|
Post by queenofthenile on Sept 4, 2004 19:57:25 GMT -8
Has anyone else had a pair of gerbils declan? You usually only hear of groups larger than two having infighting. Anyway, my black female (Astra) and neutered lilac male (Rowan), were introduced about a month ago. From the beginning their relationship was rocky . I really wanted to get them together quickly, so they wouldn't be alone. From the start they had little tiffs, where they would box a lot and push each other over. Now this behaviour has escalated. They will chase each other and hold each other down. Rowan has a small bite mark on his cheek but nowhere else. Has anyone else had this experience or have any advice? I am currently split-caging them, because I think the intro went too fast. I think I will try the split-cage for the full two weeks. It's just weird because they haven't gotten into a ball fight, but I'm afraid that it will escalate to that. On a side note, has anyone found their black female gerbils to be more aggressive. I had two other pairs declan, and both times it involved a black female gerbil. Hmmm... aggressive black gerbils and pudgy colourpoints... Has anyone else found this connection?
|
|
|
Post by RyanF on Sept 4, 2004 20:00:42 GMT -8
Well, when I introduced my black one (Rody) to the next one (Sandy), Rody was mean to Sandy for about 2 hours. Then they loved each other! ;D Then when Burkie came there was no fighting; They both accepted her. I really don't know much more about introduction than that.
|
|
|
Post by devun on Sept 4, 2004 20:54:22 GMT -8
my black gerbil's testier than my tan one too. Maybe it's true!
|
|
|
Post by j on Sept 4, 2004 22:15:09 GMT -8
LOL Omg @ the black female connection. YES! My first attempt ever at a split cage intro was with a black. My lilac..or dove gerbil died and my agouti was all alone at about 4 months old. The agouti was the submissive one. Bought a 12 week old black lone female from Petco. I had them split for like 2 weeks.. she was OK with me.. but she was a bytch to my agouti who doesn't have an agressive bone in her body. She wanted no part of the split cage or anything. Went to go switch them and she quickly climbed over the splitter and I had to get her off the other one.. She was ok with that, then realized I smelled like the agouti.. She bit me so hard she was hanging off my finger. After like 7 seconds of trying to stay still, I had to rip my finger out of her mouth because it hurt so bad. lol had a huge chunk missing for like a month. I gave up, put her by herself in a plastic cage..figured I'd try her with a pup when I found one. She ended up more depressed..got out of the stupid plastic cage and ended up getting killed by the cat. My black female pup was getting to be a little ball buster..pushy, agressive, grooming fights..boxing, doing the stare thing. I knew the dominant female could easily kick her ass so I ended up seperating her and another pup. My friend's litter of gerbils had 1 black and 1white? In with the mother and father. She kept them with the parents for another few weeks bsecause the white one was the runt and small..and the black would've been by herself. Around like 6 weeks the black was getting kind of weird. boxing with the mother, stealing the pups..lol Fighting for dominance I guess.. mother ended up killing her.
|
|
|
Post by j on Sept 4, 2004 22:16:53 GMT -8
Blacks are still my fav though. ;D
|
|
|
Post by queenofthenile on Sept 5, 2004 5:42:02 GMT -8
Hmmm... yeah, both of my black females have been very aggressive.
Has anyone else had a pair split up before?
|
|
RW
Member
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Puppy 6/6/07
Posts: 530
|
Post by RW on Sept 5, 2004 12:55:12 GMT -8
My daughter had a pair of girls, full sisters from the same litter who had always lived together, declan at about a year old and was never able to get them back together. But they were females. Every girl I've ever had, except Ratzilla, has been as sweet as sugar with humans, but territorial little beasts with other gerbils. Oh, 'Zilla's a territorial little beast, too, but definitely not sweet with humans, either. ;D RW
|
|
|
Post by queenofthenile on Sept 5, 2004 16:39:16 GMT -8
I'm really hoping the reintroduction will do the trick. I just want these little ones to be happy.
|
|
|
Post by sweetie on Sept 6, 2004 17:17:16 GMT -8
Hey Queenie, I have noticed that Sweetie is the Alpha but Blackie is more aggressive. Also, Cowboy and Bubba got into a ball fight the other day for what ever reason I am not sure and as soon as I split them up, I put Cowboy back into the house. After a while, I put Bubba and Honeymunch in the house and watched really closely and they did not and have not had any issues since? BTW there where not even any cuts or abrasions on either one of them?
|
|
|
Post by queenofthenile on Sept 7, 2004 6:11:58 GMT -8
You may just have to watch your trio closely. Especially since you added Honeymunch quite late, there may be some fighting.
|
|
|
Post by sweetie on Sept 7, 2004 19:00:48 GMT -8
I have been keeping a close eye on them They have not fought since!! I even jump up and run over when I hear anything!! I end up scaring them. They are interacting very well. THey all sleep together and it seems that Bubba has taken Honeymunch under his "wing" LOL. ;D I will continue to watch closely until Honeymunch is out of his 5-8 month period.
|
|
|
Post by queenofthenile on Sept 7, 2004 19:55:42 GMT -8
That's good, I hope everything stays fine. Hopefully they will all get along until you decide whether you want to breed Honeymunch or not.
|
|
|
Post by sweetie on Sept 8, 2004 11:31:21 GMT -8
If I breed him, it will be in part that Jim likes pups and says yeah and if I can find another female pup in my area that will give the right colors. I have not seen alot of DEH, or schimmels, nutmegs, or Polar Foxes. I love Polar foxes they are soooooo cute!! I will tray the genetics based on the tables you gave me and let you know what the offspring "might" look like!!
|
|
|
Post by sandy2 on Sept 8, 2004 13:09:47 GMT -8
Friends of ours had 2 gerbil female pups declan, one was black and she was the aggressor, so it has happened...she was great with people, though.
I had an agouti male and spotted dove female that were always uneasy together, the female just doesn't want another gerbil there. I've tried pairing her up with others, male, female, young, it doesn't make any difference. She's a loner and likes it that way. Nothing wrong with the agouti male--he's now a classroom gerbil paired with a dove male.
|
|
|
Post by lizzy on Sept 14, 2004 10:05:58 GMT -8
my experience was the opposite. when i first introduced raven (black) and juliet (pied siamese) it was juliet that was being the aggressive dominant one and raven the submissive one.
|
|