I got my Gerbil :D..

[shellonabeach]

Remove the sunflower seeds from the mix and add pumpkin seeds. Give the sunflower seeds as treats. To improve it further you will have to do some searching.

I bet he's glad to be with you, it usually takes ones I get a few days to adjust to chomping cardboard. With 11 adult gerbils we get through loads and can never have enough, I even bring it back from the shops!! I have all my friends and family collecting for me!!

Just to add to the cuteness factor of the post here are the baby gerbils my mother got me 4 weeks ago (this was taken 4 weeks ago). She got them from a free to good home ad, because I had after a lengthy battle lost a black and white gerbil. I thought they were male and female when they arrived but they are both male. I wasn't best pleased with my mother at the time because I had enough on my plate with 3 rescues that came the same day but I have forgiven her as these boys are so cute and funny.

Coffee


Scamp (aka MimPea)

[tikeyas_mom]

aww they are soo lil.

What eles do you feed your gerbils? any fruits and veggies? How do I trian it to like its water bottle? it must be thursty from all the chomping, lol ... I did what you told me to do with the bedding, I use lotsa toilet paper shreded. .. he hasnty gotten ahang of his wheel yet though. lol he just trys to get under it lol

[RockyRoad]

The pet store clerk did it for us. We asked them if they were both of the same sex, and they checked. They were both males. Of course we did not take their word for it, so before purchasing them, when we got to hold them, we saw that he was right.

[tikeyas_mom]

do you feed your gerbil yogurt drops? I bought some today. r they ok for gerbils?

[shellonabeach]

Gerbil no1: the rescue centre and the vet said she was male so we went and got a male companion. When they were tame I had a look myself, no1 was a female. no2 got himself neutered!!!!

ever since then, after having one of each I have been able to sex them, it's easy when you have one of each to compare. I'm good at it now and can 9/10 sex an adult without even picking it up!!

If you could get a picture of your gerbils bits I could tell you what it is, if it is 4 months it should be fairly easy.

To sex them hold them on your hand and lift the tail, holding it at the base. At no time must the gerbils weight be lifted by its tail.

As for fruit and veg I feed all mine - hamsters and gerbils one piece of fruit/veg a day. The gerbils differ in what they like but this last week they have had grapes, baby corn, strawberries, melon, broccoli, tofu, pear...

As a guide I give half a grape per animal.

Gerbils don't drink much, if your gerbil had a bottle in the shop he should know how to use it - check it is working.

[cali]

i have to gerbils, hamster/gerbil food is fine, I hav enever heard of just gerbil food. my gerbies live in sand, they are a lot calmer then my former gerbils, and calmer then when they lived on bedding.

shell, scamp looks a lot like my doodles.


doodles


scribbles

it is pretty easy to sex a gerbil, a females is really small and narrow and a male has a huge bottem. I used to breed gerbils, and plan on starting again when I move out in a few years

[tikeyas_mom]

Gerbils don't drink much, if your gerbil had a bottle in the shop he should know how to use it - check it is working.

the store never had a bottle for the gerbs they use dishes for the water.

[tikeyas_mom]

I still cant tell. .. I need to know if it is male or female for when I get it a companion. . ..It isnt tame yet. I just got it today. I'll start tamming tomorrow .

[popcornbird]

Congrats on the new addition!

My mom would freak out if she saw a gerbil in my room too! I don't think I would ever get a pet without discussing with the whole family beforehand though. In my house, a new pet is a family decision. Do you have all your pets in your room? You mentioned Cheeko and Spanky's cage was in your room, and now you said the hamster cages and the gerbil. How big is your room? LOL

[wolfsoul]

You know those little bumps on their underside where they pee from? When they are females, the bump is right under their anus. Pretty much touching. When it is a male, it is quite far away from the anus.

Hamster/gerbil food is fine, don't worry but I would supplement it with other things, like fruits and veggies, and other things you might find in your house, like cereal, oatmeal, ricecake, and other things that are fine to eat Dandelion and clover are also okay to eat.

When I was teaching my gerbil to drink from the water bottle, I picked her up and pushed her nose against the ball lol.

When taming it remember to pick it up as much as possible so it gets used of it. But only pick it up in your room where it's quiet, and once it gets used of being held, you can bring it into different places.

Are you going to quarantine it? You may want to, just incase. You wouldn't want your hammies to get sick

[wolfsoul]

Ooh! Another thing! You know those rawhide chips that are hanging on the front of the first aisle in petcetera? I buy those for the rats, and they love them! But I would recommend them even more for a gerbil...they chew like crazy! Chibi_star put in the bottom of a pop can to use as a dish, and her gerbils ate almost the whole thing! Plus they ate most of their plastic dish, and you know those coconuts that they sleep in? Yeah, they ate it lol. So get the rawhide, it will be worth it! they are only like $3.41 for a whole bag or something like that Can't remember...

[CathyBogart]

Would it be bad if it WAS a rat?

Cute!! I've never seen a gerbil in person before, they look so cute!!

[tikeyas_mom]

My room is the master bed room pcb. it is really big I have a queens sized bed a bath room and a walk in closet. I have a huge book shelf with my hamsters and my gerbil and my fish tank on it. I keep the food and crud in my closet. My closet has Alot of shelves, Cuddles my hamster stayed in my closet for both litters. My room is really big, I also have a tv and vcr and stand for them. not to mention the HUGE bird cage and bed stand and dresser for P.J's lol, Also Tikeyas Wicker basket is in my room as well, she sleeps with me.

I cant believe how much my gerb has aten, ALOT of card bord, I am gunna get soem of thoughs raw hid thingies. .. when I get my second gerble.

ps* I held him/her. wow it is so much different then holdin a rat, mouse or hamster. I love my gerbil ..

[tikeyas_mom]

there is so much white unsented toilet paper and card board boxes and toilet paper rolls in my gerbils cage that I lost him in it 3 times already, thinking he had escaped.

[Tweety_Pie]

I remember when I was in grade 2 , the class I was in had a Gerbil and it's name was Tordu lol but she always used to bite so i never went near her . And one day I guess Tordu got stressed out and she bit all 4 of her paws of and the end of her tail and my teacher took her to the vet and the next day Tordu had to be put down