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Post by mojitolover1234 on Apr 1, 2021 16:46:28 GMT -8
So I've been in the the process of bonding my two females. I took out their split about 5 days ago and everything looked good. They were sleeping together and grooming each other. No signs of aggression. I added a tube about 3 days later and they were still good. I then added a wheel and some more bedding today and now one of them is stressed out. She won't sleep in the same nest as the other one, runs away when the other one comes by, and keeps thumping her feet. No biting or fighting though from either one of them. Is this dominance or did I added too much too fast? Can I just take out what I added?
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Post by betty on Apr 1, 2021 17:14:17 GMT -8
She may just be in heat (running away and foot-thumping is all totally normal for that). However mojitolover1234, it won't hurt to take out the wheel and a few handful of the substrate (put in a clean carrier bag to put back in in a few days) just until she settles again. They usually come into heat every 4 days or thereabouts - so you perhaps spot if their is a apttern. You don't always see these signs though so not always something you can physically count or predict. |
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Post by mojitolover1234 on Apr 1, 2021 17:17:44 GMT -8
Ok! She does seem weary about sleeping with the other one. She crawls into the nest for a little bit and then try to mount the other one and then runs out and just stands there with her back to the other one. And then she runs to the other one and will sniff her and then get scared and run away.
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Post by betty on Apr 1, 2021 17:34:04 GMT -8
Yes - totally in heat. She isn't scared or being dominant - she is well horny!
They have to attract the attention of the male (by getting them to look at them and then waft their bum in his face before running off) - and then make him chase her (to show his willing). Obviously the other female isn't really tuned in to the males job - so is just ignoring her.
It will pass and she will settle down - she is wired differently right now - and will be knackered later when it wears off - bless her.
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Post by mojitolover1234 on Apr 1, 2021 17:50:05 GMT -8
Gotcha. She just wants attention she's not getting poor sweetie. This is my first time having females so I am not used to all of their quirks yet!
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Post by betty on Apr 1, 2021 18:06:15 GMT -8
Yep - this is certainly one of their quirks - the ladies.
Hopefully by morning they are back to normal - or you'll find the other one doing it instead!
Females are more tetchy sometimes in a clan - so as long as you learn to understand and identify all the steps of the whole 'in heat' dance - you will be able to differentiate it from some of the signs of a declan - just incase.
Heat dance - all fine; early declan sign - not fine.
Take a walk around some of the other threads on here sometime, when you are researching things, about declans and signs of them at some point - as it is certainly one of the most talked about things in the gerbil world - after cardboard, scent gland tumours (usually males only) and pumpkin seeds...
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Post by morgs on Sept 9, 2021 15:01:33 GMT -8
Hi, I just thought I’d add my experience to this thread as I’m thinking my two girls (Apple and Jazz) are currently experiencing the exact same thing as OP, and this site has been an absolute lifesaver this last month through the trials and tribulations of reintroduction (Betty especially!)
Reintroduced 3 days ago and all good, cuddles, grooming, sleeping together pretty much immediately, then suddenly this afternoon I notice them sleeping separately and both out of the nest, though still fairly close together. Earlier today I had popped in some more bedding and given them a sand bath, then as the evening has gone on Apple has refused to be in the nest with Jazz, jumping out as soon as Jazz enters and I saw Jazz chasing and mounting Apple which set me into worry mode.
Apple has generally shown herself to be the dominant gerbil over the last few days, so I was concerned about shifting dynamics etc, I removed some of the bedding and bath thinking maybe it’d gone a bit too fast. I will say at first the behaviour presented itself as quite tense between the two, with what to me looked like tifs, with no grooming after and obviously separated sleeping.
However, now that I know more about females in heat and from reading the above, I’m almost positive Apple is having her time of the week. As the evening went on she showed more signs, including: grooming Jazz for a little bit and then plopping herself right on top of her and I think scent marking or peeing on her. Jazz mostly doesn’t seem to mind this but will sometimes jump out and snooze in another corner. If Jazz stays, Apple then jumps out and sits in front of the nest with her back to Jazz. She’s also not really slept all evening and is consistently lifting her bum up to Jazz and is having the back ripples. If I touch just above her tail she also “presents” herself, little horn dog. She’s also thumping, which I noticed her doing about a week and a half ago in the split so I assume that was another heat.
I am feeling quite sorry for my little Jazz, who looks like she just wants to sleep.
I should probably also say I am pretty certain they are both females, their bits look almost identical when compared to each other and they’re about 6 months old now. I did have a moment of panic when Jazz was responding a lot to Apple’s behaviour so double checked and all looks the same.
They’ve both now just settled into the nest together after probably about 6 hours of this consistent behaviour from Apple. Phew, I can sleep peacefully!
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Post by Markpd on Sept 27, 2021 11:13:42 GMT -8
Thanks for the added info, and welcome to the forum  |
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