Thanks so much for all the advices given so far to my questions! To answer some questions you asked, and also some further questions from me: 1. Nutri-blocks are food that comes as compressed blocks that labs uses for their animals. They're beige-brown and about the size of half a thumb's length, not the pellets that rabbits eat. These are supposed to be very well-balanced. 2. I feed my gerbils a prepackaged seed blend that do not have those funny colored things nor dried veggies (but it does have corn kernels, which my gerbils absolutely love and rush for first thing). Out of the list of fatty seeds you mentioned, mine only has sunflower seeds, and I removed them all already, giving them maybe three each about twice a week. Is that too little, or can they take more? 3. I also give them a little veggies every second day. Carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, celery, chopped into pieces the size of corn kernels. I give them a little bit of whole wheat or grain bread on the other days. I read that yogurt and cooked plain pasta are good for gerbils too. Is this plain yogurt, or the flavored ones? I haven't given them any, nor vitamin supplements, etc. But once a week I do give them a little bit of the hamsters & gerbils treats that you can get in stores, the kinds that have colored things and dried banana chips, raisins, yam, etc. Are they okay, or too high in sugar content? 4. According to your descriptions of pine allergies, then my gerbils don't have any yet. 5. Have you any idea of what to do with Ding-dum, who's developed a tendency to bite my hand? This is a problem I described in another email called Sudden Biting Behavior & Exercise Problem. Also, if I don't put them in exercise balls (I've never forced them to, but my sister did all last week while I was away) but I can't let them run free anymore, what should I do with them when I need to clean the cage? 6. Further to their behavior change after last week (I was away), they've also started to dig and scratch at their cage a LOT, and no longer just at corners. Is this a concern? 7. I've noticed that Ding-dum seems to poop in the toilet litter pot well, but Poke-poke tends to go wherever he happens to be, and usually in the corners where he's eating. Aren't gerbils supposed to naturally want their cage clean and poop in one spot (ie. the toilet)? Can you train them? 8. One last question -- I'm leaving my country (Canada) for the entire month of July with my whole family on vacation. But all my friends are either away, allergic to animal fur, or afraid of rodents. Are there services around that take care of rodents? I've heard of for dogs and cats, but rodents... Thanks! Amy
