Thanks for all your help. Placing a cookie sheet under the nest was a
great idea, but unfortunately the doorway to the upper part of the cage
is only about 5"X5". I have been handling both gerbils at least every
other day. Both will walk onto my hands and let me pet them as they
feed, although neither likes much to be picked up. So I decided
(somewhat hesitantly) to transfer the nest and pups to the lower level
of the cage. I waited until both adults happened to be downstairs, then
I closed off the door between the levels and carefully moved the pups
and nesting materials to a small lidless cardboard box. Then I closed
the upstairs and opened the door between the levels, hoping the adults
would go up. Hickory (the mother) immediately ran to where the nest had
been, but Acorn was too busy on the wheel. So I hastily opened the
lower door anyway and placed the box and pups downstairs. When Hickory
came back down, I closed off the upper floor.
The past two hours have been nerve-wracking for me...I was certain the
pups were going to be ignored. Neither parent would go near them.
Instead, Hickory kept trying to get upstairs. But within the last
half-hour, I've noticed Hickory in the box with the pups, so perhaps
everything will be okay after all. Thanks again for your help.
I do have another, less important question. The adults are agouti
gerbils. When I first bought them, I thought they had black patches on
the upper part of the base of their tails, but I soon realized that
these were areas of hair loss...I was seeing the black skin of their
tails. I thought perhaps this hair would grow back, but I have seen no
change in the month or so we've had them. I haven't witnessed either of
them pulling hair out, so I don't think their anxious now even if they
have been in the past (perhaps at the pet shop?). Is this a normal
characteristic of gerbil tails? Both gerbils otherwise appear (to my
untested and terribly inexpert eye) perfectly healthy. Might this be
caused by some dietary deficiency?
Thanks again,
Jeremy
