Okay. I have to take the gerbils to the vet.

Both of my females are degloving their tails, now, too! Could this be stress induced? I am going to make appts for them tomorrow and see about tail amputation as that seems to be the only option as my internet searches have remained, for the most part, fruitless in all aspects. They have fresh food and water and I have given them a cucumber chunk, once. If this doesn't work out then I will just donate the little habitat to a shelter and hopefully find something else to work for me.

Oh, hubby thinks the cats are causing the gerbils to do this even though we have the cage IN THE BED until I fall asleep and when I wake up it's right back up there. Granted, the cats will sit around it but I do NOT let them do this when I notice it. Troy thinks we should put their little habitat in a large fish tank type deal. I don't know, what do you all think? I love my little gerbilly girls and don't want to take them back.

Now I'm thinking it must be something other than degloving. The first one shouldn't have died of a simple degloving and I can't see both other gerbils doing it too. I hope you are right. I've seen plenty of gerbils in the same house as cats without that much stress. We've always had ours in fish tanks with screen tops. Its nice not to have bedding kicked out all over the place.

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Originally Posted by IRescue452

Now I'm thinking it must be something other than degloving. The first one shouldn't have died of a simple degloving and I can't see both other gerbils doing it too. I hope you are right. I've seen plenty of gerbils in the same house as cats without that much stress. We've always had ours in fish tanks with screen tops. Its nice not to have bedding kicked out all over the place.

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See, one of the odd things is they don't even seem to be scared of the cats! They will both come out and sniff at them and jump at the cages at the cats, etc. They act more afraid of us and all I ever do is put them on the bed with us with their door open and give them a finger pet every once in a while (as it is rare when they will let me do it). I feel so bad. I love my little gerbils and try so hard to keep the cats away from them. I don't know what to do. :(:(:(