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Post by snugglesandcloud on Jul 16, 2004 9:25:55 GMT -8
Hi everyone! I'm new here. I've had gerbils for about a year and a half now. The two that I had gotten were from the same litter and both males. Just this last week (like a couple days ago), I found one of them dead. I'm pretty certain he wasn't sick. I think his brother starved him to death. About a year ago, I had a problem where one would not let the other eat, so I bought a second cage and connected them so they both would have a place to eat. Everything seemed ok, but I guess it just got to be too much for the poor guy. He was always on the skinny side. Other than that, he seemed healthy right up until he died. Anyways, I don't want the other one to die too. So we are probably going to buy a new gerbil this weekend. Anyone have any tips on how to introduce this new gerbil without the old one getting territorial? Thanks.
Kim
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Post by lizzy on Jul 16, 2004 9:57:33 GMT -8
That's very strange, I've never heard of gerbils refusing to let their littermates eat. I presume you did give them enough food?
Anyway, introducing a new gerbil.. you're lucky because males are easier to introduce than females. What I did with my males is introduce them on "neutral ground" that is, somewhere where neither of them can get territorial - especially not the older one. A safe way is to use the split cage method, where you get a cage and split it down the middle with a divider which allows the gerbils to sniff each other but not cause any harm. This way when you remove the divider neither can get territorial because in a way it is both/neither their territories. I myself have not tried the split cage method, there are a few stories/techniques on this forum if you search for them.
You might want to wait a day or so after you get the new gerbil before introducing them though, as some young gerbils are prone to fits due to stress.
Good luck!
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Post by snugglesandcloud on Jul 16, 2004 10:04:25 GMT -8
Thanks Lizzy! I was actually giving them way more than enough food. The cage I had first had a small top section that they get to by a tunnel and the one wouldn't let the other one come down from there. Every time he did, the one on the bottom would chase him back up. Very strange. Anyways, I went on a trip last October and had been taking the aggressive one out of the cage for a little while every day to let the other one eat. So when I went on the trip, I bought a second cage to keep the two separated with their own food and water supplies for the week that I would be gone (I had someone come over to feed and water them every day). When I got back, I just used plastic tunnels to connect the two cages. Do you think this set-up will work similar to a split cage method? The two cages are right next to each other and just joined on one end by a tunnel. I can take the tunnel out and put the end caps back on (this is what I do when I clean the cages. The poor guy keeps looking for his brother, so I know he's lonely. I hope this goes smoothly. I've never had to do something like this before.
Kim
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Post by lizzy on Jul 16, 2004 10:41:03 GMT -8
That sounds like a rotastak setup. I'm not surprised actually, I've heard stories like that when gerbils get possessive/territorial over one particular area of the cage. It may not have been the other gerbil that caused his brother's death though, he may just have been unhealthy and the runt of the litter anyway, and this would make it easier for his brother to be more dominant etc. Anyway, I realise this isn't probably what you want to hear but that kind of setup isn't particularly ideal for keeping gerbils, for one thing they can chew out of it and for another, as yours has already demonstrated, they can get possessive and claim one particular area of it as their own. When you do get your new gerbil though, make sure he isn't the runt, try to get the healthiest and biggest gerbil there to minimise the chances of it happening again  |
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Post by snugglesandcloud on Jul 16, 2004 10:50:51 GMT -8
Maybe you don't understand what I'm talking about. I have two separate cages separated by those plastic tunnel attachments that they sell at the pet stores. There is no way they can chew out of it. I really don't think he was unhealthy either. He's lived this long (a little over 18 months) and I'm sure I would've had problems before this. Also, the one gerbil that did get territorial did so before I even bought the second cage. I bought the second cage as a result of the one being more territorial. I will make sure to get the biggest healthiest looking one I can find, though.
Kim
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Post by queenofthenile on Jul 17, 2004 7:15:10 GMT -8
I would suggest doing the split cage just to be sure. If you find the gerbils being possessive again, I would just leave the food in the main cage, so a tunnel couldn't be blocked off. Here's a link to Peter's info on split-caging: www.petermaas.nl/gerbils/english.htm |
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Post by snugglesandcloud on Jul 17, 2004 12:22:21 GMT -8
I do essentially have a split cage. I have two separate habitrails that each have their own food and water and they are connected together by a tunnel so they can access both cages. I just got the second gerbil today and right now, I have removed the tunnel and they are each in their own cage. I plan to connect the tunnel in a couple days since they seem to be fine with smelling each other.
Kim
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