Good news and bad news... First, I found Horsefeathers, the pup who got
loose and was running all over(remember?)! It was so weird--I was playing
with the other gerbils and all of a sudden I saw a blur on the other side of
the cage. I was so amazed by it that for a second my brain froze over, then
I jumped up and stuffed my jacket under the door. Long story short; I caught
her, and put her back in the cage, and went out to tell mom that I'd found
our lost gerbil. Mom is relieved, I go back in to check on Horsey again and
see Titanic chasing one of the pups around the cage. All morning I'd been
seeing the youngest litter annoying everyone else, so I assumed that Titanic
had had enough and finally blown her top at one of them(although I would have
thought she would chase ALL of them, and I was surprised that it was Titanic,
also, because she's the "subtitute dad" of the litter). I lifted the cage
top and grabbed Titanic and scolded her, telling her not to chase them (like
she'd ever listen!) and put her in the box. Radar was raring to go out, too,
so I put her in with her. I then looked over in the cage and saw that the
pup she'd been chasing was huddled miserably where I'd grabbed Titanic to
keep her from chasing her(or him). All the other pups and at least one of
the older pups were crowding behind her and cautiously sniffing. It was then
that I realized that poor Horsefeathers was forgotten by her family after a
whole day out in the cold (yes, about exactly a day because it was yesterday
mornign that she got loose--it seems so much longer ago!) : 0-( Does ANYONE
have suggestions for reintroducing Horsefeathers? I know you really
shouldn't introduce gerbils to a group but it's only been a day, I don't have
a spare cage, and my mom wants me you and won't leave me alone about
reintroducing her, saying to leave her in there until they stop (when she's
dead mom, duh, she's on their territory!) which I am almost definitely NOT
doing. That's just begging for a fight--what would the odds be, like 9 to 1?
Hah! I reluctantly told her that very young pups who needed a foster mother
were usually rubbed in bedding and buried, but even if that were likely to
work Horsefeathers won't stay still. I would introduce her to Gibby (longer
story on that later) but I don't know if Horse is a girl or a boy. (CAN you
tell for sure at three weeks what sex they are? I'm still not very good at
it when they're around 4 or 5 weeks : 0-( ) This is not much fun... Right
now, I have Horsefeathers in a ball, with tissues to hide uder and a little
bit of bedding from Radar's cage from me trying to rub it on her. She can't
stay in the ball all day, though... Please help? I'm very worried about
her. (This certainly wasn't a problem I expected!)
