Gerbils

[Emmalevine]

I'll admit, I'm excited :D

I'm going to buy a couple of gerbils next week. My lovely hamster died recently and while I wanted a new pet, I didn't really want to replace him by getting another hammy. I used to have gerbils as a child, so gerbils it is.

Anyone else have gerbils? I think they are lovely creatures, very tame if you handle them early on.

[midnightstar]

I used to handle gerbils a lot when I did the animal care course I did, they're my favourite rodents :smile:

[Evaah]

I love gerbils! We've had five in the past few years... though we have no pets anymore. Their little personalities are so cute. We had two brothers who were so sweet and cuddly, and then three sisters: two who were sweet and motherly and bonding, and one who was rebellious (and fast!) The rebellious one actually bolted up my mom's arm and ended up on the floor the day we brought her home.

I used to kiss their noses a lot. And communicate with them in gerbil speak. Lol. They're almost on par with rats as far as affection goes.

[Emmalevine]

Beauty - they are lovely aren't they? Real characters. They're definitely in my top favourite rodents too.

Evaah - Your previous gerbils sound lovely. It is amazing how they each have their own little character. I look forward to chosing and getting to know mine.

Oh and I used to kiss my pet rats when i was a child!

[Racer X]

You can a lot from a gerbil........

I had one who broke his back and was paralyzed from the gerbil waist down~

Yet this tiny little gerbil had a powerful will to live.......

So I cared for him in a tiny special needs cage I constructed for him~

He did not just sit on his *** after his injury......

He dragged his gerbil *** all over the place!

He did not seem to bothered by the situation either......

He did the best he could despite the condition of his gerbil body ~

He did not quit......

He did not complain......

He taught me how to suffer without losing gerbil senses~

This Mighty Mouse was really a gerbil~

[Emmalevine]

Ah great message thank you. Animals are so dignified in how they bear their problems and limitations.

[Racer X]

:smile: yes.... they are~:hug2:

[CatChild]

I Love wee rodent animals- however I would Love to own an enormous capybara some day.

Enjoy your gerbils. :)

[Emmalevine]

Thank you. I will post a pic when I get them.

[midnightstar]

Thank you. I will post a pic when I get them.

Please do Starbuck I love gerbils :smile:

[Emmalevine]

I bought them finally! I ended up with three rather my proposed two because they were the final three left from a litter in the pet shop and the assistant asked if I could take them all so one wasn't left on its own. I was hesitant at first because I didn't feel I had the cage room - but then I changed my mind when she removed the two as didn't like to think of one on its own. I'm going to buy some more tubes to make the space bigger so the three should be happy together. Two are black all over and the other is lighter black with some white. I will photo them when they're more settled.

[midnightstar]

Aww so cute Starbuck, I'd love to see them when they're settled :smile:

Hugs to you :hug:

[Sarian]

Very sweet. I used to have a hamster growing up, then when he passed, got gerbils myself, but warning...they breed like mad in case you didn't already know this...and that's all fine, so long as you can give them away, but at times they eat their young. I'm not kidding. I was extremely upset to check on them one morning to find the heads off some and others mostly devoured. I don't know why this happened, but it was upsetting. It didnt' occur after the first breeding, but subsequent ones. I was just a kid at the time and so I had no idea how to get them NOT to breed. I wonder if vets can spay and neuter them?

[Emmalevine]

Yes the pet shop I bought them from are very reputable and always check the sex first, I've got all boys. I'd never get mixed sex of any animals. Yes I was aware of the fact they eat their young, not very pleasant. I don't think vets can neuter them as they are such tiny animals and they'd be unlikely to survive any sort of operation. The general advice is, if you don't want to breed them, only buy one sex. This isn't usually difficult as gerbils are readily available, at least here.

[Emmalevine]

Here's two of them if you click on link: