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Post by mcweedman on May 24, 2015 12:29:12 GMT -8
Hi I was just wondering how long I should split cage our gerbils. Last month we had a declan and we had to separate our declanned gerbil(Chuck) and give him another home. a couple of weeks ago we got another gerbil (monkey) and now we are trying to split cage them. We just made a split cage on Friday and have switched them each day since. About how long would it be until we can put them together and what should we look for before we can put them together? Thanks in advance!
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Post by johanne on May 24, 2015 17:20:27 GMT -8
Unfortunately there is no prescribed amount of time. Typically it takes anywhere from 3 seconds to 3 months. It depends on the ages and temperaments of the gerbils involved. All you can do is observe them carefully each time you make the switch. In the early stages they'll run around sniffing things (or being destructive) when they get to the other side. Eventually they'll take a more ho hum attitude after the change in scenery. That's when they're ready to meet.
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Post by betty on May 27, 2015 1:21:00 GMT -8
Also, depending on how they are reacting to things you can try different swap techniques... If they are really grumpy, I tend to to do the slow start where they each have a house and tubes and I swap them once a day so they know there is another gerbil there but they are under no pressure to be friends - and to be honest - it probably isn't going to be a quick one anyway. After a week of that if they are less stressed/aggressive, then I start to swap on the three times a day plan - so they still end up sleeping in the other ones nest alternate nights - a great way to see if they are getting used to each other.
Only once I think they are getting close will I take out all the gubbins, and leave them in just a very basic split and keep at the 3 times a day, then one day I take out the split and add a giant dust bath. And apart from my current split - this approach has not yet failed. (obviously you are trying to make the scents the same both sides of the split - so if stage 1 takes too long - clean them out a bit before going full on - otherwise by the end of the process the bedding is filthy and you won't want to change it for a short while after they are finally together = stinky mess vs risk of upsetting the new friends).
My approach is a longer one as I am more cautious in my approach (and I leave them in the un-split split tank for some time after they are together so that there are no sudden changes). I would rather take longer at it and get it right first time, than go for speed - although many people do it faster and are very successful. I suppose it is all about your personal preferences and your keen eye!
However, as johanne says - they are all different...
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