Scooby settles in and destroys things

[stellamaris]

Scooby and I are still doing fine. I spent some playtimes with him in the tub and on the bathroom floor, but lately have been using a folding fabric playpen. I sit in my comfy chair with my feet in his pen. I stretch out my legs a bit to give him a 'leg up' (sorry) so he can come sit on my knee for a treat. I've trained him to run up to my shoulder, as well. He still skitters about and 'popcorns' - a delight to watch. I gave him a wheel in the playpen, which he ignored. His favourite toy is a small paper bag. A close second is an empty spaghetti box.
He'll happily jump onto my hand for a treat, but he doesn't like being picked up. He runs away and sometimes squeaks in protest, but I'm persevering, as I want him to become accustomed to handling before he gets too old and set in his ways. (He's 5.5 months.)
For treats, I give him puffed wheat, rolled oats, and sunflower seeds. (I break them all in half, so he won't overdo.) A couple of times an evening, he'll take the treat and leave a tiny bit of pee on my hand. Little wretch! He's not frightened; it seems like he's just 'marking' me. Or protesting the small portions. I wouldn't mind if he outgrew that, as well.

His favourite trick is climbing up inside my trouser leg. ("Whoa! That's far enough!") I thought it was a cute behaviour until I found my right trouser leg next to my calf was suddenly full of holes! Ah well, the joys of gerbs.....

I'd post a photo, but it seems to be a bit of a challenge.  Just imagine a cute gerbil bopping around his playpen, chewing things up. 

[catnut]

glad Scooby is doing well, some gerbils take longer to get used to be picked up, my Kirby doesn't like it at all but Tristan & Theo will let me and Tristan will nap in my nap or even sleep on my lap- not now due to the extreme heat but was doing it, he's 2 now and they tend to calm down more then.

[stellamaris]

Thanks, Catnut.
It has been killer hot, eh? It was over 30 in my place despite the air conditioner. I put Bean's bin (my hamster) in the tub in cold water with a cold pack next to his hide and one on top as well. Scooby didn't seem fazed by the heat, but I put him on the kitchen floor where it was a titch cooler, and put cold packs around his cave. He didn't try to chew them, but he left his cool cave, and went and dug another one. Silly gerbil!
If the power had gone out, I'd have carted them both down to the lowest parking garage; it was cooler down there.
Thanks for telling me about your little guys. Every bit of experience shared is valuable to me. I hadn't known that any gerbil would ever sit in a lap. That's great! I guess Scooby will slow down a bit in time. He's already more calm and handleable than he was even a month ago.
Anyway, thanks for sharing!

[Markpd]

My boys are 1yr old now and still don't like being handled! Although they do sometimes sit still for a few seconds allowing me to transfer them more easily, and Blake will occasionally allow me to stroke him for a whole few seconds too! lol

I want to see a video of your gerbil popcorning

[catnut]

Glad Scooby was okay in the heat, that extreme heat was terrible but thankfully i am in the basement with the boys and it was no higher than 78 degrees, which is warm when you're used to it being in the low 70's. I gave them cold water in their bottles 3 X a day(fridge water as i give them filtered) and didn't give them their wheels until later,which they didn't use when it was very hot. I was surprised when Tristan wanted to lie in my lap and sit in my hand and hopefully he will again once it's abit cooler. My cat Truffles found it hard when it was really hot, she in a long hair, so she slept on the basement stairs when it was terribls- she's happier now it's better.

[Markpd]

Glad it's cooled down for you! That heatwave sounded(sounds) like a real nightmare!

stellamaris
Meant to say, cute profile picture you have