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Post by jubileehawker on Oct 12, 2004 13:50:28 GMT -8
I am not very experienced with this gerbil buisness, but would like to learn. Any suggestions and hints on how to adopt pups? Any would be very welcome.
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Oct 12, 2004 13:58:39 GMT -8
While adoption of rescues is very admirable you do not have a history and may find yourself with problems you cannot predict and do not thave the experience to cope with.
pet shops gerbils may carry hidden diseases and again their history is unknown. also many petshops have poor conditions for gerbils and buying from them encourages the trade
A breeder can give you the animals background, medical and genetic history.
And maybe you can get gerbils who have lived together and not have to do intros
I recommend a pair or trio of boys, get them quite young (no younger than 5 weeks though) and have them grow up with you.
you will learn a lot from them and gain experience in gerbil care and behaviour.
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Post by sweetie on Oct 13, 2004 11:54:34 GMT -8
Hey Jubilee, I got 2 of my gerbils as rescues from a shelter. The gerbils are great but the experience was bad. They gave me opposite sexed gerbils  from the same litter eventhough I asked 2 different people to sex them for me. If I had not noticed as soon as I did, I would have had inbred babies and since they had no information on the parents, I would not know how many generations they were (if at all) inbred. They also gave me incorrect information regarding the care of gerbils like pine vs aspen. Lastly, they suggested Hartz cages instead of tanks. Tanks are better environments for gerbils and cages for hamsters etc. I then got 5 gerbils from the pet store and again I do not know the family history or conditions surrounding the breeding process. Some pet stores are better at caring for the gerbils than others and I would check out the pet store facilities before purchasing. Lastly, I got 1 gerbils from the breeder. I intend to breed and wanted a particular color. All my gerbils are healthy and tame and it made no difference where I got them. I think that if you want gerbils as pets only not to breed, then you could get them anywhere. The only thing I would caution is that you research how to sex, house, feed, and care for them before you purchase them. This website is a great place for information and to ask questions. Peter's website is also a great place for information regarding gerbils, care, and keep. I hope this has helped!!  |
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Post by sandy2 on Oct 13, 2004 12:52:14 GMT -8
I'd recommend a breeder. The one "problem" gerbil I have (always prone to sore noses, and not looking well) was from a pet store. Breeders such as myself can guarantee the sex of the gerbils you get, they also can ensure that you will not recieve a pregnant gerbil. They can assist you in getting the right tank and help you set it up, and recommend bedding and food. I don't know about other breeders, but I sell my gerbils at 1/2 the price you'd pay at a pet store, for a far superior animal, with a greater colour selection.
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from the same litter eventhough I asked 2 different people to sex them for me. If I had not noticed as soon as I did, I would have had inbred babies and since they had no information on the parents, I would not know how many generations they were (if at all) inbred. They also gave me incorrect information regarding the care of gerbils like pine vs aspen. Lastly, they suggested Hartz cages instead of tanks. Tanks are better environments for gerbils and cages for hamsters etc.