Post by solitairedaxel on Feb 5, 2007 17:44:22 GMT -8
I went to visit my grandparents last Saturday with the rest of the family (it's an hour's drive). As they can't drive that far to us anymore, we have to go to them so they hadn't met my gerbils.
I hadn't actually taken the gerbs anywhere in the show container, so I figured I'd bring them along to see how they travelled and also to introduce them to my grandparents.
Grandad was just like, "Oh, those are gerbils? Funny, aren't they?" lol
Nanna is another matter. She said it was okay to bring them, but the first thing she said was, "They've got tails!" She thought Kaole looked like a mouse (they have wild colourpoint mice round there?
) but she did hold Rheane for a few seconds (okay, she was shivering the whole time, lol, and she ended up putting him on the cabinet). And she stroked Mesieth; she said she didn't mind him as much because he's nowhere near the colour of a mouse. By that time, they were all worn out, lol, and he was just sitting on my hand letting himself be stroked rather than running all over the place looking for somewhere to jump to.
I guess that rules out my grandparents for looking after the gerbs while we're on holiday.
At the moment, taking them with us is an option but I'd have to get a couple more playpens as they're a lot lighter than the tanks and will travel better. And the gerbs could travel in their show containers, so the playpens could be stacked with the lids off and the aspen bagged inside. I have everything planned. And I have until August to find out what we're actually doing.
Overall, I think the gerbs were less bothered by the actual journey than by my horrible brothers coming by and hitting the container, making loud noises, getting them out and going off round the house with them, letting them loose on slippery cabinets so they slide all over the place...and that's my *18-year-old* brother. The 2-year-old was a lot nicer to them - he only has a tendency to poke when he tries to stroke them.
I was watching the gerbs' reaction nearly all of the journey (I had them on my lap). They did the usual running-around, digging, etc, on being put in the container. On the journey there, they seemed a bit nervous by the noise of the engine, but they settled down at the end furthest from the window and apparently dozed off. Every so often, one of them would run up to the other side and dig or have a look out (usually Kaole). As soon as we were out of the van and in the house, all three gerbs piled up together in the middle of the container and went to sleep.
They were asleep most of the time we were there. I left them in the kitchen most of the time because it was warmer (and also there they were under the supervision of my mum, who can deal with my brothers if they upset the gerbs).
On the way back, it was *freezing*, so I put my fleece around the container (don't worry, I had my coat on
) so they didn't get cold. Again, they all cuddled up in the end furthest from the window (bearing in mind the fleece is blocking out the light and it's night-time) and went to sleep.
After we got home, I gave them a toilet roll tube to chew up and Mesieth completely ignored it (!!!) and went into the corner to sleep. Rheane and Kaole started on it, then Kaole fell asleep right where he was sitting and Rheane had to finish it on his own, lol.
Overall, I think they were okay with the journey, so that was good. And they definitely seemed to have enough space, which is also good. And my brother (the 18-year-old) is a pest and can't be trusted with them.
I hadn't actually taken the gerbs anywhere in the show container, so I figured I'd bring them along to see how they travelled and also to introduce them to my grandparents.
Grandad was just like, "Oh, those are gerbils? Funny, aren't they?" lol
Nanna is another matter. She said it was okay to bring them, but the first thing she said was, "They've got tails!" She thought Kaole looked like a mouse (they have wild colourpoint mice round there?
) but she did hold Rheane for a few seconds (okay, she was shivering the whole time, lol, and she ended up putting him on the cabinet). And she stroked Mesieth; she said she didn't mind him as much because he's nowhere near the colour of a mouse. By that time, they were all worn out, lol, and he was just sitting on my hand letting himself be stroked rather than running all over the place looking for somewhere to jump to.I guess that rules out my grandparents for looking after the gerbs while we're on holiday.
At the moment, taking them with us is an option but I'd have to get a couple more playpens as they're a lot lighter than the tanks and will travel better. And the gerbs could travel in their show containers, so the playpens could be stacked with the lids off and the aspen bagged inside. I have everything planned. And I have until August to find out what we're actually doing.Overall, I think the gerbs were less bothered by the actual journey than by my horrible brothers coming by and hitting the container, making loud noises, getting them out and going off round the house with them, letting them loose on slippery cabinets so they slide all over the place...and that's my *18-year-old* brother. The 2-year-old was a lot nicer to them - he only has a tendency to poke when he tries to stroke them.
I was watching the gerbs' reaction nearly all of the journey (I had them on my lap). They did the usual running-around, digging, etc, on being put in the container. On the journey there, they seemed a bit nervous by the noise of the engine, but they settled down at the end furthest from the window and apparently dozed off. Every so often, one of them would run up to the other side and dig or have a look out (usually Kaole). As soon as we were out of the van and in the house, all three gerbs piled up together in the middle of the container and went to sleep.
They were asleep most of the time we were there. I left them in the kitchen most of the time because it was warmer (and also there they were under the supervision of my mum, who can deal with my brothers if they upset the gerbs).
On the way back, it was *freezing*, so I put my fleece around the container (don't worry, I had my coat on
) so they didn't get cold. Again, they all cuddled up in the end furthest from the window (bearing in mind the fleece is blocking out the light and it's night-time) and went to sleep.After we got home, I gave them a toilet roll tube to chew up and Mesieth completely ignored it (!!!) and went into the corner to sleep. Rheane and Kaole started on it, then Kaole fell asleep right where he was sitting and Rheane had to finish it on his own, lol.
Overall, I think they were okay with the journey, so that was good. And they definitely seemed to have enough space, which is also good. And my brother (the 18-year-old) is a pest and can't be trusted with them.
- I wouldn't have a go at holding a spider 
.