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Post by yeti218 on Jul 8, 2021 22:03:51 GMT -8
You can also put all their food in your hand, so that they’re encouraged to sit and eat instead of just grabbing their seed and running away. I would do this and then just scatter the rest afterwards. I also find doing this at the same time every day was helpful.
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Mochi
Member
Snickerdoodle and S’more: Adopted on April 9th, 2021
Posts: 199
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Post by Mochi on Jul 10, 2021 14:03:04 GMT -8
Thank you for the replies everyone!!
S’more will walk and sit on my hand for differing amounts of time, I can move my hand around her cage and she is fine with it.
I actually have been feeding the girls from my hand but they still run off and eat in their burrow then they come back up for more... Guess they like to eat in privacy?
Tried to stroke S’more before and I don’t think she’s big on it. She won’t freak out or anything but she’ll move away a tad from my hand
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Post by Markpd on Jul 10, 2021 14:40:40 GMT -8
Yea my boys usually grab their food and run, it seems the more they like it the faster they'll scurry away
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Mochi
Member
Snickerdoodle and S’more: Adopted on April 9th, 2021
Posts: 199
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Post by Mochi on Jul 10, 2021 17:29:38 GMT -8
Haha, that’s funny! They don’t want you to take it back!
On an unrelated note- My gerbils are getting more clever! Their bottle is always getting buried but I woke up this morning to a burrow right where the spout ends in the bedding! There is no leaking because of this and they don’t have to come up for water! Would it be possible for my gerbils to know their names already? When they are both out I’ll call S’more and she’ll come but not Snickerdoodle also visa versa. Just a coincidence??
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Mochi
Member
Snickerdoodle and S’more: Adopted on April 9th, 2021
Posts: 199
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Post by Mochi on Jul 10, 2021 17:30:05 GMT -8
Is holding S’more gonna happen?
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Mochi
Member
Snickerdoodle and S’more: Adopted on April 9th, 2021
Posts: 199
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Post by Mochi on Jul 10, 2021 18:16:24 GMT -8
Sorry! One more thing( and it may sound kinda weird!)
So S’more likes to sit on my shoulder in the bathtub ( I think she likes the view ) sometimes Doodle will sit on my shoulder too! They were up there together one time! Anyway! My question is, will they chew my hair? I usually have my hair up in a bun when I’m handling them because it is very long. But would they chew the hair by my neck?
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Post by yeti218 on Jul 10, 2021 19:37:09 GMT -8
Yeah when I hand feed they sometimes grab an item and go and eat it then return. I still think it’s preferable to just giving one treat because they come and go several times. Sometimes they hang out for longer.
My guys don’t love being pet. Usually don’t tolerate it for long. Shark will sometimes hang out on my lap in the playpen and let me pet him, but I’ve had them 10 months and this is quite new.
Smore may or may not allow you to hold her in the future. It can take a long time to build that trust. I’d keep at it, because it may never happen, but if you stop trying it definitely won’t.
Mine will chew hair.
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Post by barryozzy on Jul 10, 2021 20:18:04 GMT -8
None of mine chew my hair, but they like to play with it and grab it. Barry will even climb up it sometimes to sit on my head!
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Mochi
Member
Snickerdoodle and S’more: Adopted on April 9th, 2021
Posts: 199
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Post by Mochi on Jul 12, 2021 8:00:10 GMT -8
Ooh ok-
So hair chewing gerbils do exist! Good to know! I can’t exactly see what they are doing on my shoulder usually they just chew my shirt though!
Which brings me to my next question! Is it a problem my gerbils chew my shirt and towel? Could they choke on the fabric?
I will keep trying with S’more! Doodle as well!
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Post by Markpd on Jul 12, 2021 11:49:54 GMT -8
IIRC the main hazard from some materials is that when used as nesting it can wrap around their legs or tails, that can lead to limb loss . I don't think it would be a choking hazard, but I'd like other people to weigh in on that.
Seeing as they'll be with you when/if the chewing happens and you'll be watching them, I wouldn't think it'll be a hazard as you could instantly remove anything that's causing them problems.
None of mine chew my hair, but they like to play with it and grab it. Barry will even climb up it sometimes to sit on my head! I'd love to see that!
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jul 12, 2021 12:50:33 GMT -8
There might be a very small risk of choking from chewing fabric, but mostly the risk is that you'll have holes in your shirts and towels! I just divert my gerbils whenever they start chewing fabric. I've found they often chew my clothes when they want attention or if they think I've been holding them too long. I think they know that I don't like it so they do it as a sure way of getting my attention.
Mine have tried to chew my hair occasionally, and seem very affronted when I won't let them use it for nesting material. Apparently in the wild they collect bits of wool or animal hair for their nests.
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Post by Markpd on Jul 12, 2021 13:48:01 GMT -8
Such characters your gerbils . How mean not to give them some of your hair
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Mochi
Member
Snickerdoodle and S’more: Adopted on April 9th, 2021
Posts: 199
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Post by Mochi on Jul 13, 2021 6:46:08 GMT -8
Aww! That’s so cute!
How do you know if your gerbils are having fun? I mean I think they have fun but I have no way of telling...
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jul 13, 2021 10:49:54 GMT -8
I don't think you can ever be sure what they're thinking, but when mine are out of the cage I tend to assume they're enjoying themselves if they're running around purposefully and exploring, investigating and interacting with objects in the room. When they've been out for a while they often start running around somewhat aimlessly and they stop interacting with the environment, then I put them away because it seems like they're bored or tired. Sometimes they'll suddenly get spooked, often by a noise from outside but sometimes from something I can't detect. Then they run around in short, jerky bursts, freezing between each movement. When they get like this I put them back in the cage since they're obviously not having fun.
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Mochi
Member
Snickerdoodle and S’more: Adopted on April 9th, 2021
Posts: 199
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Post by Mochi on Jul 16, 2021 12:45:35 GMT -8
Ok, mine do that too but until now didn't know what it meant exactly.
BTW! Just wanted to share my major breakthrough with Snickerdoodle last night! I was feeding them out of my hand like every night. Doodle crawled into my hand and ate her entire carrot there. She was SO calm, it took all my will power not to pick her up! No one ever told me how soft gerbils are!!!
Speaking of food! I cleaned out their tank the other day, they hoard quite a bit of what I feed them? Is this bad? Am I doing something wrong??
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