Back already, since Life quickly conspired to prove that I need the solace of
the list more than the list needs me!
My life revolves around the needs and wants of seven spoilt and demanding
gerbils, paid for by my labours in a busy delicatessen in Oxford, England:
Mr Recznik - two and a half year old lilac male, and his brother, a very
large dove, Mr Reardon. They adore peas, freshly steamed couscous, running
wild around the house, and sleeping in my bed. They learned early in life
that if they bite hard enough, I get out, leaving a lovely warm spot for them
to pile into.
Miss Genista-mole. A scrawny white creature with a perpetual squint. Genista,
now two years old, lives her life entirely in buried cardboard tubes, and is
indifferent to company. Her new cage mate, a five month old agouti named
Molly, is a hyperactive bundle of energy, with pretensions: she thinks she
may grow up to be number one gerbil. Neither of the girls will eat any fresh
food. Not peas, not sweetcorn, banana, carrot, dandelion...they have no
problem with the sunflower seeds though.
My newly adopted family of three consists of two year old Bonnie (very small,
very black, with half a tail!), a gorgeous cinnamon girl named Ritzy (her
daughter - I think that's the right way around - though I'm sure that I'll be
corrected if that's genetically impossible) and Ritzy's half-sister, the
impossible Sinthu (dove). They will be celebrating their first birthday in
April. Sinthu thinks she is the dominant gerbil. Ha! Bonnie is number one.
She spends most of her time standing on my head. When she is not standing on
my head, she is climbing the curtains, or running along the top of the
radiators...
I hesitate to dignify this disreputable crew with a clan name. They are
the gerbily-mice. No more, no less. Why mice? Because 'nice gerbils' doesn't
rhyme, silly:)
Now the serious question: I've only had Bonnie and the girls for ten days
or so. I'm still trying to familiarise myself with the dynamics of the group.
What is clear is that I have potential problems brewing. Sinthu is showing
worrying signs of aggression, which will presumably increase as she matures.
Her aggression is mostly directed at Bonnie. I inherited the three girls as a
cohabiting group, and they are quite happy when in their tank...I don't want
to separate them prematurely, but there have been minor scuffles when they
are out exercising together. Any suggestions? If I do have to split them, who
should I weed out - the aggressor, or the victim?
Cal W.
