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Post by j on Aug 1, 2004 19:56:19 GMT -8
If he's by himself, that is typical gerbil behavior and it'll be pretty much impossible to tame him. Especially if he's older than 3 months.
Thumping isn't a good sign either. Thumping means they're scared.
Scratching the side of the aquarium means you probably have a really boring set up. You need at least a few inches of shavings and a lot of hiding places, and things to chew. Although your gerbil sounds depressed, and he probably won't chew anything anyways..which is also bad because their teeth need to be worn down.
I don't think time is really a factor. You don't need to spend hours at a time with them like dogs or something. If he has another one in with him, he'll be much happier in general. They feel safer in pairs, it's like they have a buddy looking out for them so they're not as scared. You only need 5 or 10 minutes maybe a couple times a day to give them a sunflower seed or talk to them so they recognize your voice.
I'd suggest getting another gerbil if he is alone. If he's not alone, and the other one is fine.. Try putting more things in the tank to stop the stereotypical digging.
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Post by queenofthenile on Aug 1, 2004 20:13:38 GMT -8
You only need to set aside about 10 minutes a day for the first bit. Even if he runs away from your hand, keep it in there with your palm flat to the bottom of the tank. You can just sit there for about 5-10 minutes with your hand in the tank while you read a book or something. Eventually he will come and sniff it. Don't try and pick him up by the tail again, because it does frighten him. If it is necessary to pick him up, try scooping him up slowly with two open hands. Don't move quickly and just kind of edge him into a corner, and then lift. If that doesn't work, place a coffee mug in the tank and pick it up when he jumps in.
Also, to prevent him running when you stick your hand in the tank, make some soft clicking noises when you approach the tank or talk in a quiet voice to let him know that you are there.
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Post by andrea on Aug 2, 2004 7:25:26 GMT -8
we have one trouble maker in our gerbil lot when it comes to thumping! Piper will thump at anything and everything, which in turns sets everyone off!.. sometimes our living room sounds like an indian war tribe camp with the drums going ;D also i have noticed our gerbs HATE people that smoke and the smell of a smoker always sets them off.. We have one lazy gerbil he big and fat and does vertually nothing all day apart from they love cardboard, which they all get every night. he lives with 2 other males, but no matter what you do hes just so lazy, but he seems happy enough. I have found different gerbils, have different character and habits. like human you have the atheletic one and the fat ones Some don't like being handled, some don't mind, then you have the heesmans that run up your arm and sit on your head!. All our gerbils enjoy there playpen sessions Andrea
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Post by sweetie on Aug 2, 2004 11:48:43 GMT -8
Is your son near you that you could bring the other gerbil back for a bit until you can afford another one??? Have you tried the local shelters?? The papers?? There are some people who just don't want theirs any more and would love to get rid of them (for free) or people who have had litters and don't want to keep the babies. I would just caution that you get a younger (less than 12 weeks) same sex gerbil. Gerbils really don't do well on thier own. There are resources that are free or inexpensive so don't feel bad utilizing them. Good luck!!
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Post by floppy on Aug 2, 2004 11:52:25 GMT -8
I'm just wondering why you don't put your sons gerbil in with yours? That is assuming that your sons one is on his own also. It's not good for gerbils to live alone. They get depressed. I have a female who lives on her own, she's in a split cage at the moment so hopefully she'll get on with the 2 female pups when I take the split down. Anyway, she got quite agressive toward me and would nip me every chance she got. I put it down to her being lonely and depressed. If your son also has a lone gerbil there's every chance that that one is depressed or lonely too. You should use a split cage to introduce them and they will become happier and more handleable.
Just because the exercise ball says it's for all small pets does not mean that they will all like it! They are fussy little creatures and each one is different. They have their own personalities and likes/dislikes etc. I guess your one is really really depressed or he just doesn't like being in the ball.
Never pick him up by the tail because it can break off. If this happens it will never grow back and in severe cases the gerbil could die, from loss of blood or infection etc.
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Post by j on Aug 2, 2004 15:28:50 GMT -8
Not all gerbils like balls or wheels. Putting him in a ball that he hates everyday is probably making him hate you even more. If all he does is sit there, why do you keep putting him in it? You can't seriously think he likes it.... I tried the ball thing. None of my gerbils liked it. They sat there scared to death, you can tell by the look on their face and the stiffness. I could tell after the first attempt, I didn't have to put them in it everyday to know they hated it! Doesn't even sound like you want to bother getting another one. It's not hard to find them... They're not even expensive. At Petco and Petsmart..they're like $10 (which is kind of high), but if you go to a small petshop they're usually like $5 and under. Look in papers, go to www.agsgerbils.org and put an ad on the classified section saying you're looking for pups(easy to introduce to older ones) and most likely you can get one for about $5.. Try petfinder.com, might be able to find one from a shelter near you and you can put a want ad in their classifieds.
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Post by GerbilCrazy on Aug 2, 2004 20:22:58 GMT -8
Agreed. You're dumb. You have no patience. No money. You picked him up by the tail and you wonder why he isn't tame. You're upset because he doesn't thump? You made a post about 10 days ago saying you got another gerbil. I guess the new gerbil is your son's now. Apparently you screwed something up with the introduction, or you didn't bother since you didn't update that thread. There are lots of introduction threads here on the board, if you did some reading (You probably don't have the patience to do any research..) you would've gotten a lot of tips on how to. You're lucky the gerbil is eating. You still have a chance. Soon he won't eat at all and end up starving himself because he's so depressed and lost his appetite. Toys and your stupid hand won't make him happy. He needs someone to sleep with. Kind of like people.
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Post by floppy on Aug 3, 2004 5:52:00 GMT -8
To be honest Gerbette you have a very bad attitude. For your age you should be a lot more mature! No one's saying the gerbil needs to be the 'be all and end all' of your life, we are just trying to tell you how to care for him properly. You clearly can't take constructive critisism! I really do feel sorry for your gerbil. You must have no conscience as you don't seem to care weather your gerbil is happy or not. I have 42 gerbils and to be honest my life does in a way revolve around them. That's not a bad thing. I love animals. If I can't find someone I trust to look after them then I can't go on holiday...I have also gone without because they needed food/supplies etc. I think of myself as a kind loving person...I can't write what I think of you here... I am really angry at your last post People like you are selfish and shouldn't be allowed to keep pets. It's no wonder the poor thing hates you!
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Post by j on Aug 3, 2004 6:46:24 GMT -8
I don'tneed to make this pet the be all end all of my life!!! He isn't and I don't see what everbodies fuss is about. Soooo i made a couple mistakes and now people think I'm treating my gerbil badly??? What's up with this? Excuse me, but I'm NOT abusing my gerbil just not feeling well lately and can't deal with people who tell me I'm not doing enough or making bad choices. Well HELLO, my choices are my own not anyones here! Sorry, didn't mean to choose You(sweetie) to rag on but, I did quote you here... I'm speaking to ALL when I say what I'm saying, I just don't feel like making 20 posts. I'm not a member here to have people tell me how to live. Ha! I think I'll stick to poetry from now on and just get myself out of this forum totally before I have the gerbil police on my case. BYE Geeez, get a grip people, this pet is not the be all and end all of my life! Shelter?? I live in the boonies of NY not the city. There ARE no shelters nearby. I've no money to advertise and, no intention of getting rid of my gerbil. I think I'll keep my activities about me and my pets to myself from now on. CIAO! Nobody said the gerbils had to be the all and end of your life. What the hell? I don't get it. You obviously cared enough at one point to come here and post about it and try and get help. You did get advice in another thread about getting a new one. You got a new one, and it doesn't look like you bothered to introduce them.. You sound like a 5yrold now. "I'LL DO WHAT I WANT AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME" You can't handle blunt honesty. I wonder how many people lie to you on a daily basis so they don't upset you and you believe them. Ok. So look at that miserable gerbil every single day just to spite us. The only one truly suffering is that gerbil. Me, I have the satisfaction of knowing that at the rate you're going, the gerbil will eventually kill itself either by stress or major depression, and be in a MUCH Better place then living with you. So what was the point in getting another one and seperating it by giving it to your son? (Hmm, by the way.. how does THAT gerbil act?) Neglecting an animal, picking it up by the tail and throwing it in a ball scaring it to death that it sits there stiff.. ... is animal abuse. And stupidity. You have no patience and probably hate wasting time...why do you waste your time everyday to make it sit in a ball and stare at it? Especially not feeling well and being sick.. why bother? Doesn't make any sense. By the way, it always amazes me when people claim to be poor and have the internet and can't afford ANYTHING for $5. With the internet, you should be able to find FREE gerbils somewhere. Most online classified sections are FREE. For instance, you could post a wanted ad on here - www.agsgerbils.org/classifieds/If you did a google search and included your city, you'd probably find other gerbils for free. Admit it, you don't even want to bother. Your "no money" excuse is irelevant. Actually. Money isn't an issue in your case. You already have another single gerbil in your house..What is the problem with hooking them up?
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Post by j on Aug 3, 2004 6:48:00 GMT -8
LOL@being lame and deleting most of her posts.
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Post by andrea on Aug 3, 2004 6:54:07 GMT -8
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Post by j on Aug 3, 2004 6:59:52 GMT -8
Yeah, she didn't like being told she was wrong, so she threw a fit and deleted her posts. Basically, the original post was about taming. Her gerbil hates her and she was having 'no luck' She puts her hand in the cage and the gerbil gets nippy and runs away. She had to leave and "Couldn't wait", so she picked the gerbil up by it's tail. The gerbil does nothing but eat, sleep and compulsive digs. Her son's (another loner) gerbil thumps, this one doesn't so it's actually a bad thing. Everyday she puts the gerbil in it's ball, but he doesn't move. He just sits there untill she decides to put him back.
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Post by j on Aug 3, 2004 7:02:11 GMT -8
And ya know, I just thought of something. It would take longer and be much harder to catch a gerbil by the tail. It's thin and slippery, they move fast..hard to catch a grip on it. She couldn't have grabbed the end cause it didn't fall off. She would've had to chase him to death with her hand to get it. That thing is so going to die from stress.
Much easier to scoop them up. She probably didn't want to get bit so she grabbed the other end.
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Post by andrea on Aug 3, 2004 7:06:35 GMT -8
Oh OK.. not worth me worrying about, thought I had upset someone again
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Post by floppy on Aug 3, 2004 7:11:36 GMT -8
Andrea, she (Gerbette) has deleted all her posts. She did ask our opinion and when we gave it she had a fit! She's 46 years old for goodness sake! By what she had written in her posts she clearly doesn't care/like animals and really can't be bothered taking proper care of them. She doesn't seem like a nice person to me...
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