Female Pair not very active

[badgerbravo]

Hey All,

I'm a new member and just found this forum. I'm sure you've heard this question many times, so apologies in advance.

I'm a single dad, who's 7 year old daughter had been begging for a pet for ages.

Situation dictates that we can't get a dog or cat etc, so i finally gave in and we got two 9 week old female gerbils from the store.
We got a glass tank, bedding, straw, wheel, wooden bridge, bowl (for sand baths) etc and water bottle.

My daughter loves them and spends a lot of time patiently trying to hand tame them with some success.

I've done a lot of online research and try to keep them stimulated by scattering food, adding toys, cardboard etc but I still feel like they're not as active as they should be.
Maybe they come awake when we're asleep but they spend a lot of time burrowed in their bedding.

As soon as I open the lid, they jump out to see what's going on and they go crazy for my daughter when she's playing with them.
My daughter is with me week on and off and with her mum alternate weeks, so I bring their cage into the living room with me while she's away so they can see me working and when i pass by.

They love their treats: sunflower seeds and pieces of carrot etc, I see them drinking from the water dispenser. They jump into the sand when i put the bowl in and they look healthy.

Should I be concerned about the lack of activity during the daytime or is this normal?

Sorry for the long post. Thanks for reading.

[LilyandDaisy]

Hello,

Congratulations on your new pets!

If they look healthy (smooth, shiny coats, bright eyes) and they are very active at the times when they are active, I don't think this is anything to worry about. Different gerbils tend to be active on different schedules, but as a rule, most gerbils are most active during the evening and night, but might have sporadic periods of activity during the day as well. They may be much more active at night than you think, and making up for that by sleeping in the day.

It sounds like they have a lovely home and it's great to hear they're so tame and friendly already. You might find that over time, they adjust their schedules to be awake at the times when you are around to offer stimulation, food, cardboard etc.

[badgerbravo]

Thats great to hear. Thanks for the reply!
Maybe I just needed a bit of reassurance I'm doing the right thing. My experience with animal care is very limited.

Suffice to say, shortly after writing my message, i heard them become very active. Exactly when you said. Dusk/Sundown they hit the wheel hard.
Exactly the time my daughter goes to bed! lol

Thanks again.

[tanzanyte]

How is it going? Have they become more active earlier on badgerbravo?
I've found that girls tend to get busier the tamer they get, and the more they are used to the sounds around the house. At the moment they are probably very scared given that they are very young and in a new environment. Our boys are very lazy but all of the girls we have had have always been quite busy and awake far more often.

Our gerbies have changed schedule, so it's not fixed. If you want them to be more active at a certain point when your daughter is around, I've found that by putting a few things in their cage at the same time usually means their curiosity gets the better of them. If you are able to make sure you put a couple of toilet rolls in after school finishes, or one of the small grass houses or a chill and chew hyacinth mat, or even scrunched up paper, or sheets of toilet roll. If they then come up to investigate, give them a treat. You can do this when you get up and make yourself a drink during a work break. It should help to keep them up and about at the times when your daughter is around and awake.

You could save a load of kitchen and toilet roll tubes and get your daughter to mix flour and water to use to stick seeds on the inside of the tubes. Also by cutting some slots in the end with scissors you can feed some hay down the slits. Gerbils love this sort of thing as they can hunt for the treats first or chew until they get to the treats.
They are really fabulous pets and have made such a difference to my daughters life so I hope they do the same for your daughter.

[badgerbravo]

Oh yes, they became active and friendly, if quite unimpressed by me for sure!
But I have some other issues now! lol.

New thread here regarding tank change:
gerbilforum.proboards.com/thread/35993/new-tank-behaviour