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Post by LilyandDaisy on Apr 7, 2023 11:59:08 GMT -8
They're still snuggling together as adorably as ever!
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Post by icecontroller2529 on Apr 7, 2023 21:23:13 GMT -8
This is so lovely!
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Post by Markpd on Apr 8, 2023 16:41:25 GMT -8
They're gorgeous
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Apr 22, 2023 10:30:15 GMT -8
Update The gerbils are in the Marrakesh now after 3 weeks in the small 60cm tank. It's sad that it had to come down to a likely permanent change of enclosure but they seem genuinely settled and relaxed in the smaller enclosures. I didn't notice a single moment of tension when they were in the 60cm tank. I did love the Eco Habitat with the massive fun topper but it just didn't work for these gerbils. I'll move the divider gradually to increase their space, and also increase their bedding gradually. Eventually I hope to build a slightly raised lid (definitely not a topper with shelves) so they can have a wheel as the Marrakesh isn't very high at all.
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Post by Markpd on Apr 22, 2023 17:26:49 GMT -8
Interesting, and it will be interesting to see how they get on as the cage is opened up too.
Btw she looks very cute popping her head out like that, I didn't see her for the 1st few seconds .
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Post by tanzanyte on Apr 27, 2023 14:54:50 GMT -8
I’m sorry to hear you’ve had quite a few troubles with Astra and Twiglet. Although I’m really happy that you’ve caught it before a possible point of no return. The last pic really does show them very content.
I am slightly worried after reading this as whilst I had an op my daughter was left in charge for a few weeks and she left the girls tube out permanently. They can get from their Marrakesh out to their outside enclosure day or night. I’ve left it for now as it’s all been fine and it’s now been 2 months of this, but I will continue to monitor it given so many think it’s likely to cause issues. At least I know I still have my divider as a back up if needs be so thank you for posting this as it definitely helps with future planning.
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Apr 28, 2023 5:13:48 GMT -8
I’m sorry to hear you’ve had quite a few troubles with Astra and Twiglet. Although I’m really happy that you’ve caught it before a possible point of no return. The last pic really does show them very content. I am slightly worried after reading this as whilst I had an op my daughter was left in charge for a few weeks and she left the girls tube out permanently. They can get from their Marrakesh out to their outside enclosure day or night. I’ve left it for now as it’s all been fine and it’s now been 2 months of this, but I will continue to monitor it given so many think it’s likely to cause issues. At least I know I still have my divider as a back up if needs be so thank you for posting this as it definitely helps with future planning. Yours are probably ok. I think some pairs can cope just fine with divided or connected enclosures and others can't. It probably depends on whether a pair has a truly solid and undisputed hierarchy or whether there are any cracks beneath the surface. I think if one gerbil is spending much more time in the outside enclosure than the other that's something to keep an eye on. It's not necessarily anything sinister but you would have to question whether it's entirely by choice that the other gerbil is staying away from the outside enclosure or whether they could be feeling unwelcome there. If the gerbils start having regular squabbles in the outside enclosure or around the connecting tube, or just start behaving differently than usual in it, that could be a sign of trouble.
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Post by tanzanyte on Apr 30, 2023 3:43:13 GMT -8
Ok, thanks. I’ll definitely keep an eye on them but I thankfully haven’t seen any untoward behaviour from either of them.
I hope things are still ok with Astra and Twiglet and that you are managing to increase the divider width without any further issues?
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Apr 30, 2023 12:53:41 GMT -8
Ok, thanks. I’ll definitely keep an eye on them but I thankfully haven’t seen any untoward behaviour from either of them. I hope things are still ok with Astra and Twiglet and that you are managing to increase the divider width without any further issues? Yep, they're still totally fine. I'm moving the divider about an inch at a time, every few days. There's zero sign of trouble so far so I'm hoping this is the end of it. I think it is reassuring that it's been over 3 months now since the issue began and it's fluctuated but hasn't escalated which it probably would have by now if there were a serious problem? I was almost convinced at one point they were going to declan but now it seems like they can be a functional and stable clan, with some extra precautions taken to keep Astra's ambition in check. I weighed them yesterday and she's still a scrawny 70g to Twiglet's 90g so honestly I have to admire her temerity in thinking she could take Twiglet on! Twiglet is a gentle giant but in a smaller enclosure she has the confidence to stand up to Astra.
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Post by icecontroller2529 on May 5, 2023 10:14:57 GMT -8
I can't believe you managed to avoid a declan with those two! It probably was very close, well done!
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Post by LilyandDaisy on May 5, 2023 11:39:28 GMT -8
I can't believe you managed to avoid a declan with those two! It probably was very close, well done! Yes, but the scary thing is that it would have been so easy to miss the signs because there weren't many stereotypical signs of conflict, like boxing or even much overt bullying, just an atmosphere of tension and "something not quite right". Fortunately as I work from home, often sitting by their tank while working, I was there to see a lot of things I would otherwise have missed.
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Post by Markpd on May 6, 2023 5:43:58 GMT -8
Good to hear it's still going well between them since you removed the topper. I might be having a problem with my boys when they go out to the spare tank, I was going to post here about it, but I thought I'd better not threadjack your thread L&D! So I'll post it here, if you guys could check it out
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Post by icecontroller2529 on May 7, 2023 10:14:46 GMT -8
Yes, but the scary thing is that it would have been so easy to miss the signs because there weren't many stereotypical signs of conflict, like boxing or even much overt bullying, just an atmosphere of tension and "something not quite right". Fortunately as I work from home, often sitting by their tank while working, I was there to see a lot of things I would otherwise have missed. I think it's amazing that you've been able to sense that atmosphere of "something not quite right", which shows your experience with and understanding of gerbils. Yes, working from home is a good thing. Imagine coming home after being away for a long day at the office and finding your gerbils bleeding like Mark and so many others experienced ...
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Post by Markpd on May 7, 2023 17:24:12 GMT -8
Although that could've easily happened to me (I am out all day at work as you know), I got relatively lucky when Avon and Blake fell out, the 1st time it happened was in the evening when I was in, and I stopped it before it got really serious. The 2nd time it happened (a month after I'd re-introduced them), it was a weekend and I had popped out to the garden for an hour, it was when I got back in then that I found them covered in blood and exhausted! . I'd hate to think what would've happened if it'd been on a work day, perhaps after recovering their energy from the 1st fight they might have fought again? Or maybe make up?? Who knows!?
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Post by icecontroller2529 on May 8, 2023 9:22:23 GMT -8
Although that could've easily happened to me (I am out all day at work as you know), I got relatively lucky when Avon and Blake fell out, the 1st time it happened was in the evening when I was in, and I stopped it before it got really serious. The 2nd time it happened (a month after I'd re-introduced them), it was a weekend and I had popped out to the garden for an hour, it was when I got back in then that I found them covered in blood and exhausted! . I'd hate to think what would've happened if it'd been on a work day, perhaps after recovering their energy from the 1st fight they might have fought again? Or maybe make up?? Who knows!? So you weren't at work, I remembered that wrong. Or not at all; I just remembered you came in to find them bloo-dy. (hyphen to avoid censorship when using bad words again )
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