> From: Sondra Dorsey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Attn: Off topic! :) This is about gerbils. . . definitely NOT off topic. Glad you asked. > I've been watching this gerb family that was donated > to one of our local pet stores, and I'm wondering if I > should intervene. First, it was the mom and the dad > and 8 healthy 5 week old pups. And mom was very > pregnant again. When she had the pups, they put all > the older pups in a tank by themselves, and left dad > with mom and the newborns. I stopped in last week, > and they had sold the dad but not the mom! So now > she's all by herself with a 2 week old litter. > > Does anyone think I should talk to the pet store > people about putting one of her daughters from the > previous littler back in with her, so she has some > help? Or will she have forgotten about them after > being separate from them for 2 weeks? The "single mom" will definitely NOT recognize her daughter after that separation. Trying to intro a gerbil to a nursing mother is just about the WORST thing one could do. The mom and her older daughter would definitely fight, and one or both of them could die from that. Likely the pups could be killed too; almost certainly they would die if their mother were killed. If they'd planned on removing Dad, the pet shop folks should have left a daughter in with Mom. . . it was not good planning, but the Mom can raise the babies herself. Yes, she would have been happier with help, but it's TOO LATE to do anything now. The new pups will probably be just fine. ===== Julie & Michael Alex P. Kitten & The Little Rascal Zooty & Goldie (the Newlyweds!) Pippin (The Loner) Sparky & Norman (the White Boys) Bossy & Baby (The Slate Spot Twins) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
