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Post by sweetie on Jan 21, 2005 12:38:58 GMT -8
Hey Peg,
That about says it all. I can only add my experience to the mix. I have 8 adult gerbils and 11 pups. They all prefer Aspen. I tried Carefresh and it gave my gerbs red bloody noses. I think they had a mild reaction to it. Also out of 8 adult gerbils, I have 4 boys and 2 girls. They all have thier own personalities but by far, the boys are more laid back than the girls. Also the Blacks 1M & 1F are a bit more jumpy and not high energy.
How is everything going so far?
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Post by PeggySS on Jan 21, 2005 18:23:24 GMT -8
All is well. Blaze does not appear to be ill afterall. He is just on a different schedule. He was very active today while the others slept. In fact, he is the one most likely to jump into a human hand to grab a sunflower seed. We saw him eating and drinking. He even pushed the other gerbils away from the water until he was finished. He also sniffed, nibbled, and finally nipped my older daughter. I had warned her ahead of time not to jerk back and scare the gerbils so she stood there with tears welling up in her eyes and slowly pulled her hand out of the tank. No blood was drawn so I do think Blaze was just investigating her. I told her to go ahead and retreat at the nibbling stage next time.
My thanks to those who posted pics of their water bottle set-up. That helps so much. I will look for something similar to use.
One more question, has anyone (a person) shown an allergic reaction to aspen? One of my daughters has developed a rash on the hand/wrist that she has put into the tank. She's not especially allergic to things (no food allergies, for example), so I was wondering if it could be the aspen.
Happy as a clam, PeggyS
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Post by queenofthenile on Jan 21, 2005 18:25:18 GMT -8
Honestly, she may be allergic to the gerbil pee or rodents in general. I always have to wash my hands immediately after handling my gerbs, because if I accidently touch my face, I turn all itchy and red.
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RW
Member
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Puppy 6/6/07
Posts: 530
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Post by RW on Jan 21, 2005 22:10:53 GMT -8
Glad to hear that things are going well and that Blaze is doing fine. It's normal for pups to nip a little at first. Like human babies, they go through a phase of exploring things with their mouths. It's also possible that Blaze may have been reacting to the stress of his new situation. You can try blowing a soft puff of air in his face when he nips. That works for a lot of people. Or, what works best for me, is to speak sharply and say something like, "No!" or "Hey!". Don't yell, just speak in a firm tone of voice. Be sure to praise when they've done something you want them to. Gerbils are pretty intelligent and it doesn't take long for them to start picking up on your tone of voice and figure out whether they're doing the right or wrong thing. As Queen said, you daughter may be allergic to the gerbils themselves or their waste, but it's possible that it's the aspen she's allergic to. A good many people are, myself included. Aspen makes my eyes water and makes me cough. Be sure to keep us updated on your progress. RW
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Post by PeggySS on Jan 24, 2005 7:36:31 GMT -8
We've increased supervision of handwashing after visiting the gerbils and my daughter's rash has disappeared. Thank you once again.
We continue to introduce our hands into the tank and hope the gerbils will gain trust in us. Blue tends to run and hide from us but the other 2 go about their business, running over our hands if we are in their path. Blaze and Blackie will also retrieve sunflower seeds from our hands but run to a safe spot to eat. The biggest hit was when my daughters put their hands in the tank right after eating chocolate cake. The gerbils were all over their hands, sniffing and licking.
PeggyS
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RW
Member
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Puppy 6/6/07
Posts: 530
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Post by RW on Jan 26, 2005 6:51:34 GMT -8
Good to hear that your daughter's rash was taken care of so easily. Blue may just be a little more timid about socializing than your other two. Gerbils come around in their own time--some are pushovers, some take a little longer. It sounds like you're off to a good start, though! One thing you can try when your hand is in the tank is making a sort of tunnel of it by resting your fingertips on the tank floor, leaving a gap between your thumb and index finger. Most gerbils can't resist running through the "tunnel" at least a few times. Be careful about food smells on your hands. That can cause some gerbils to nip. It's a good idea to wash your hands both before and after handling them. I don't change hand soap, either. It probably wouldn't matter if I did, but I think it's better to keep my hands smelling familiar, since gerbils are very scent-oriented. RW
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Post by egirl on Mar 15, 2005 14:00:47 GMT -8
I got mine at Greentree Petcenter, for about $3.
Most are $8 though.
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Post by sweetie on Mar 16, 2005 12:07:18 GMT -8
I agree with RW. Hand washing before and after is really important. I was bitten when I smelled of tasty food after preparing dinner. Also I was bitten when I changed my hand lotion to Sun Ripened Raspberry.
It does sound like you and your daughter are enjoying the gerbils. They are fun little creatures.
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