Can anyone help me with my gerbils?

[Embyr]

I purchased my first gerbil the day before yesterday. A cute little male named Luigi. When I got home I was very excited to learn all there was to learn about this cute little guy so I was surfing the net and found out something that scared me a little. The website I found said that gerbils can become depressed if living solitary lives and that pairing two males from the same litter was about the easiest way to go. So, of course being the good mommy I am, I went back to the same store to purchase another male from the same litter and named him Mario . This was unfortunately more than 48 hours later so now I'm worried about how they will except each other. How long does it take before they "forget" about each other?
So far things seem ok, there's no "ball" fighting that I can see but they are squeeking and pushing at each other and chasing each other around alot. I have been watching them closely for a couple hours. The website said that I could just put them in together but now I'm wondering if I should seperate them and do the more gradual introduction that I have been reading about. What do you guys think? I'm just so worried that someone will get hurt. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[jenluckenbach]

I don't know everything about gerbils, that is for sure, but I do know that you can introduce 2 gerbils by allowing them to be in the same cage but dividing the cage with a screen (best positioned on a diagonal). This way they can see and smell each other but not fight.
I would be a little scared to leave them alone together until you are SURE they won't fight. When I first had mice I put 2 males together (I did not know that it was a BIG no-no to do this). I watched them for a while and they seemed fine so I left them alone. When I returned, one had beaten up the other pretty bad. now, gerbils are not as bad as mice for fighting, but just to be safe I would try the slow introduction technique.

Good luck.

[Embyr]

Thank You so much

[tikeyas_mom]

at my work we would have several males living together peacfully. then one day someone decided to split them up. I put them back together and they fought badly. causing blood shed even. How old is the gerbil? Sometimes males wont accept another male into its territory if it has been alone for a while.
Even if they are brothers.

I would watch them VERY carefully. if they continue to fight even after slowly introducing them, i would seperate them .

good luck

[Jods]

I heards the same thing you need two. So I purchased two. They lived together happily for years and then one day I woke to one killed. I don't know if it was aggression or if the one sensed an illness I didn't see. Either way they were great little pets and me and my b/f miss them dearly. Good luck with yours!

[IRescue452]

Lucky you got males. I've heard many success stories about keeping two males together. I've had many females and they always fought almost to the point of killing each other, even if they were never split up. Good luck with them I hope they get along.

[Embyr]

Well so far so good, but I am still watching them closely. The pushing around has died down now after I split them up for a bit and they are grooming each other and sleeping together in the little house. Crossing my fingers that that means they'll be ok.
As far as the age of them, I am unfortunately unsure of that. I would say close to maturity but not there yet if that makes any sense at all. I'm wishing I would have asked more questions when I bought them now

[Embyr]

By the way is there one sign I should look for to know we're in the clear? And is some of the "boxing" they're doing normal for younger males?

[Vermontcat]

Welcome to Pet Talk Embyr, sorry I haven't seen this thread until now.
I have two gerbils who are sisters and they sleep together and cuddle but they do have wrestling matches from time to time.
Usually it is food that they fight over so if I give them a treat, I make sure that they have two of them so they don't fight.
As long as your gerbils aren't actually hurting each other, then they should be ok.
Some squeaks are normal when they play, it's pretty normal gerbil behavior.

[Embyr]

Thank You, that makes me feel better. They seem to be getting along better and better all the time and groom each other regularly so I think they've settled in now.

I'm actually looking at a new cage for them at the moment, the one I have is kinda small and it's wire so doesn't all for much burrowing. I'd like to find something like it that connects to a tank. I just wonder if it would be appropriate for them, or if it's more for a rabbit or guinnea pig. Here's a link if anyone wants to give their thoughts or suggestions.

Gerbil Cage