|
|
Post by sherri on Jun 15, 2005 12:14:51 GMT -8
I just got done getting my little girl out of the cage for the second time (I've had her since Sunday) and I'm feeling sad about it because she was so scared. She finally did settle down and sat on my lap and let me pet her. I tried feeding her a treat, but she wasn't interested. I only kept her out 5 minutes because I didn't want to stress her too much.
When I put her back in her cage, she went to the top of her house and just sat there, motionless for a good half hour. I finally reached in and petted her a bit, checking on her. She just sat there. I walked over to the cage a few minutes later and she scurried into the bottom section of her house and now she's been sitting there in the same position, eyes wide open for a good 15 minutes...not moving.
Could she be that traumatized by my handling her? She didn't do this yesterday when we got her out.
|
|
|
|
Post by whitmoregirl on Jun 15, 2005 12:21:25 GMT -8
Some gerbils do this for various reasons - she could be watching you, or scared by a strange smell or sound.
If she keeps doing it, maybe you should cover over part her cage with a towel for a bit and leave her in some quiet, if she's only just been bought then she might still be a little traumatised.
Are you getting her a friend? Another gerbil may make her stop doing this.
|
|
|
|
Post by sherri on Jun 15, 2005 12:41:26 GMT -8
Some gerbils do this for various reasons - she could be watching you, or scared by a strange smell or sound. If she keeps doing it, maybe you should cover over part her cage with a towel for a bit and leave her in some quiet, if she's only just been bought then she might still be a little traumatised. Are you getting her a friend? Another gerbil may make her stop doing this. I planned on getting her a mate, so that they would eventually breed. I haven't had any luck finding a boy gerbil for her. Well, I do have a blackie on hold at a pet shop and might be bringing him home next week. I'm going to be visiting the pet shop a couple more times to observe him first. He's too young right now. I'm going to cover the one corner of her cage with a towel and see if that helps her to relax. |
|
|
|
Post by reallybes on Jun 15, 2005 14:49:09 GMT -8
I had that same thing happen to my female gerbil around the time I bought her. I realized she was acting strangely because she was pregnant (she gave birth a few days after i got her). After that she wasn't so skittish anymore and acted normal again. Also I heard that a lone gerbil tends to be a lot more stressed out. Maybe give her a lot of things to do. Like chew on toys and cardboard, deep bedding so she can dig, let her run around freely in a playpen, sand for a sandbath, etc. Hope she's doing okay again!
|
|
|
|
Post by sherri on Jun 15, 2005 19:31:39 GMT -8
I had that same thing happen to my female gerbil around the time I bought her. I realized she was acting strangely because she was pregnant (she gave birth a few days after i got her). After that she wasn't so skittish anymore and acted normal again. Also I heard that a lone gerbil tends to be a lot more stressed out. Maybe give her a lot of things to do. Like chew on toys and cardboard, deep bedding so she can dig, let her run around freely in a playpen, sand for a sandbath, etc. Hope she's doing okay again! Hopefully my girl isn't pregnant. She doesn't look fat and I felt really comfortable with the pet store and trusted in what they told me. They said that the pups had been born there and were 6 weeks old. And she looks like other 6 to 7 week old pup pics I've seen. I'll keep an eye on her though. Since I wrote this message and covered the one side of the tank with a towel, she finally curled up and went to sleep. Then I saw her come out and drink a lot of water...then go back in her house and sleep some more. And now she's been running in her tp tubes, eating and burrowing around...so she must be okay. I guess handling her was just really stressful for her. |
|
|
|
Post by whitmoregirl on Jun 17, 2005 6:42:31 GMT -8
 Good to hear she seems a little more relaxed. You may still want to stick your hand in occasionally with a treat though, just to get her more comfortable with your scent. |
|
|
|
Post by sherri on Jun 17, 2005 7:36:35 GMT -8
Good to hear she seems a little more relaxed. You may still want to stick your hand in occasionally with a treat though, just to get her more comfortable with your scent. I've been putting my hand in the tank and having a few sunflower seeds on my palm. I do this several times throughout the day. So far, she will not come out...other than a couple times she poked her head out of her house or a tp tube long enough to just sniff the tip of my finger and that was it. I think I need to find a more enticing treat. |
|
|
|
Post by whitmoregirl on Jun 17, 2005 7:44:29 GMT -8
;D Sounds like you have a shy yet picky gerbil! What about the odd peanut or ... darn I forgot what they're called, the white seeds the gerbils peel then eat.... pineapple seeds?  Or try a half grape or a little piece of apple. Mine can never finish a whole grape and thats with two or three of them eating it! |
|
|
|
Post by sherri on Jun 17, 2005 7:59:25 GMT -8
;D Sounds like you have a shy yet picky gerbil! What about the odd peanut or ... darn I forgot what they're called, the white seeds the gerbils peel then eat.... pineapple seeds? Or try a half grape or a little piece of apple. Mine can never finish a whole grape and thats with two or three of them eating it! Thank you for the suggestions. I'm going to try them and will let you know if it works. |
|
|
|
Post by gerbilsrgreat on Jun 17, 2005 20:27:45 GMT -8
;D Sounds like you have a shy yet picky gerbil! What about the odd peanut or ... darn I forgot what they're called, the white seeds the gerbils peel then eat.... pineapple seeds? Pumpkin seeds! -Jeremiah |
|
|
|
Post by malabui on Jun 21, 2005 11:56:41 GMT -8
When my gerbils wont take any seeds from me, I have resorted to their favorites like... pine nuts and sliced almonds.. Is it just me, but I think that they are spoiled?
|
|
|
|
Post by sherri on Jun 21, 2005 12:03:50 GMT -8
Lorraine is still shy, but not nearly as much now that Carl is with her. Last night I could put my hand in the tank and they would both run over it and around it and sniff it. Carl is a lot less shy than Lorraine, so maybe she sees him not being so afraid of me and it makes her more comfortable.
|
|
|
|
Post by malabui on Jun 21, 2005 12:13:05 GMT -8
Some gerbils always seem nervous. I had one called Mouse (she looked like one as a baby) who was fine sniffing my hand and comming to me, but just couldn't mentally take being handled. Shed, I don't know... just sort of flip from being a nice tame gerbil to a wild terrified mouse. Last time I held her I then spend the next 12 hours trying to catch her and the worst of it was... the way she sauntered back into her cage as if nothing had happened!!!
|
|
Good to hear she seems a little more relaxed.