----- Original Message -----
From: Jodie Votava <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2001 11:00 PM
Subject: Help--one of pair died
> Hello, I had a pair of female gerbils, one year old, who had been together
their whole lives. One of them passed away a few days ago, but the other
one is healthy. I am wondering whether it would be a good idea to introduce
a new gerbil (i would get a baby female and use a split cage method). I
don't want my gerbil to be lonely, but I also do not want any bloodshed, or
to end up with another gerbil who has to be kept in a separate cage.
> I would really appreciate some advice on this--has anyone actually been
successful introducing a baby to an adult female?
>
> --Sam
>
Dear Sam,
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. You are wise to think about this carefully.
Generally female introductions are far more difficult than male
introductions. How old exactly is the female. After they reach about 18
months, their hormones are not as strong and they are more likley to welcome
a new partner. If your gerbil is only just a year, she is at her breeding
peak and will be much more difficult to pair up.
If you want to give it a go then i would suggest you leave her single for at
least 2 weeks. This gives her time to forget her old partner and start to
feel a bit lonely.
However, you could wait until she gets nearer to 2 when success is more
likely. What I do is introduce a young MALE. Females seem happier to
accept males than other females. And the male won't object to being
introduced to a female. If the female is getting on for 2 years , then it
is unlikely that there will be any offspring. Also the female is likely to
die first, being a lot older. You are then left with a single male---- and
males are far easier to pair up than females..
Cheers
Sue
