My gerbils

[Maker]

I agree, I think it's always important to think about vet costs too though. It doesn't cost much to keep small furries but the vet bills are definitely no smaller because they are!

[brieshamsters]

oh yeah thats a big reason keeping me from owning anything except hamsters. i would love a cat but will not get one until i’m more financially stable

[Stella Maris]

Sushi 78:
How are your gerbil pairs doing?
I'm still gerbil-less. I'd like to get a pair from a breeder, but there don't seem to be any in western Canada. If the border ever opens, there might be one in Washington or Oregon.
Because I hope to travel a bit, maybe I should wait until next year. Maybe pick a couple up on my return trip, if there are any available.
Meanwhile, Bean briefly graces me with his company at least once every couple of days.

[sushi_78]

Originally Posted by Stella Maris

Sushi 78:
How are your gerbil pairs doing?
I'm still gerbil-less. I'd like to get a pair from a breeder, but there don't seem to be any in western Canada. If the border ever opens, there might be one in Washington or Oregon.
Because I hope to travel a bit, maybe I should wait until next year. Maybe pick a couple up on my return trip, if there are any available.
Meanwhile, Bean briefly graces me with his company at least once every couple of days.

Hi,

I still have my four. We celebrated their second birthday at the beginning of the month (it was the actual birthday of two of them, and the birthdays of the other two are unknown so they shared the party). Unfortunately my female Rocket is having some health problems. She's drinking a lot of has lost a bit of weight. The vet could find nothing obviously wrong so we're just keeping an eye on her.

2 years is not old for a gerbil but it is the age from which health issues tend to start to appear. I'm finding it hard having four all the same age. In hindsight, it was not the best idea. In future, if I keep two pairs, I'll try to spread out the ages more.

Try contacting the American Gerbil Society about breeders. Although US-based, they have links with Canadian breeders too. There is one called Royal Wings Gerbils in Calgary.

[Stella Maris]

Thanks, Sushi
Sorry about Rocket's troubles. I wonder if gerbils get diabetes... Hope she bounces back.
I emailed Royal Wings to no avail. I guess I'll try leaving a message with the phone number she listed. There's a direct flight to my town from Calgary.
������ No gerbil pic! Oh well I'll use this: �� They kinda remind me of mini roos. ��

[sushi_78]

Gerbils can in theory get diabetes like any mammal but it's rare. In any case, because I have a hybrid hamster I had the glucose test strips on hand, so I tested her just so I could tick one thing off the list and she was negative.

Gerbils remind me of mini T-rexes!

[sushi_78]

Does anyone have any name suggestions for this lovely female gerbil?





She's been in a split tank with my gerbil Tilly for 5 weeks and I didn't dare to name her during that time because I didn't know if the introduction would work out.Tilly is a slightly tricky character having rejected the last gerbil I brought home for her (Astra, who ended up reunited with her sister Twiglet).

This week I took the divider out and it's going great so she just needs a name now...

[cloudy]

She is sooo cute! The name Primrose came to me when I saw her.

[Ria P]

And i thought she's a Bonnie.

[sushi_78]

Both of those suit her! Usually I end up finding a name that just clicks.

She hasn't been totally nameless these past weeks. Her breeder gave her a nickname "Muncee", short for "Munchie", which is short for "Munchkin", I think because she was the smallest and daintiest in the litter.