour or two to see who was friends and who was enemy). You are left with a "what the hell??" feeling as they've got on so well for so long.
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Post by vexorg on Apr 19, 2015 22:26:46 GMT -8
oops double post
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Post by smokey on Apr 20, 2015 0:27:55 GMT -8
It was confusing to why they did it. As there no reason for it. But there still acting like it didnt happen. But I will take it slowly to be certain. I need to clean the bedding in their tank that has blood on it. do u think I should clean the whole thing to be sure? There nest is in a rat box so have left that the last 2 clean outs.
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Post by betty on Apr 20, 2015 23:46:32 GMT -8
Yes, you should have cleaned the tank completely out before you started the split. This way they are both starting off at level peggings again rather than the same set up (imagine you had a fight with your room-mate - would you feel better starting afresh in a new set up - or being put back into exactly the same set up with the same problems you had before?)
Also, there never appears to be a reason for fighting it in our eyes - but then it is all about what they think that matters.
I have had a dad's scent gland removed entirely, and he has so far not had any problems with his son (it's been around 5 months now), and I have had many other fully-scent-glanded gerbils just declan - when nothing to my mind has changed. Something in the gerbils must have changed (perhaps illness, age or something that only gerbils pick up on).
Hopefully, you can split these 2 back together for a short while at least. You will have to assume that it won't last for ever - but that they could get a good few months out of it. Just always be EXTRA careful when introducing anything new (or just don't seeing as they are already so old), and make sure you leave some tank mess bedding in when you clean them out - whether or not these things make a difference is debatable, but at least it will lessen the chances of something happening again in your mind.
If you keep everything the same and make the least changes possible and they still fight again - then at least you know it wasn't something YOU did?
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Post by smokey on Apr 21, 2015 6:45:17 GMT -8
Ive done the split in a storage tub that was there play area originally. Not there normal home. I havnt gotten round to changing that yet.
They came out again last night on the sofa and then I thought I'd try them in the split tank wothout the split and they were fine together. Theo was grooming thor alot. Is that a dominance thing? He is coming over as the dominant one.
Im going to continue to to take the split out when im around and keep an eye on them I think.
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Post by eleda on Apr 21, 2015 12:37:58 GMT -8
My dominant gerbil would often walks over to his room mate, sort of step on his head or shoulders, and begin grooming his head between the ears. then after a few moments he'd let the submissive one up and they'd kiss or sniff or something and then go back to whatever they were doing. i always assumed it was a dominance thing
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Post by betty on Apr 22, 2015 23:43:44 GMT -8
Well that's good news so far if they haven't all out attacked each other on contract. Let's hope you can keep the status quo going for them.
Gerbils are funny aren't they....
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Post by smokey on Apr 23, 2015 6:21:20 GMT -8
They certainly are! They have been together now for 3days and so far *touches wood* they have been fine together, Apart from over grooming each other, in there storage tub. Ive yet to clean out their tank and move them to there.
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Post by betty on Apr 23, 2015 10:22:20 GMT -8
Fingers crossed it stays that way...
I would keep them on the same bedding for as long as you can then... I add more bedding, but I try to keep all of the old if I move tanks - just to be extra cautious. I'd rather have them together and a bit smelly, than fresh as a daisy but fighting again..
(but then I am over cautious/a worrier)
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