Welcome New Members.
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From: g. m.
Subject: Welcome New Members.
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 17:44:37 -0800
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Welcome jenny heres a copy of a archived message I
wrote -- Here are a some important rules regarding the
care
of gerbils, (This also appears in the Archive and can
be refered to
by entering "Welcome new members" in the search) :
1) Do not use Cedar Shavings.
2) Its not recommended to use pine if you have baby
gerbils. You can
make it safer for adults, by letting it air out in an
open box for a
week. You can use kiln baked pine.
The best types of bedding are Carefresh, Aspen,
Corncob or plain paper
and cardboard.
3) Do not introduce adult gerbils to each other
without having a secure
wire mesh divider between them. They will fight. Baby
gerbils 4 weeks up
to 10 weeks will get along even if they don't know
each other.
4) Never introduce a single gerbil to a group of
gerbils. This will
upset their hierarchy and they will fight. However, if
they are all
babies then it can be done.
5) Check water bottles often they sometimes stop
working.
6) If using Habitrail / SAM enclosures check daily for
signs of gnawing
where connections are etc.. Gerbils have escaped from
these cages.
Aquariums are better.
7) Do not grab your gerbil by the tail or quickly from
above. The end of
the tail will fall off, also Hawks and owls eat
gerbils in Mongolia.
8) Unscented plain Bathroom tissue, paper towels,
napkins, or tissues
are best for gerbils to make their Beds / nest with.
Do not use cloth
materials, the fibers can wrap around limbs, feet and
toes causing
gangrene.
9) Information in books is not always correct, more
accurate information
can be found on the internet and this mailing list.
Many times the
information in books is based on raising mice.
10) If you want to have a group of gerbils, Males put
together as babies
will generally get along. (The possibility of a
dispute occurring can
still happen) Groups of females tend to have a greater
chance of a
dispute occurring. Trios can sometimes work. Females
are best kept in
pairs.
11) Feed a good seed mix for gerbils or hamsters which
has dry dog/cat
food, dry peas, and unsweetened breakfast cereal
added. Try not to feed
too many sunflower seeds. If the seed mixure has a
lot, you can add
Canary bird seed to it. You can also feed mealworms,
crickets, and any
grain product safe for people.
12) Read the Gerbil FAQ.
--
Gary's web pages -
http://home.talkcity.com/StudioDr/go5
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