Ask The Gerbils

Dear Nellie,

We have had a male gerbil for over a year, and we want to adopt a friend for him.

How do we choose a proper friend? Our gerbil, Nibbles, is a very inquisitive, friendly gerbil who loves to be held and played with.

Do two males live well together?

From,
- E.

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Dear E.,

The easiest type of gerbil to introduce to an adult male is a young male gerbil. If you can find an American Gerbil Society breeder who lives close to you, the breeder can help you choose a gerbil that is young and likely to make a good friend for your gerbil. The younger the gerbil, the better the chances that Nibbles will get along with him.

You will also want to do a split-cage introduction, because gerbils won't get along unless you introduce them the right way. If you don't want to build a big split tank yourself, you can also buy a great little split cage from Jo at Black Wolf Clan Gerbils.

Just remember that it is important that Nibbles and your new male gerbil pup are introduced with the split-cage method so that they do not hurt each other.

Good luck! I'm sure that Nibbles will be very happy to have a friend! :)


Your friend,
- Nellie

Dear Nellie,

Every time I touch my gerbil, it bites me. I got it a few days ago. What do I do?

From,

- E.

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Dear E.,

Thanks for writing! Remember that your gerbil is in a new home and probably still feels a little bit scared.

You can find some ideas for taming your gerbil on our Web site. Try the ideas and see which ones work best for your gerbil.

• Hand-Tame Your Gerbils — These tips will help your gerbil get used to you.


• How To Pick Up A Gerbil — These tips will help you learn how to pick up your gerbil without scaring him or her. If your gerbil continues to bite, try using a plastic cup, as suggested at the end of this tip.


• Use Your Bathtub As A Gerbil Playground — If your parents are willing to let you sit in a dry bathtub with your gerbil, this is a good way to let your gerbil have fun and learn to trust you.

Finally, make sure that you don't have any food on your fingers, or your gerbil might try “tasting” your fingers. Also, if your gerbil bites when you try to pick him or her up, just wait. Let your gerbil get comfortable taking treats from your hand. Once your gerbil feels safer with you, you can try again.

I hope one of these tips help! Good luck!

Your friend,

- Nellie

Dear Nellie,


Last week I found a gerbil that was being given away because the little girl no longer wanted to take care of her, and her cat was always attacking the cage. I have given her a week of privacy now so that she could get used to being here, but she just stays in her little house.

Is it ok for me to take her out and cuddle her so that she can see that I love her? It is really hard to see what her favourite foods are because I never see her.

Can you give me some advice please?
Her name is Princess, we thought we should keep it because she is so pretty.

Thank you,

- TJ

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Hello TJ!

It's great that you've given a loving home to Princess! I'm sure she'll be very happy with you!

It will be easier for Princess to see that you love her if you are patient with her. You can also show her how much you like her by offering her little gifts, such as toilet paper tubes to chew or an occasional treat. You might also try pouring some of her food into your hand and then setting your hand on the floor of the tank so that she can come over and eat from your hand.

Does she have an exercise wheel? If not, try to give her a wheel. This will probably get her out of her house and more active. :)

Once she gets a little bit more used to her home, you might try sitting in the bathtub (no water) while you let Princess explore the tub and crawl on your legs. This helps make many gerbils more tame. You can read more about it in our Use Your Bathtub As A Gerbil Playground tip.

Just remember to be patient with Princess. She is still getting to know you and her new home, but if you are patient, she should learn how much you love her. :)

Your friend,

- Nellie

Hello Nellie and Herman,


My gerbils Tinker and Belle are always keeping me up at night. I read the one message, and I have tried giving them toilet paper at night, but it still doesn't work. What they do is chew it really fast and then start scratching at the sides. It's so annoying! Please tell me what I can do!

Oh, and what kind of gerbil are you, Nellie? I think you're adorable with all the colours. You're adorable, too, Herman.

Also, where did you get the spiral toy in some of your pictures?

From,
S.

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Hi S.!


Thank you for your letter! Sorry that I didn't have a chance to write sooner. We were very busy, because we went to the American Gerbil Society's Midwest Gerbil Show last month. It was a lot of fun! :)

Usually giving your gerbils something quiet like plain white toilet paper or tissue will keep them busy, quietly shredding it while you fall asleep. You could try giving them a little bit more so that it takes them longer to finish it.

You could also wait until just before you go to bed each night to feed your gerbils. That way, instead of digging against the sides of the tank, they will be busy munching on snacks while you fall asleep.

Also, if you play with your gerbils after supper, they will hopefully be awake in the evening and ready to sleep at night. (Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's something you can try.)

Finally, if your gerbils are keeping you up at night and nothing else works, you should consider moving your gerbils out of your room, at least at night, so that you can get a good night's sleep. Is there another room in your house that would be safe to put your gerbils?

Thank you for asking what color I am! I am a Spotted Slate. (Slate is a very dark gray color.) My nephew Herman is a Dark-Eyed Honey.

A very good friend sent the spiral toy as a gift a long time ago. We like it a lot, but we haven't seen one at any pet stores here! It was a very nice gift. We want to say thank you to Nancy for the great spiral toy!!

I hope your gerbils find something quiet to do at night so that they don't keep you up. Good luck!


Your friend,

- Nellie