9 moths old gerbil - how to introduce a new one?

[bealina]

Hi,

I bought my gerbil last August. He's my first gerbil and I didn't know much about them when I bought him. In a pet store they said you can only have one but I've been reading about how people keep gerbils and there is always more than one. So, is it too late to introduce another one to my gerbil? Should I get a very young one, about 5-6 weeks old?

[sunshine760510]

Hello,

When one of my gerbils died last year I took 2 very young gerbils and put them together. This went very well, My oldest gerbil was about 1 1/2 years old. They were very happy the 3 of them (see my picture on the left). Please note that you never keep a gerbil by itself. They get very lonely than!!

At the moment one of my gerbils is healing from an operation on a tumor and he was seperate for a week now. So I am going to use the split cage method. I don't know exactly how it works but I am going to find out on this forum!

I hope you find a buddy for your gerbil! It would make him very glad! Good luck.

greetings Naomi

[taivas]

Hi
Most people say that it´s pretty easy to introuce a very young gerbil (less than 10 weeks, as far as I know) to an older one because thre will be no doubts about who´s the dominant gerbil since the older gerbil is bigger and stronger.
If you have a lone old gerbil you should introduce two "youngsters" to it. Otherwise it might happen that the new geerbil soon is alone again but I personally think that your 9 months old gerbil in´t that old. So it might do if you only get one new friend for it.

You can introduce the new gerbil to the old one in a small cage. It´s always important that this cage is new to both gerbils, so that none had the chance to mark it´s teritory.
After some weeks you let them moove into a big cage when they got to know eachother.

Greatings,
Sabine

[sweetie]

Hi Bea,

It is okay to introduce a young pup to an older one. The younger pup does not have as much of a scent as an older gerbil does so introductions are easier.

Do you currently have a male or a female gerbil? If you have a male, 2 young male pups would work well probably with out a split cage. If you currently have a female, I would suggest getting only one young female pup. Females are more aggressive than males and are likely to declan when held in groups larger than 2. This intro might require a split cage. You should be able to get information in other threads regarding split cage methods.

Good luck. Keep us posted. Lastly it is good to hear you are getting your gerbil a friend.

[bealina]

Ok, guys, I need you help - tell me *everything* I need to know.

As you can read above, my gerbil has been the only gerbil in his tank for about 8 months now. You all agreed that I should get him a friend. Yesterday I found little baby gerbils and they'll be old enough to go to their new home in 10 days. I made a reservation for one pup. Now I have 10 days to learn everything. Mine's male and the pup I'll bring home will also be male, a very young one. So, would it be safe to just put the little one in the tank? Or should I introduce them somewhere else, on my bed or something like that? I have another (smaller) tank which my gerbil uses for sand baths. I can put some bedding into it and make it a transitional home for a new pup - I don't know if that is needed at all.

Please, reassure me, everything is going to be fine and that they won't hurt eachother the moment they meet.

[doomgerbiluk]

the pup should be 5 weeks dol minimum. It is very possible that you may direct intor them BUT rub the pup in the older gerbils bedding to make it smell OK.
keep the cage simple but with places the pup can shelter.
Have gloves on. and soemwhere to put the pup if it fails.
I liek to have asome cardboard or toilet roll handy.
Put the pup in and watch carefully. There will be bum-sniffing, chasing and maybe some crying and power grooming. This is where your judgement comes in. If your feel there is violence, you must remove the pup and use the split cage method.
If they seem ok together throw in the cardboard, a good chew together can help cement a relationship

[sweetie]

Hey Bea,

I have successfully introduced a young male pup to two older gerbils. The pup was 6 wks and the older gerbils were 6 months.

Males are easier to introduce. If I were you, I would put them in a different environment when you introduce them. Like Doom said have the cardboard and gloves ready. Most times the intro will go easily but there may be an occasion when they will come in handy.

I also would clean the tank out before you put them both into it. This will help with the trritorial issues. The older one will be busy nesting and scoping the clean tank, that he may give the little one some quiet time to adjust.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Nyle]

Hi, I recently have tried to introduce a younger male gerbil (Luma) to 2 older males (Felix and Lloyd). Currently we are trying the screen in the middle of the cage method, with switching sides and trading which side had 2 gerbils in it and such. Most of the time they will get not bother eachother. Luma and Felix get along fairly well. But when Luma and Lloyd are together, they often are up in eachothers faces looking like they are about to fight. Or Lloyd will chase Luma doing what looks like smelling his behind. I have checked Luma for bites and havent found any.

In any case... are these actions normal?? Is there anything i can do so that i could get rid of the screen sooner? Thanks for your help. Please email me at [e-mail] with suggestions!! Thanks again!!!

Nyle

[sweetie]

When you say they are in each others face and butt sniffing, do you mean through the screen?

[Nyle]

No, they are doing it much now. But when we let them "visit" one another, they will do it. I can let luma and felix sleep together all night with no problems, but still lloyd is kinda doing it with luma.