Please Help I Can't Stop Hurting My Gerbils

[Charlie P]

I have Tourettes syndrome which doesn't just make you swear but it actually means you have vocal and motor tics that are almost completely uncontrollable. I have one motor tic that hurts my gerbils. It is uncontrollable but can go away if I stop doing it for a bit and refrain from doing it while holding my gerbs. I have tried everything and I cannot stop using sheer willpower. If you are reading this and have anything to say even some encouraging words please reply because I am doing the best I can but it hurts my heart so bad to know that I am hurting them.

[yeti218]

Hi, sorry youre going through this.

My best advice would be to find a way to interact with them in a way where if your tic starts up, they won't be hurt.

Without knowing the details, i cant say what this would be. But if the problem is when youre holding them, maybe you cant hold them but leave your hand flat and let them walk onto your hand (put some treats on your hand).

I have a big playpen and i sit in it and the gerbils run around and climb on me. Maybe something like this would work but id be careful if you have any kind of leg spasms that could cause you to accidentally kick or put your foot down on one. If this is a risk, then i would not be trying this.

Im sorry i cant provide more suggestions, but id recommend thinking of ways to interact with them where you can't accidentally hurt them, and focus on that.

If there really isn't safe ways to have physical contact, you can still enjoy them and give them a nice, enriching life, by focusing on different things. Such as setting up mazes or scavenger hunts for them and then watching them explore these new spaces youve made for them.

Theres lots of content on this forum of different things people have done to enrich their gerbils lives so im sure you can find some inspiration.

Wishing you and your gerbils the best.

[betty]

Yes, great suggestions above - and avoidance really is the best course of action.

I loved the 'other enrichment' part - Have you seen the videos online of someone 'clicker training' their gerbil to do tricks. Perfect gerbil interaction without any touching and very low possibility of injury?

Obviously I am not totally sure of how your tics hurts them and to what degree - or how you are interacting with them when this 'could' happen, but by having no physical contact with them (like always catching them in a pot or tub and transferring them in this pot to your safe secure play area) could be a possibility. If the secure are is like a mini boxing ring on a table - then it will reduce any chances of you leaning on them or injuring them thorugh general body tics.

Of course we know that it isn't your fault you are accidently hurting them - you sound like you are trying everything you can to avoid that happening from your comments - but if it is making you feel sad - then we can find another way together.

Even if you just want someone to talk to - there will nearly always be someone online to respond as we are dotted around the world - it is always someone awake somewhere?

[This is me]

Thank you so much I have not used the playpen in a while and it would probably really help also just holding my hand flat is a good idea. Thank you so much.

[Charlie P]

Feb 8, 2021 17:24:31 GMT -8 betty said:

"and avoidance really is the best course of action."

"no physical contact with them (like always catching them in a pot or tub and transferring them in this pot to your safe secure play area) could be a possibility"

You are so nice thank you that was also pretty smart with the pot thing I will try that and I will update you on the situation when I get off of school tomorrow     

[betty]

I was also dreaming about a sort of pouch - a top-loading pouch - if you need to walk around with them or prefered it every so often.

You said sometimes you can put them down in time when you feel a tic coming - so I was thinking of something like a bum-bag or fanny-pack - that you wear around your waist when you are holding one of your gerbils. Then if you feel a tic coming, you simply put the gerbil in the pouch? Ideally you would seal it shut with an easy-to-use zip temporarily (if this is possible to keep them securely inside it so you dont have to worry about them again until you are ready). If you can't activate a zip when a tic is coming though, just make the pouch deeper.

It might not be suitable - but I was dreaming about working on a market stall (dreams, eh?) - and they always wear those double-zipped blue money pouches on their front to keep all their change in - Anyway when I was getting chased by the baddy in my dream, I quickly popped my phone in one of the pouches so he wouldn't see it.

Anyway, then I thought of your gerbils.

[yuzername]

oh my god you're a genius. I tried out the flat hands thing and it worked mostly and I couldn't find a pouch but I'll look for one. Also that thing with the zipper is kind of genius I will try that immediately.

[yuzername]

Update: Alfredo and Julio are still pretty scared. They ran away from me but I still was able to scoop them up and I was trying to get them used to not having to be scared of me. I was holding my hand flat and was good for the first bit but then I started to hold them normally and started to tic. I will put them in my playpen now and give you another update later.

[Markpd]

Hi (welcome to the forum btw ).

I think betty and yeti have got you covered here, but we maybe able to suggest more ideas.
If I understood you correctly you can for short periods of time control the tics by concentrating hard? (I guess?). How long can you easily/comfortably do that for? Or does it vary? [edit] I just seen in another thread you made that you said most of time you don't realise you're doing it, so maybe you don't know the answer to that?

[yuzername]

If I realize it I can usually go like 5 seconds. I can hold back for like half an hour with most other tics (although it really stresses me out) but I can't really do it with this one for some reason.

[Markpd]

Ah I see, very difficult then!
I don't think I can add anymore then beyond what betty and yeti have said.
It sounds like it would be safer for them if you didn't pick them up then (unless your awareness of that tic improves over time??). I wonder though, is that specific tic just with hands, or hands and arms? (if you don't mind answering? If you do, feel free to ignore it ).
Btw, I wasn't aware that people with tourettes aren't always are of their own tics, that sheds some light on a guy at my work who we suspect has tourettes, thank you for being open about it.

[yuzername]

It is with my hands and most people with Tourettes do notice when they tic I'm just kind of always oblivious to everything (the guy at your work might still have TS though).

[Markpd]

Yea I'm pretty sure he does, from his regular shoulder shrugging and chewing hands (well he doesn't actually chew them, but it looks like it), to name a couple of tics.

I was thinking if it was just the hands that were the problem, maybe when/if they get to the point of being tame enough to climb up your arms, you could then hold them with crossed arms? (assuming you don't have an uncontrollable shoulder tic too).

[yuzername]

they are pretty much tamed but kind of still interact with me normally sometimes and they love climbing on my shoulders like parrots. This is great advice thank you. Also the guy at your work probably has chronic tic disorder (people with TS are only considered to have it if they have at least one vocal tic) but yeah there is probably something going on.

[Markpd]

Interestingly he has no vocal tics (unless you count him sniffing/snorting? which is another one he has). What I find impressive is that he's chosen a public facing job (salesman), I would have thought many people with tourettes would shy away from that kind of job? From brief moments I've seen him with customers, he seems to temporarily stop all the tics bar the shoulder shrugging. Anyway, he's a successful salesman as he's been doing it for many years!

Ah you're lucky they climb on your shoulders , my old gerbil Blacky used to love to do that (usually to jump onto the window sill! ), but aside from Blake doing it just twice my boys don't do that sadly.
What was funny and worrying at the same time, was that Blake was sniffing my ear, I was worried in case he took a chomp on it! (he never did).