>My gerbils in the tank ( I have one tank and one cage ) are now about 12
>weeks. When I play with them, always above their tank, they start to look
>for ways how to get out. They are pushing the glass and looking up about
how
>to get over the glass wall. From my older gerbs I know that if they start
to
>jump, they are out in a sec, so I'm always worried one of them will
suddenly
>jump, without me being on time to stop him/her.
>Does anyone have any comments about this? Advices?
Gerbils are escape artists. They have nothing else to do but get
out, get lost, chew up things and drive you insane.
I made a playbox (with sandpaper sides) and remove the gerbil I
want to play with to the box, with me sitting on the floor. This way
they don't get to reconnoiter their tank from other perspectives...
also, because the box is a new thing to explore, full of toys, treats,
and me hovering over it, they tend to stay put better.
Until I get a gerbil really used to being handled and not liable to
zoom right up me and leap or generally leap from my hands, I
don't trust them as far as right over the playbox. If they do try to
escape from my hands, they usually end up IN the box, and a fall
of less than 18" (half a meter) onto some bedding.
I never leave a cage wide open ever. Someone will take advantage
and leap, sure as anything. A six week old gerbil can jump high
enough to get out of a 5 gallon pail, or a good half a meter. Which
is high enough to get out of almost any aquarium or cage.
If I am playing with small pups, I move the top enough to reach in,
remove one at a time, give it attention, and put it back, covering
the tank in between.
>Also, the young male just keeps nibbling me. :( I always puf in his face,
>make clear I don't like what he's doing. But he persists, anyway how to
stop
>this?
Some tend to be nibblers. I usually do what you do, puff them in
the face, when they first put fang to my hide.
Try handling him about half an hour AFTER you feed the cage, and
make sure your hands are clean (no food smells) and try handling
him first. The lack of other interesting smells might prevent him from
wanting a sample.
>About the escape attempt, one of the girls found a way up on a nibblestick.
>So I constantly have to watch her. It's funny how she keeps doing it over
>and over again. And one of the others is trying to immitate her. :0) (See
>discussion some days ago.)
Nibblestick? One of those overpriced colored and flavored wood
things they never chew on? Or one of those even more horrid honey
laced sticky things that are a mess and I have yet to have any animal
eat one?
Try relocating it (i.e., put it on the floor of the cage) to get rid of
their
chance at getting UP and OUT.
>THANKS for any advices and for letting me do my talk!
>Sarah
Luck
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
