Gerbil Advice?

[Nela]

So I am new to gerbils... I had asked many questions but I guess I didn't look at the right place for my info so heh...

Anyway, I got my female gerbil months ago. I got her alone because I was told that I couldn't keep her with another female, and I couldn't get a male because they would breed. I could tell that she is bored an it makes me sad. I did get a male to see if I could bond them eventually but he is too young so I will let him grow before I try anything.

Right now she is chewing on her cage and doing flips... I feel awful really. I got her a maze but she chewed through that in no time :shock:Lol. I've tried giving her fruit but she doesn't want any... Do you guys have any ideas as to what could entertain her and keep her busy so she won't be as bored?

I know I could look online but I thought I'd give it a shot with people here and see what their thoughts are...

 

[Sabine]

Apparently female gerbils are less sociable than males. having said that when males unbond it can be very viscious. I had two bonded males together and they suddenly started fighting after a few months and had to be separated.
I find as long as they have enough space and loads of litter they seem to keep themselves occupied. i usually add hay now and again or empty toilet rolls for them to chew. A large wheel will keep them busy too.
I recently have acquired a female too and I wouldn't dream of bonding her with another female. She has already atacked one of her sisters but is really friendly with people.
Don't feel bad about having a gerbil by herself. i know they are sociable creatures but when they fight they fight to the death and at times you might just be better off keeping them solitary.

 

[Nela]

Thanks for your input :rose:I give her lots of material to shred and she seems to love that and her wheel. I guess she should get more space... I have the Ovo cage with the tube system so maybe i will look into more tubes... Gerbil fights are scary :tears2:I'm even scared to attempt bonding my two when the time would come. Maybe they will just remain single... Ah well! I'd like to find her a toy or something that would take her a while to destroy. She sure enjoys taunting the cats though :biggrin2:

 

[Sabine]

By the way baby male gerbils bond really well with other males ( I expect females too) The only problem is how to stop them from breeding if you're not planning on a litter.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Nela wrote:

. I have the Ovo cage with the tube system so maybe i will look into more tubes...

I would be wary of plastic cages. Gerbils can chew through them in no time and the tubes are usually too small for them.
I would get an aquarium (min 10 gallons) with a screen top. You can put more bedding in so they can dig around and such. There are water bottles designed for tanks.

I make gerbil houses out of popsicle sticks. They are fairly easy to make and give the gerbils something to chew, a place to hide and I put the food bowl on top.

 

[Nela]

Stupid question... what do you use to make the sticks hold? :embarrassed:That sounds like a really good idea...

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I use white glue. Non toxic stuff that children can use (and eat) is good as it is safe and water based.

I make them so they are 1 stick by 1 stick by 1 stick. I start by making 4 1*1 panels with stick across the top and bottom(so they would be flat on the top), this makes it easier to put the front/back on. Once they are dry, I glue then into a cube (minus the front and back) and use elastics to hold them together. I then lay more sticks over the back and front leaving a hole in the middle of the front for the entrance.
I use waxed paper to make it in as it doesn't stick to it like newspaper would
I don't have any pics of the process, but could get a few of the finished product if you want.

 

[Boz]

I would never use an Ovo, or any plastic cage! A tank is 100 times better! Never use plastic cages. Never use any sort of plastic! Only during a play time. Gerbils are natural born diggers and chewers and believe it or not, plastic can actually be deadly. If they accidentally ingest a piece it can get stuck or scrap their insides causing them to have internal injuries or suffocating/starving to death.

Also, about the ovo and other tube cages. Those cages can actually cause gerbils to unbond and fight. The separate areas are great for setting up territories, unfortunately.

To me, it's not worth it. just give them a tank (typically 10 gallons for the first gerbil and 5 gallons for each additional gerbil) with 4-7inches of bedding, toilet paper, tp rolls, and lots of cardboard!!

And actually female gerbils are social with each other. I currently have a pair myself. They were once a trio but one passed away last year (and it was not due to them fighting and killing the other). It is recommended they are only in pairs though. So that could have thrown you off. Also, if you don't do a proper split cage introduction between any gender of gerbils they more then likely will fight and attack each other. Some attempts at bonding don't always work, but I from what I've read and been told, most do.

You are right though about bonding an older male to two baby males. However, a friend of mine just did that too, with females. She had one of her gerbils from a pair die and she was worried about her being lonely. She got two youngsters (about 8 weeks old) and bonded them. They currently are living happily and healthily together and have been for several months.

I would highly recommend not bonding a male and female unless you want babies. The chances that one of them is sterile is very low.

How old is she?

Hope this helped! If you have more questions feel free to send me a PM. I am gerbil crazed!

 

[Sabine]

P.S. If you are trying to upgrade to a tank you could try and get one cheap or even for free from a fishkeeper's forum. If the tank has a small leak it wouldn't matter if you are using it as a gerbil habitat.
We got ours that way and made a topper out of the wire top from a hamster cage.

 

[Boz]

Looks great! This is mine

 

[Nela]

Thanks guys :rose: Those are nice setups!