Leaving for 3-4 days - Okay to leave gerbils alone?

[Madi]

My family and I are leaving for Thanksgiving and will be gone for half of Wednesday, all of Thursday for sure, maybe all/half of Friday, but most likely we’ll leave Saturday morning. Is it alright to leave my two females alone with some extra food and water for that long?

Unfortunately, my family lives about 45 minutes from any friends that we trust to come in and take care of the animals we have. (According to my dad, hiring someone in the neighborhood is out of the question.) All of them work/go to school. I’m very close with my local pet store owner, and she watches animals all the time, however: Her care for her animals is pretty bare-minimum, as she cares for so many of them, and the shop is loud with screeching birds pretty close to 24/7. It is also very cold in Ohio at the moment and I feel as though transporting the girls in such cold weather won’t be healthy.

I might be over-empathetic as well. I just wouldn’t want to be stuck in that loud and busy place for more than a couple hours, let alone 2 days. The breeder I got my girls from didn’t even like to leave them there for me to pick up when I first got them.

Quick note: My concern with leaving them alone would be that they like to bury their food, and pile up their absorbent paper bedding around the nozzle of the water bottle, which drains the thing. I already have both bottle and bowl on a raised platform, but it is not tall enough to be out of reach for bedding pileup. Should I bite the bullet and get one of those wire cage toppers?

The trip is still a few weeks out, so I have time to prepare if need be. Let me know your thoughts and experiences!

[catnut]

I would take them with you, you could put them in a smaller cage if you have one as long as there is room enough (not a travel carrier) for them to live in it, even a bin cage with a sturdy top made of wire mesh.I would not leave them alone.

[Madi]

I figured leaving them wasn’t the best idea too, thanks catnut. I’ve talked it over with my family, and we might have some friends to take them to! If not, we technically can take them with us. This is really a last resort though, as the drive is 9 hrs long not including stops, and having 4 gerbils (Mine plus my sister’s two) plus everything they need won’t fit too well into a five passenger car.

[Tabaqui (Crown and Claw)]

I would try to avoid taking them with you. From what you've said, that seems like the most stressful option for both you and the gerbils!

They would most likely be totally at the pet store for a few days--as long as they have food and water for that long they'll be just fine.

[betty]

I always say to people: set them up before you go as you were planning to on the day your were leaving. Then leave them alone with no interfering.

See what actually happens in the tank when you aren't constantly tinkering. Do they knock things over that you weren't expecting - do they eat the food faster, tip it over, break to water bottle, etc.

That way you can firstly manage your own expectations, but also spot things that you might not have thought of before. I have left mine overnight before with decent prep, but more than that I wouldn't feel safe. I know what they can get up to...

See what happens after watching them being 'alone' while you are there and see how you feel then.

[muurtje09]

the gerbil are for a class from me only te weekends? should i take with me or not?

[barryozzy]

I'm not really clear on what you're asking here. If you mean the gerbils are a class pet I don't think you should leave them at a school over the weekends, because that would be leaving them every weekend and in case there's not air conditioning or heating when no one is there. If you mean that you're going to a class for one weekend, that would probably be fine as long as you have them extra food and water.

[Markpd]

Sept 21, 2021 0:08:53 GMT -8 muurtje09 said:

the gerbil are for a class from me only te weekends? should i take with me or not?

Yea I didn't understand that either, could you re-word it please?