Introducing & Split Cage advice

[smp1977]

We have adopted another female gerbil for companionship for Cookie who lost her cage mate in November. It’s been the first opportunity because of restrictions to be able to get another gerbil.
We bought a second tank and have mirrored the set up and they are side my side so they can see each other.
We’ve just swapped them over to get used to each other’s scent and they are both happily running around exploring the other ones smell and set up.
I understand that the split cage set up can take up to three weeks and we are prepared for this. However, my question is, how soon would you put them together outside of the cage for a run around. We have a large play pen for them, how long would you leave it before you placed them in the same play pen for a few minutes?

[betty]

Hey, it would be a good idea if you have a read around of other split introduction threads as the process that is always recommended involves a small, special split-in-half tank (where they have contact with each other) and introducing them in the exact same split tank - no neutral territory meetings.

Some people do do introductions not using this (well-trusted and safe) method which have them running around in a shared large neutral space but with very mixed results both short and long term. If one of your pups is under 12 weeks though it is a different story and introductions are very much easier and faster. How old is your new female?

So, maybe best to have a read around on here first and then we can help answer any specific questions that you might still have about either method.

[smp1977]

We couldn’t find a splitter for the cage so set it up as shown in the photos below...
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Where would I be able to purchase a splitter?

[smp1977]

I managed to find a divide for my tank but Misty (our new gerbil) didn’t like it and did a fair bit of leg thumping.

It’s now been a week and the cages are still side by side and we swap them over 3 times a day to get used to each other’s scent. We think Cookie is the more dominant of the two as she is doing a lot of belly rubbing on things to leave her scent marks. When they are at the top of the cage they go up to the bars and sniff at each other and we’ve noticed they almost mirror what the other one is doing - if one goes upstairs so does the other! If one chews the bars, so does the other. However, Cookie always builds a nest to sleep in outside of the little house and Misty always sleeps inside the house.

I have two questions -
Does it sound like it’s going well?
When we get them out for daily exercise (but not together) Cookie is leaving patches of wet on things, including our hands. Is this likely to be from her scent gland?

TIA