Introducing sisters

[Laura Marie]

All of you were helpful enough to suggest getting a second gerbil after I got my first one two weeks ago and noticed she was still pretty lethargic after 3 days.

So I finally built the split cage (it took a while, with many failed attempts with the frame!) and brought home the second gerbil today - she was one of the original cagemates of my gerbil in the petstore and I've been told they are sisters.

When I put them in the split cage, they both seemed really happy, running around, digging a lot, smelling each other through the mesh (though no bum sniffing that I saw).

However, I thought they were supposed to have a water bottle, a food dish, and a "home" to hide in on each side of the split. I did this - one set (very thoroughly washed) from the original cage and one new set. Now, after reading more, it seems like people are saying they will scent mark each of these things and then get possesive of them when I introduce them, causing them to fight? Oh no!

Do I have to get rid of everything in the cage and just have food scattered in the bedding? Or do I keep everything there for now, but when I remove the split, get all new things? Or will it be ok because they are sisters?

(As a PS, I've already switched sides twice and they didn't SEEM to scent mark when I did that - but I may just be bad at recognizing scentmarking. They did run around a lot when switched, but it seemed more playful and exploratory than frantic and territorial.)

Thank you again!!

[esztershine]

Even though you brought home the sister she should have been quarantined for around 2 weeks in case of any illnesses may occur.

But as you put them together I just advise you keep an eye on them in case you see any changes.

You did not mention names so I refer your first girl as 1 and 2 for the newcomer.

Girl 2 possibly still getting used to her new environment as she has been moved to your home. Swapping them every 2 hours is good, make sure they do sleep on opposite sides from the night before.

If I was you I would take out the food bowls and houses. I had fights over an old coconut shell though I cleaned it. Their smell is very good! Scatter the food and give them a big bunch of toilet paper or kitchen paper so they can build a nest each. Water bottle can stay, they need water. Johanne suggested using a jar to swap them. This way girl 2 and 1 won't freak out every time you trying to catch them for a swap. So there will be less stress hence less problems. Make sure you use 2 jars so there are no 2 gerbils in one jar at a time (just in case someone does not know).

You could also hand tame them as the split is going on. While you are offering a treat to girl 2, girl 1 Might be interested in interacting with you both, which I found helping with bonding. And vice versa.

The way they scentmark is lower their belly on the floor and pull themselves forward to leave their smell on. It is quite cute though.

Good signs in the split are kissing, nose grooming, sitting side by side, sleeping in each other's nest, moving their nests to the devider. In general showing signs of interactions, looking calm and friendly towards each other.

Suggested to wait 2 weeks for females in the split, maybe longer but will see how they behave.
Once you decide to intro them, I would rather spend a little and get new food bowl, house etc then end up with fights, re-split them and maybe regretting it forever.

Good luck and let us know how you all getting on

[Laura Marie]

Darn! I hate to have to buy a *third* new set of everything when I just bought a second last night!

I also thought since they were bought from the same place and were kept in the same cage, they didn't need to be quarantined. :-/

Thanks for better describing scentmarking to me! I have totally seen my first gerbil do that in her old cage - I always just thought she was stretching, since she usually did it right before she got into her nest and went to sleep! (I still don't think I've seen a lot of it since I got my second gerbil, but I'll keep watching!)

So another question - if they just have bedding and food in the cage, and should stay in split cage mode for two weeks, what do they gnaw on during that time? Is the bedding enough? I thought they needed something hard to keep their teeth from growing too long?

I feel like it's a good sign that when I switched them this morning, they immediately ran into each other's nests (and didn't destroy them or anything!).

[amski]

They can have lots of cardboard still. It never lasts long so you won't have to worry about problems with them claiming it.

[esztershine]

Yes like Amski said the magic word 'cardboard'
They chew anything and just keep giving them. When your bedding gets a bit too deep, take a handful or two out.
Sounds like so far is positive they way it goes. Keep up the great split!
The reason for quarantine is that they may be sisters, in two weeks time there could have been any illness they picked up and brought to your home. Normally it shows in 2 weeks if there is anything going. Also moving them is stressful which can trigger any problems. But for now keep an eye on them

[doug]

Getting new items after the intro is complete is a waste of money, the entire reason 2 gerbils will get along after the split is that they are used to each others smell.

Age is important in splits as well, the younger the easier it will be.

Doug

[esztershine]

Ok my mistake!
Sorry. Ignore what I said about toys

[Laura Marie]

Thanks, Doug - you made my day!

It really IS amazing how fast they will chew through cardboard. Especially toilet paper rolls! I don't know what it is (is it softer cardboard?), but they LOVE chewing on those!

Thanks to someone's post here that I read while constructing the cage, I put in 5-6" of bedding instead of the 2-3" I had read to use other places. It's so funny to watch them dig and make tunnels, and that was clearly an awesome idea!

The first thing they do when I switch them is run all around the cage and through each other's tunnels (which inevitably get reconstructed different ways when one collapses, so are slightly different then the last time they were in them) and visit each other's nests. Then they find the food dish, sniff at it, and then try to cover it up with bedding! Are they trying to hide it from each other? (If so, it doesn't work very well...)

Also they both go right next to each other and dig parallel to each other along the barrier - very cute. =)

[Laura Marie]

Oh and thank you for the jar suggestion - I *was* getting worried that they were going to start hating my smell because it meant being picked up and moved! The jar idea has worked really well!

And according to the pet store, they are 6ish months (though this is the average of one person, who said 4 months, and another, who said 8 months...oh pet stores. Not very knowledgable.) I know it's pretty late for an intro, but I was hoping since they were cagemates until two weeks ago it might work...

[johanne]

Good job doing your research and giving them nice deep bedding!

At that age you might want to wait a good 3 weeks at least before trying an introduction. When they get more used to each other, they won't run around sniffing everything so much when you switch them any more.

Gerbils normally bury their food. They're hiding it to keep it from being stolen.

[esztershine]

Johanne.... I have read sometime ago on this forum that not so much bedding helps the split as they don't burrow too much therefore they don't think they are in different territory hence speeds up the whole process of the split. What would be the best depth bedding for a split cage? Laura uses 5-6 inches deep so I presume that is a good amount?

[johanne]

Eszter, there are plusses and minuses to everything, so it's not all cut and dry. All the factors that I tend to watch for automatically can be hard to communicate to new people without overwhelming them with too much information! That wouldn't be nice of me

The habit of using deep bedding is always a good one to get into and much appreciated by the gerbils. And it allows new owners to see how much fun gerbils can have in a somewhat more natural environment.

However, you're right, there are situations when less bedding temporarily can be a good idea too. If the gerbils have too much to do and too many distractions, sometimes they go about their business and ignore the other gerbil. I find that the smaller the split tank I'm using, the deeper the bedding can be. If they're in very deep bedding in a larger split tank, sometimes they'll set up their own little world, ignoring the other gerbil, and the point of getting acquainted is lost on them. That's when you have to take out some of the bedding; they're having too much fun on their own, lol!

[esztershine]

Thank you Johanne, that makes more sense. Love that we all learn from you

[Laura Marie]

I love new information, too! Thank you so much!!

The split still seems to be going well, though it may have plateaued a bit. My original gerbil, Starfire, likes to dig near the barrier and smell her sister through it. I think she would even groom her sister if her sister would sit still long enough! However, she's been consistently nesting in the same two places, both of which are away from the barrier.

My newer gerbil, Clover Rose (hahaha yes, I am a six year old girl when it comes to naming my gerbils - please don't laugh at me and be glad I didn't name them Sparkle and Rainbow!), will sometimes dig and smell near the barrier, but less often. However, about 50% of the time she is nesting next to the barrier (the rest of the time she is in the same nests as Star uses).

They have been consistently doing this for the past two days.

Also, they don't seem to be interested in treats! Starfire used to love the treats I have - seed/yogurt pellets, timothy hay/seed pellets, and sometimes a fresh spinach leaf - she would take them from my hand about 75% of the time and always eat them if I left them in her food bowl or nest the rest of the time. Now, she doesn't seem interested at all (though will sometimes, sometimes eat the spinach if I leave it). Clover doesn't seem to like any of the treats and won't even eat them when I leave them!

I know they are eating the regular gerbil food (both because I've watched them do it and because there is less of it), and I don't think they are scared of me. Star is much less jumpy and hand-shy than she used to be, and Clover will actually put both her front paws in my hand when it doesn't have a treat. So do I get different treats? Wait and hope they will go back to liking them/start liking them?

I also hope they will start grooming and spending more time near the barrier soon!

[esztershine]

Sounds like they are on the right track just need time