|
|
Post by Sven Van Boven on Jan 7, 2005 3:34:35 GMT -8
Hi everybody!
me and my girlfriend bought our 2 lovely pets last year, and all went well untill now... this week we found out that Starsky has several wounds (tail and behind), appearantly because Hutch has bitten him. Luckily we saw it on time, and the vet said the wounds will heal if we treat him with the propper ointments. The reason why Hutch is that aggressive isn't clear, but probably he is a bit stressed.
Can anyone give us some advise about what to do, to get them back together without fighting, because we wouldn't like to separate them...
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by Ritzie/Admin on Jan 7, 2005 4:39:41 GMT -8
Are they seperated now? And if so, for how long? If not, how does it go now? Do they still fight? Or not? If they are seperated too long or keep on fighting, you might try to split cage them! Sometimes they become friends again after a fight, but sometimes not. The reason why they start to fight is most of the times a dominance thing. One trying to take over the dominant position. If nobody gives up and accept that it has lost the fights will keep on going an end up in dead. If one accept that he is the submissive one and gives up, it might get 'normal' again. Usually wound in gerbil heal without treatment. Only when the wounds are very severe, help mignt be needed. I have had the same thing with two males, and I had to seperate them when everything failed to bring them together. Hopefully this will not be the case with your gerbils! Success, and let us know how it goes!  ;D |
|
|
|
Post by sven on Jan 9, 2005 23:36:51 GMT -8
Hi Peter,
many thanks for your reply!
we had to split them on thursday for Starsky's visit to the vet.
After that, we tried a "cage in a cage" method so they could still smell eachother. We tried that a couple of hours, and both of them were very relaxed! When we tried to put them back together, they even fought harder than before! So there was no other possibility than to separate them, and now they both seem very happy and relaxed... I also moved their tanks to our second bedroom so they can easily adapt in all peace and quiet to their new habitat. I really feel sorry for them, all lalone in their big tanks, but it was the only sollution left... I still don't understand what caused them to fight after one whole year of peace...
|
|
|
|
Post by Ritzie/Admin on Jan 10, 2005 1:16:05 GMT -8
I have had the same problem with with two of my males, and that after 3 years living together. A father and son. It might be dominance as the father became very old and more weak. But he still won the fights. He was the one that attacked the other. They have lived seperate for a year or so, but are now both dead. Father was 5 years old and the son about 4 years old. Have you tried the split cage method for a longer while, one weeks or even 2-3 weeks? Might work! |
|
|
|
Post by whittney32 on Jan 10, 2005 6:21:50 GMT -8
Im having the same problem with my two little girls Whiskers and Fidget. They've gotten along just fine these past two years and then all of a sudden...Fidget's tail is just covered in bite marks. I've seperated them already, it happened yesterday. I just don't understand why it would happen after over two years!
|
|
RW
Member
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Puppy 6/6/07
Posts: 530
|
Post by RW on Jan 11, 2005 5:42:09 GMT -8
Sven, have you considered keeping Starsky and Hutch in a permanent split tank? I've used this setup successfully for gerbils who have refused to pair. It's not a perfect solution, but they each have some gerbil companionship and can't hurt each other.
RW
|
|
|
|
Post by sven on Jan 19, 2005 8:57:57 GMT -8
hi there,
i've tried the split cage method for over a week, and they kept on jumping the barricades! they hardly slept, so I had to separate them into 2 tanks... with pain in my heart, but they both seem more relaxed now... I try to play with them as much as I can, and they stay very social, so....
thanks a lot for your advice everybody!
|
|
|
|
Post by Ritzie/Admin on Jan 20, 2005 3:16:12 GMT -8
Sorry to hear that it didn't work. I have to say that sometimes it takes much longer than a week. But that they kept jumping to each other for a week does not mean much good!
I have ad also two lonely gerbils after a fight! They did well alone. Only one was asking for a lot of attention. When I was in the room, he kept jumping to the window. He want to be handled and out of his tank. He was very tame! They both lived for more than a year solitairy in a tank, and became 5 and 4,5 years old!
|
|
;D