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> From: tlera <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Need advice - male pair going sour?
> Date: 13 February 2000 07:16
>
> I need some advice here. I am noticing my lilac male Rascal
> (the one with the growth under his ear) acts frightened of
> his cagemate Pookie. I've caught Pookie chasing him around
> and Rascal taking refuge in a small wood half-log in their
> tank. This seems to me like a bad sign. I hate to separate
> them, they've always gotten along so well before. Could
> this have something to do with Rascal not being entirely
> healthy? He does not act like he is in pain yet, he plays
> and eats and drinks like normal. The only weird thing is
> how he and Pookie are interacting. I can't decide if I
> should separate them or let them sort this out. Help!
Hi Tana,
This is a classic case of dominance being challenged. Pookie senses that
Rascal is not 100% and is taking advantage of this fact to assert himself.
Are the gerbils still sleeping together? If not, then all communication
has broken down and serious fighting could start at any time. In this
case, I would separate them immediately. If the chasing and hiding is only
intermittent, then I would keep them together but keep a constant watch on
the situation. They will either resolve the problem and all will be well,
or things will eventually get worse. The other thing to watch is that
Rascal is not losing weight. Sometimes dominant gerbils will not let the
other gerbil have access to food. You coulds test this out by removing
Pookie from the cage for 10 minutes and putting fresh food in the cage and
just see how ravenous Rascal seems.
Good luck
Sue
