Hi Sondra, I regularly give mealworms to my gerbils. It is IMHO, the best
source of protein our critters can get. I have never had a case of a mom
turning on her litter as a result. Insects are a vital part of their wild
cousins diet.
I have read on the list that giving lunch meat and such does promote
cannibalism.
Another great source of protein for gerbils is dog and cat food too.
Cinthia A. Dunn-Izquierdo
The Izzy Clan
----- Original Message -----
From: Sondra Dorsey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2001 10:02 AM
Subject: Mealworms and gerbie love
> Hi everyone,
>
> I started giving my gerbils two or three live
> mealworms a week to ensure they are getting enough
> protein. Is this a good idea? I've read that giving
> gerbils flesh foods will make them more likely to
> eat/attack their babies....I've also read that giving
> gerbils mealworms will satisfy their protein/flesh
> food urges so they _won't_ cannibalize their babies.
> Ah, the conflicting info you can find on the internet
> these days! :) Does anyone have any advice?
>
> One other thing...we have two pairs of gerbs, one (M
> and F)about 10-12 weeks old and the other (M and M)
> about 6-7 weeks old. Both were bought in pet stores,
> and none of them are all that friendly. They put up
> with you once you've got them out of the cage
> (barely!), but they always run away and hide when we
> reach in to catch them. We have to trick them into a
> container and lift them out of the cage that way. Am
> I doing something wrong? I only handle them about two
> times a week each because I worry that I'm totally
> freaking them out by going in their cages. Could I
> have a weird smell on my hands, or be handling them
> too much or not enough?
>
> Any advice would be great!
>
> Happy Valentine's Day to all!
>
> Sondra
>
>
>
>
>
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