Nest smells like urine and have to clean it daily.

[j]

This happened somewhat with my first litter too, but it's worse with my second because I have 4 females in with 7 pups.

I know plastic and toilet paper smell really bad when they urinate on it, BUT shouldn't gerbils be much more clean then this? And NOT be urinating and leaving turds in the nest they sleep in especially with newborn pups??

I've been washing the container and changing their toiletpaper every night since they were born because it obviously cannot be healthy for pups that tiny to be breathing in that horrible smell... The first night I thought it was because of the afterbirth and stuff.. but nope. Anyone else have this problem or is it just mine? I know most people don't clean the nesting box untill their atleast a week old.. so wth.

Actually last time I kept a sand box in the tank for them to use as a bathroom..but it seems like they only used it to dig in and crap in.

[Ritzie/Admin]

I've never had this problem with my Mongolians, but with my duprasis I have the same problem, but not that severe that I have to clean it daily! With them I clean the whole cage when the pups are weaned, about 3 weeks of age!

[toxictygir]

When I took care of someone's Hamster for a week or two, they were like that....but Gerbils usually pick a specific spot to use right?

[Ritzie/Admin]

Normally hamsters do that too! ;D
But indeed gerbils have usually one or two places where they urinate. However their faeces can be found everywhere!, But they are dry and don't smell!

My gerbils urinate in their sand bath!

[j]

Ughhh I hated that about hamsters. I haven't had them since I was like 6 but that was so gross. They would sleep in their turds and if I picked them up I had to wipe the turds off them.

My gerbils actually like to urinate in their plastic tubes. I don't see why...cause then they have to walk in it....

Oh well. Another week or so I'm moving the pups into the regular tank and out of the plastic cage thing they're in. They're going to get too big and it's too small for the 7 of them and then the 4 adults on top of it. I let her have them in there this time cause I knew she wouldn't care when I wanted to move them.