Hamster lockdown thread - Page 19

sushi_78 · 05-02-2020, 01:11 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0-K...ature=youtu.be

This video is of a game I play with my gerbil Lily. She runs up and down from her underground tunnels collecting food from me, which she stores. It gets a bit tedious after a while but she loves it and she's a demanding gerbil who needs this kind of amusement to keep her sane. Not having cheek pouches like a hamster she can only carry two bits of food at a time. My other gerbil doesn't really understand the game, but she's curious about it.

Ria P · 05-03-2020, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sushi_78

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0-K...ature=youtu.be

This video is of a game I play with my gerbil Lily. She runs up and down from her underground tunnels collecting food from me, which she stores. It gets a bit tedious after a while but she loves it and she's a demanding gerbil who needs this kind of amusement to keep her sane. Not having cheek pouches like a hamster she can only carry two bits of food at a time. My other gerbil doesn't really understand the game, but she's curious about it.

She's so fast! How do gerbils and hamsters compare? Are they very different regarding housing, taming, socialisation etc? I know nothing at all about gerbils but always wanted to know.

Vierville · 05-03-2020, 04:22 AM

I love that! Your gerbils are seriously cute! What amuses me is how the one is completely invested in this activity and the other looks on as if to say 'what on earth is going on here?'

I believe gerbils are very different to hamsters in terms of needs- they are highly social animals if I'm not mistaken? Where hamsters are by far best suited to a solitary life, gerbils need other gerbils. They are also notoriously enthusiastic chewers. I believe a tank environment is the best for gerbils with lots of deep substrate to burrow in as you can see in the video.

That's all I know about them apart from that they are seriously cute.

Gerbils are my next rodent pet that I'd like to get but I want to have the right setup and a big tank for them from the start.

Pebbles82 · 05-03-2020, 08:39 AM

It's really interesting how she runs all the way round the edge of the cage before going down her tunnel! Instead of straight there. I assume there is some logic in that- ie avoiding running over the top of the tunnel so it doesn't collapse

sushi_78 · 05-03-2020, 05:02 PM

Lily doesn't do anything by halves, Vierville, she throws herself into everything! Often literally.

Gerbils are different from hamsters but having kept one small rodent always gives you a head start with another I think. For example, safe bedding and sand types and safe foods are the same between hamsters and gerbils.

In terms of housing, they need tanks rather than cages. 70x40x40cm is the size above which gerbils do best in my experience. Tanks smaller than this can sometimes work, but some gerbils will go completely loopy in a smaller tank (especially females). Females are more feisty than males and like to have more space, which seems to be a common theme with rodents. Gerbils are really laid back about their housing compared to hamsters. You can't really go too big for a pair (groups are a bit different), but they'll also usually be happy with whatever size tank you can provide as long as it's above 70cm long. Gerbils like cages with more open space, and they like to have their cages rearranged every few weeks. They need lots of bedding, at minimum 8 inches but 12 inches is best.

Sociability: Gerbils are highly social and it's almost always recommended to keep multiple gerbils. Pairs are always most stable in captivity. Groups of 3 or more can be unstable and wouldn't be recommended for a first time gerbil keeper. Declanning (when gerbils fight and need to be separated) is quite uncommon in a sibling pair, especially when the tank is set up right: no connected cages, no clearly divided areas, houses should have more than one entrance, no narrow gaps where one gerbil can trap another, shelves are ok but should have two ramps or one very wide ramp leading up to them.

Taming: Gerbils can be flighty and move faster than most hamsters, but they are extremely curious, too curious for their own good really. If you put a hand in the cage, they will first flee, then almost immediately reemerge to investigate. This is a great advantage for taming. They're active in the day and can adapt their sleep schedule to your routine which is another advantage. Gerbils that have been handled from pups and raised in a home environment are a delight to own, but I haven't found taming too difficult with pet shop gerbils either.

Ria P · 05-03-2020, 11:45 PM

Thank you for the information sushi.

Do gerbils bite?

sushi_78 · 05-04-2020, 05:38 AM

Young gerbils will mouth everything, including hands. It shouldn't hurt, but I always push them away gently to teach them that hands aren't for nibbling. In adulthood, gerbils rarely bite, and when they do it's a warning bite that doesn't draw blood. One thing to avoid is putting a hand in the cage with a treat held between your fingers (as opposed to on your palm) as in my experience some gerbils can learn to expect fingers to always be holding a treat, so they lunge forward and bite fingers without looking properly.

Vierville · 05-04-2020, 11:39 AM

Thanks Sushi_78. That is all very valuable advice! We have a local rodent rescue organisation (that's where Nanuk and Norman came from) and I am sure they have gerbils but not sure if they would be youngsters or adults. How would an older pair of gerbils cope with a change in house etc?

How often do their tanks require a full cleanout?

I think that gerbils will be joining my household sooner rather than later!

sushi_78 · 05-04-2020, 12:07 PM

Even older gerbils can cope with one off moves just fine. It could be an issue if the gerbil was quite frail or unwell, but in that case a rescue wouldn't usually be rehoming them. I would consider elderly for a gerbil to be 2.5 years+, but they can stay very active and well beyond that. One of my first gerbils lived 4.5 years and was very well until the last couple of months.

How often they need cleaning out depends on the size of the tank, the amount of bedding and the type of bedding. When I had a 75x45x40cm tank with 10 inches of wood shavings, I could go 3 months between major cleanouts. People with 100cm or bigger tanks can often go 6 months. Gerbils love peeing on raised surfaces, such as shelves, so if your tank has a topper (a wire cage on top of the tank), that will keep the bedding cleaner.

Ria P · 05-04-2020, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vierville

Thanks Sushi_78. That is all very valuable advice! We have a local rodent rescue organisation (that's where Nanuk and Norman came from) and I am sure they have gerbils but not sure if they would be youngsters or adults. How would an older pair of gerbils cope with a change in house etc?

How often do their tanks require a full cleanout?

I think that gerbils will be joining my household sooner rather than later!

I'm looking forward to meet your gerbils!