One Day Left For This Week's Poll

This is just a reminder that you have one day left to answer this week's Gerbil Poll question, How many gerbils do you have?

We'll post the results to this week's poll tomorrow night, and we'll also post a new poll question!

If you have a suggestion for a Gerbil Poll question, please email me, and you might see your question posted in an upcoming Gerbil Poll!

Samantha's Photo Album Is Online

Samantha's photo album is online now. Stop by and see some of Sam's best pictures. :)

We'll also post photo albums for Hope, Maeby, and Nellie in the near future.

Pippi's Photo Album Is Online

Due to overwhelming requests from our survey, we are going to give each of the gerbils of Twin Squeaks her own online photo album. We have the first album posted online and will add one for each of the other gerbils at Twin Squeaks in the near future.

Please stop by and check out Pippi's Photo Album. You can also find a link to her photo album on the Meet The Gerbils page. There's a link to Pippi's photo album at the bottom of her biography.

We hope to have photo albums online soon for Samantha, Hope, Maeby, and Nellie. We'll let you know when we do. :)

Hurricane Preparedness for Pets

The Herald Today published a checklist for hurricane preparedness for pets this weekend. If you live in an area at risk for hurricanes this seasons, you might want to check this list out.

New York Hamster House

Yesterday, the New York Times ran an article about the New York Hamster House. You'll need to register with the New York Times to read the article.

If you don't want to register for The Times, you can still find out more by visiting the New York Hamster House Web site. Currently, there are many hamsters as well as a few gerbils waiting to find good homes. If you're in the New York area and are looking for a hamster or gerbil, maybe you can give one of these adorable pets a home?

Gerbil Shows Up For Blessing From Church

We ran across this article from the Northbrook Star this week. Evidently, each year, Northbrook's St. Peter Community Church holds a day in which Rev. Warren Wiggins blesses pets. This year, a gerbil showed up to receive its blessing. In the article, Rev. Wiggins notes that last year, nearly 30 gerbils received church blessings.

Print & Color the Latest Gerbil Coloring Page

We've posted a new coloring page about gerbils. This is page 9 of our online gerbil coloring book. You can find the other coloring pages on the Gerbil Kids @TwinSqueaks page.

An Article About Pet Insurance

This probably makes more sense for a pet likely to have more expensive vet bills than most gerbils have, but it is a growing trend. This article is about the growing number of people who buy pet insurance. You'll notice at the end of the article that it even lists gerbils as pets covered by the pet insurance plans.

Current Gerbil Activities

Just a quick update on the current gerbil activities at Twin Squeaks Gerbils. Here's what the furballs are up to right now:

• Pippi: napping in the corner


• Samantha: chewing on her DNA-shaped spiral toy


• Hope: getting some exercise by clomping along in her wheel


• Maeby & Nellie: running in the wheel at the same time, side by side (very cute!)

Update On Samantha's Ear

I'm sorry if things have been a little bit slower than usual on the Twin Squeaks Gerbils site and blog the last couple of days. We've had plenty of excitement at Twin Squeaks in the last 48 hours.

On Friday morning, I discovered Samantha covered in blood. As many of you may know, she had warts in her left ear, which I'd been keeping an eye on to make sure she didn't scratch at them and get them infected. We were trying to avoid laser-removal surgery, because the anaesthesia can be quite risky for such an old gerbil. (Samantha is nearly 3 1/2 years old now.)

However, because of how badly she tore up her ear overnight (Thursday into Friday), there wasn't much choice but to take chances with the surgery. My vet is wonderful and made time to see Samantha yesterday. Dr. Falloon agreed that it was time to go ahead with the surgery and got it scheduled.

When I brought Sam in for surgery, I had about 15 minutes alone with her while they prepped the operating room. She was so tame and so friendly during this time. I was sitting in a chair, and Samantha was crawling back and forth along my arm, sort of cradled against my stomach. For a while, she even sat on my arm and chewed a toilet paper tube that I gave her. I appreciated having this time to spend with Samantha, because I wasn't sure if I'd see her again. (It's difficult to monitor how much anaesthesia a gerbil gets, and older gerbils sometimes do not wake from anaesthesia.)

Samantha was in surgery for less than 20 minutes, and when she came back in her critter keeper, she was groggy but otherwise fine! About a minute later, the drugs wore off entirely, and Sam started munching on snacks, digging in the corner, chewing on TP tubes, and kicking bedding around. :)

Her ear looked fantastic, too. I couldn't even tell that she'd had warts blocking her ear canal just 30 minutes earlier.

I'm really shocked by how well she did with the surgery given her age. But I'm also extremely lucky to have a vet who is so careful and does such good work!

Since her surgery, Sam's been doing very well. She's had a little bit of post-operative bleeding in her ear, but it's a *very* small amount. Just a drop or two. And I haven't seen Samantha scratching at her ear at all either. She looks much happier, and it seems that she has her hearing back in her left ear, too. In recent weeks, she'd been turning around so that her right ear faced you when you spoke to her. But now, if her left ear is closer to you than her right ear, that's the ear she points in your direction when you talk.

I haven't posted any photos of Samantha's ear on the blog or on the Twin Squeaks Gerbils site, because I know that they probably aren't much fun for anyone to look at. However, if you have a gerbil with a growth in his or her ear, and you'd like to see what warts look like in a gerbil's ear, let me know. I did take some photos of Sam's ear over the past couple of weeks, and I could send a photo or two to your email address if you'd like to see them.

New Gerbil Picture of the Week

Stop by the Gerbil Picture of the Week page to see this week's photo of Maeby and Lindsay. This is one of our favorite photos. Maeby waits for a turn on the exercise wheel. Lindsay stops to consider letting Maeby have a turn. :)

If you have a gerbil photo you'd like us to put on the Gerbil Picture of the Week page, please email us, and we'll consider using your photo!

Gerbil Poll Results & A New Question!

The votes are in! You've told us what toys are your gerbils' favorites, and the answer is clear. Seventy-four percent of gerbils prefer a toilet paper tube!

Visit the Weekly Gerbil Poll page to see a more detailed break-down of this week's results and to vote in the new poll.

The question for this week is, "How many gerbils do you have?"

One Day Left To Answer This Week's Poll!

Just a reminder that you have a little over 24 hours left to complete this week's gerbil poll. Tomorrow night, we'll tally the results and let you know which toys are gerbils' favorites according to our poll.

Also keep an eye open for a new poll question. We'll put up a new question tomorrow night.

If you have an idea for a poll question you'd like to see in the future, feel free to let me know!

How To Tell If A Gerbil Is Healthy

In her latest letter, Nellie explains to E.J.H. how to tell which gerbils are healthy.

If you're a kid with a gerbil question, you can email Pippi and Nellie, and they will write back with an answer.

Thanks For The Feedback!

We just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who's filled out our survey. We're keeping track of all of the feedback we get and will do our best to use your suggestions.

If you haven't filled out our survey yet, please take a moment to do so. :)

Information About Gerbil Laws

We've added a section of links to information about gerbil-related laws to our Gerbil Links.

Nellie Suggests Fun Gerbil Toys

Pippi and Nellie the gerbils are still busy answering kids' letters this afternoon! Nellie just wrote a letter to A. and suggested some fun toys that gerbils like to play with.

Nellie also mentioned in her letter that you can take this week's Gerbil Poll and vote for which toy your gerbils like best!

Kids, if you have a question about gerbils, you can send it to Pippi and Nellie.

Busy Gerbils Answer Another Letter

Pippi and Nellie the gerbils have been very busy today. Not only did Pippi answer a letter from C.B. earlier today, but Pippi and Nellie worked together to answer a question about whether gerbils are illegal to have in Australia and what a 10-gallon tank looks like.

If you're a kid with a question for Pippi or Nellie, you can send them an email message and they will answer as soon as they have a chance.

Adults with gerbil questions can contact me directly if they'd prefer to speak with a human instead of a pair of gerbils. ;)

Read Pippi's New Letter

Pippi and Nellie the gerbils answer letters from kids about their gerbils. Today, Pippi wrote a letter to C.B. about how much space a pair of gerbils need.

If you're a kid with questions about your gerbils, you can email Pippi and Nellie.

As always, adults are welcome to email me directly with gerbil questions.

Added Links To Gerbil Health Information

Please check out the new Gerbil Health section of our Gerbil Links page.

We've added several links to pages with information that will help you keep your gerbils healthy. There's also a link to a list of recommended vets for gerbils.

See The New Photo Of The Week

We've posted a new Picture of the Week.

Stop by to see this week's photo of Hope as well as the past weekly gerbil photos.

Pre-Show Coverage Of Saturday's AGS Gerbil Show

We just ran across this article from the Eagle Tribune about Saturday's gerbil show in Nashua, NH.

The article is a fun read and very informative. It features interviews with AGS members Haley Wendell and Libby Hanna.

Please note that there's a typographical error at the end of the article, if you would like more information, you should visit www.agsgerbils.org, not www.acsgerbils.org.

New Links To Gerbil Information

Last night, we added several new links to sites with General Gerbil Info. As always, if you know of a site we've missed on our Gerbil Links page, please email us.

Take Our Survey

We've added a survey to our Web site so that you can tell us what you like about Twin Squeaks Gerbils and how we can improve our site. If you have a chance, please take a moment to share your thoughts about Twin Squeaks! Thanks!

Gerbil Show In New Hampshire This Weekend

Here's a brief article about the gerbil show in Nashua on Saturday, May 20th. The show is held by the AGS (American Gerbil Society) and has events for both experienced gerbil breeders as well as for families with pet gerbils.

Answer Our Gerbil Poll Question!

We've just added a new feature to Twin Squeaks Gerbils. Check out the Weekly Gerbil Poll. You can place your vote to each week's question. After you've voted, you can view the current results of the poll. We'll try to add a new poll question every week, so be sure to check back!

You can always find the link to This Week's Poll Question along the left side of the Twin Squeaks Gerbils Web site.

A Few Changes At TwinSqueaks.com

We've been making some slight alterations to the appearance of the Twin Squeaks Gerbils Web site. Nothing major, but you may see a new banner at the top of some pages. If there's anything you like or don't like as we make these changes, please let us know. We always welcome any feedback you have about our site. Thanks!

How One Mother Came To Love Rodents

I found this column from The Times Plus in Monroe, Wisconsin. It's actually about a rat rather than a gerbil, but I thought it was still a story worth passing along. The author writes about how she didn't like rats and wasn't happy when her sons brought a rat home from school for the summer. Something surprising happened, though. She fell in love with this rat (named Priscilla) and discovered the charm that rodents can have.

Added A New Gerbil Kids Coloring Page

We've added page 8 of the Gerbil Kids coloring book. The new coloring page is about how social gerbils are and how it's best to adopt them in pairs. If you like this coloring page, you'll find others on the Gerbil Kids @TwinSqueaks page.

Gerbil Part Of Art Exhibit

Here's a story about a woman whose gerbil is part of her art exhibit.

Watch The Award-Winning Gerbil Cartoon

Yesterday, we wrote about a teen who won a competition for creating a cartoon with a gerbil. Today, we found a link to the cartoon ad itself. Click here to watch Kenny the gerbil teach the importance of eating healthy foods. As the ad proclaims, "Think, what would a gerbil do?"

Posted A New Coloring Page

We've just posted a seventh coloring page at Gerbil Kids. The latest coloring page is about the importance of patience when taming gerbils.

Teen Wins Competition With Gerbil Cartoon

Here's a great news story about a teen who made a cartoon about his gerbil Kenny. In the cartoon "Gerbil Tails," Kenny demonstrates the importance of healthy eating. If you live in the U.K., you can see Kenny the gerbil's adventures on Nickelodeon.

Added Pet Cemetery Listings

We've added a couple of new sites to the Gerbil Links page. Under the Grief & Support section, you'll find two new pet cemetery listings.

Time To Take Samantha To The Vet

Last night, when I was giving Samantha some playtime, I noticed what appears to be a small growth on the very edge of the inside of her left ear. This is the first time I've ever encountered this with one of my gerbils. I did a little research online last night, and most of what I've found indicates that it is probably not dangerous unless she starts scratching and picking at it. Also, at her age (3 1/2 years), surgery to remove the growth may not be advisable.

At Sam's advanced age, occasional health issues like this don't surprise me. I'm fairly certain she's experienced some vision loss in the past six months, so she probably relies much more heavily on her hearing. I'll be taking her to the vet tomorrow to get a firm diagnosis about what's wrong with her ear and to make sure there isn't anything I should do for her.

I'll post on here tomorrow night and let everyone know what I find out about Sam's ear.

Gerbils Aid In Alzheimer's Research

Gerbils were originally brought to the U.S. as laboratory animals. Today, they're much more common as pets than as lab rodents. However, scientists still use gerbils in some areas of research. As an example, here is an article about gerbils are aiding Alzheimer's research.

Posted a New Photo of the Week

We've posted a new Photo of the Week. This week, you can see our favorite photo of Pippi and Annika as pups.

If you have a gerbil photo that you'd like us to consider for the Photo of the Week, please email us.

In The News: Gerbil Rescued From Drainpipe

I know I've said it before, but I have to say it again. Gerbils clearly get more media attention overseas than they do in the U.S. Take for instance, this story on the BBC's Web site.

First, I can't imagine firefighters coming to a home in the U.S. to rescue a gerbil trapped in a drain pipe. Second, I'm fairly certain it wouldn't make national news!

What do you think? Feel free to post a comment and give your opinion about the differences in animal welfare and awareness in various countries.

As for us here at Twin Squeaks, we're just happy to hear that the gerbil was rescued and unharmed by the incident.

Local Pet Show In The Quad-City Area

If you're in the Quad-City area of Iowa, you can watch a weekly TV show about pets. The show is produced by the Scott County Humane Society and features animals available for adoption. You'll notice in the linked article that not only does the program feature dogs and cats but also smaller pets, including gerbils.

Abandoned Gerbils In The UK Still Seeking Homes

If you happen to live in the Coventry area, you might want to consider adopting some gerbils from the RSPCA. We mentioned these gerbils who were abandoned in a public restroom last week, but they still haven't found homes, according to this article at icCoventry. You'll find the part about the gerbils in the last five paragraphs. Sadly, one of the four gerbils did not survive, but the other three are still looking for homes.

You can also click the video link at the right side of this BBC article to see a video about the abandoned gerbils.

We hope that we can help these three gerbils find a new home. If you know anyone in the Coventry area who might want to adopt them, please contact the Coventry RSPCA at 024 7633 6616, or visit the Coventry RSPCA Web site for more information.

Nellie's Nieces & Nephews

Double Star Kennels has photos of Nellie's nieces and nephews, who are now just over a week old. They are the first litter of Nellie's younger sister Gray.

Click the thumbnail to the right to see a larger photo of Nellie's little relatives.

Added Several Gerbil-Related Links

We just added several new links to the Gerbil Links section of Twin Squeaks Gerbils. You'll find a lot of resources there for learning about gerbils, finding a gerbil breeder, coping with the loss of a pet, and finding good deals on pet supplies.

Reduced Pet-Adoption Fees Through Saturday In The Naples, Florida Area

If you're in the Naples, Florida area, you might consider checking with your local shelter to see if they have a gerbil (or other pet) of interest to you. According to this article in the Naples News, Collier County Domestic Animal Services, Lee County Animal Services, and other local pet agencies have reduced pet-adoption costs from now through Saturday, May 13th. For example, small animals, such as gerbils, will range in cost from 50 cents to $5 in Collier County.

A Beautiful Memorial Candle Holder

If you're looking for a beautiful memorial item to remember a beloved pet, you should check out the Candle Holder & Pet Photo Frame at An Angel's Destiny.

After Annika's death in October, I found these memorial candle holders online and ordered one. They're even more beautiful in person, with a stained-glass pawprint, a small frame for you to insert a photo of your little one who's crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and a holder for a tea light. The edge of the stained glass reads, Your paw prints are forever on my heart.

(BTW, I'm not affliated with An Angel's Destiny in any way. I just really fell in love with this candle and was very pleased with An Angel's Destiny's customer service.)

New Gerbil Coloring Page

We've added a new coloring page to the Gerbil Kids section of Twin Squeaks.

Feel free to print, color, and hang this gerbil coloring page. You'll also find five other gerbil coloring pages on the Gerbil Kids page.

Pippi Writes A Letter About Fun Gerbil Activities

Pippi got a letter from S., who wanted to know what activities she and her gerbil can do together. She already knew about gerbil snowflakes, so Pippi wrote about two other fun things for gerbils. Visit Pippi & Nellie's Answers To Kids' Gerbil Questions page to see what ideas Pippi had.

New Weekly Gerbil Photo Posted

We've posted the Photo of the Week for this week. Check out this week's photo of Lindsay and Maeby. You can also browse earlier photos, including last week's photo of Kirsty's gerbil Mulch.

4-H Members in Fulton Co., Ill. Can Show Gerbils

Here's a story we ran across today. If you're a 4-H member who lives in Fulton County, Illinois, you can show your gerbils in the 4-H Pet Show Wednesday, July 12th, at the Lewiston Extension Office. The 4-H Pet Show begins at 6pm, with small animals, such as gerbils, being judged first. The Extension Office's phone number is provided in the linked article if you have any questions about the Fulton County 4-H Pet Show.

Boot Spray That's Harmful To People & Pets

MSNBC ran a story yesterday about waterproofing boot spray that has made both people and pets sick. There's no specific mention of gerbils in this story, but we thought this was still important information to pass along.

Nellie Helps A. Choose A Pair Of Gerbils

Nellie's posted an answer to A.'s question. He wanted to know if he should get a pair of male gerbils or a pair of female gerbils.

Kids can email Pippi and Nellie by visiting the Ask Pippi & Nellie page.

There are also other fun things for kids on our Gerbil Kids page.

Pet-Friendly Hotel Chains

I ran across this page on About.com. It's a list of pet-friendly hotel chains. Check the specific guidelines for each hotel to find out which types of pets they allow. Some may not let you bring certain types of pets or certain sizes of pets. However, if we have to bring our pets on a trip, it's good to know ahead of time where to book a hotel stay.

Nellie's An Aunt!

I had to share the good news. Nellie's an aunt!

I got an email message from Double Star Kennels, the kennel from which I adopted Nellie. Nellie's younger sister Gray just had her first litter of pups on Monday! Nellie now has six little nieces and nephews at Double Star. :)

Pippi & Nellie Give Taming Tips

M.B. wrote a letter to Pippi and Nellie to find out why his gerbil is scared to crawl into his hand. Pippi and Nellie both gave M.B. some taming tips to help his gerbil learn to trust him.

If you're a kid with a question about your gerbils, visit the Ask Pippi & Nellie page to ask our expert gerbils your question.

By the way, as always, adults are welcome to email Pippi & Nellie but can also email me if they'd rather talk to a human. ;)

Maeby & Nellie's Second Tank Cleaning

I'm happy to report that Maeby and Nellie survived their second tank cleaning since their introduction last month! The first couple of tank cleanings after a split-cage introduction always make me a little bit nervous. It's probably more about my own paranoia than anything, but I always wonder, Will they still get along when I put them into a new, clean tank?

Maeby and Nellie just proved tonight that I was worrying for nothing. In fact, not only did they get along with each other just fine, they were both very friendly tonight. Maeby's always been a fairly skittish gerbil. Lindsay was a good influence when she was alive, but after Lindsay's death, Maeby went right back to being scared of me. Tonight, though, Maeby hopped right into my hand when I was ready to clean their tank. And when I put my hand in the critter keeper after cleaning the tank, both Maeby and Nellie started crawling right up my arm. It looks like Nellie's been a very good influence on Maeby! These two are becoming great buddies.

The photo I've attached to this entry is one that I took after the tank cleaning tonight. The girls were starting to shred the toilet paper tubes and make a new nest.

Support For Those Grieving A Lost Pet

It's hard to believe it's already been so long, but today is exactly two months since we lost our beloved Lindsay, the sweetest little nutmeg gerbil that you could ever hope to meet. She was only 12 weeks old when she died, after spending the previous five weeks bravely fighting the effects of a fatal genetic defect.

If you, too, have recently lost a gerbil or another special pet, you might want to check out the Pet Loss Grief Support Website. This site includes a chat room that is open 24 hours a day, a memorial list of pets, and a weekly non-denominational virtual candlelight ceremony for grieving pet owners.

Phoebe the Gerbil's Artwork

It seems like a good morning to share a fun gerbil site.

Phoebe was a gerbil in New York who created sculptures out of cardboard tubes. She has her own Web site, Phoebe's Art, where you can view the late gerbil's artwork and read her biography.

AGS Gerbil Show, May 19th-20th

If you'll be in New Hampshire in a couple of weeks, you might want to check out the AGS (American Gerbil Society) New England Gerbil Show, which will be held May 19th-20th. You can see show-quality gerbils and even adopt a pair of your own gerbils from a breeder. There will also be items for sale, exhibits, and children's activities.

Gerbil Tip of the Month for May

We've just posted this month's gerbil tip. This month, you can learn how to use playtime in the bathtub to tame your gerbils. This is one of the quickest ways we've found to help pet gerbils get friendly and tame.

Another Animal Named Pippi Answers Questions????

I ran across this today, and it was just too funny. Evidently, Twin Squeaks' Pippi isn't the only furry giver of advice on the Web. Evidently, there is also a dog named Pippi who gives real estate advice.

It seems to make more sense to us that Pippi the gerbil would know more about gerbils than Pippi the dog would know about real estate. But I suppose you never know!

As always, kids are welcome to email Pippi and Nellie with their gerbil questions. You can read their responses to the latest questions here.

Donna Anastasi's Gerbil Book

Donna Anastasi, vice president of the AGS (American Gerbil Society), has written a book titled Gerbils: The Complete Guide To Gerbil Care. This is, without a doubt, the most complete and accurate book about gerbils we've seen.

Four Gerbils Abandoned In The UK

I just ran across this article in the icCoventry about the discovery of four gerbils, left in a restroom in the UK. The story grabbed my attention, because my gerbil Samantha had been abandoned before I adopted her. She's the sweetest gerbil, and there was no need to abandon her. Our local humane society even accepts gerbils.

What struck me, though, was that these four abandoned gerbils made news overseas. Sadly, I can't see this making headlines if it happened here in the U.S.

Do you have an opinion? Is there a difference in attitudes toward pet abandonment between the U.S. and the UK?