>I know that all my messages must be getting on everyone's nerves
>and I'm very sorry. But you just are so helpful and you answer all
>my questions that the web can't. So I hope you can help me again.
>My gerbil, timbit seems to sleep most of the day and night. Is this
>nomal or a sign of being alone/lazy.
Gerbils tend to sleep a lot with periods of activity, and more
activity late at night. If you would get a companion for your
gerbil, you would find him happier and more active, more
curious about the surroundings, and probably gentler.
>And how much do your gerbils sleep in a day? Also, I have
>tried many different ways to get Timbit to like being on my
>hand. He'll come out of his house, walk to my hand and
>quickly grab the seed and jump off into the house once
>again just as I'm raising my hand. What did you do to
>train your gerbil to crawl onto your hand that worked?
It takes time to train a gerbil. I think you've had Timbit for
about a week (?) and that is not enough time to get an
animal as tame as you want him to be.
You might have to just leave your hand on the bedding with
the seed on it, talking nice to him, for about a week, so
he gets used to the idea of the hand and will sit there and
eat the treat instead of running away right away. After he
gets used to the idea of your hand and sitting on it, then you
can try raising it slowly after he's retrieved the treat and is
sitting on your hand quietly munching.
It takes me about 4 weeks, with a six to eight week old
gerbil, to get them used to being handled, picked up, and
getting to sit in/on my arms and running up to sit on my
shoulder. (some learn to climb the human quickly, some
prefer to stay down by my hands).
I do strongly suggest you get one more gerbil, as they are
a social animal, and do much better with a friend. :)
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
