Gerbils

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Dragonslair

Dragon.
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I have been keeping my gerbils in an old 36" fish tank. One day I thought, wouldn't it be nice if I increased their living area and make a run for them. So I went to my Lps and bought a Habitrail kit.(I know they are designed for hamsters) I thought hamsters/gerbils shouldn't be a problem. Spent a tiny fortune linking up tubes and outbound feeding areas and platforms and other various toys. Linked it all up to the main tank. Cut out a circular hole in the side of the tank and sealed the joins. They enjoyed for a long while, until I noticed that they were "digging" in a particular area. Despite lots of chewy material they insisted on knawing at the tubes. Eventually a hole appeared. I sealed it. Another appeared elsewhere,sealed that, another and another. So the habitrail unit looks like something that had caught ick. I never expected that the gerbils would be such escape artists. Does anyone else know of such agile escape artists?
I don't really want to confine them back to just the tank,especially when the've had the freedon to do what they enjoy, but I can't keep plugging holes. Any suggestions?
 
this might sound a wee bit daft, why not build an avairy. I've had chipmunks - many many years ago. They are great eascape artists but, once the avairy was built (with strong mesh) they loved it and had plenty of room and spaces to explore.

Duncan
 
Good idea Duncan. Unfortunately we don't have the room for an inside aviary and my wife has drawn a line at me building one outside too. The cold would kill them. Nice idea though. :thumbs:
 
I had to get rid of them because daughters were not good about covering their cages, and they were always getting out. My white Persian would leave the remains in my shoe by morning because he loves me. I did not find this amusing.
 
Has anyone seen my gerbils???
Don't be disgusting now. They are a lovely pair. The've escaped into the field and I cannot find them anywhere. It looks like the've knawed their way through the plastic again, but this time have actually escaped. I've checked the room the're kept in and they are nowhere to be seen. The only thing I can think of, is when I opened the patio doors this morning after the storm, to let some fresh air into the house, they must have escaped. The doors open onto our garden which in turn opens onto several fields. :( No more gerbils I think!
 
Very sorry to hear it. Some mates of mine used to make them a run of those wooden building blocks, like a maze you know, they didn't seem to work out any escape routes but then again they weren't living in it 24/7.

Gerbils are like livebearers also as they are extremely easy to breed but I guess thatwon't be the case now yours have escaped! :(
 
Yeah, at least the're in secure accomadation. The gerbils were really for the kids, but after the initial excitement of it all it was left to me to look after them. I enjoyed and had pleasure from them, and I know they had a good life. So I'm not too sad, the've got the freedom they have obviously yearned for and good luck to them.
 
My old hamster decided to live under the floor boards for a few months before we caught him.

I haven't a clue how we managed to get him before the cats did! Maybe he saw sense and decided to come a greet us before a cat greeted him - we had four cats at the time!

Anyway - the message is - they may not be outside they may be under the floor - in the sofa - anywhere really! (Yes we had one escape into the sofa once too! - we got her out the same day though :D )
 
We found that they don't want to escape as much as they just want to explore. We would place their tank on the ground/floor, and fix a tube so they could get back in, and we would generally find them back at home before you know it.
 
You're right there GL, loads of gerbil stuff, never mind it'll come in hany as plant pots etc.
Sorry Tatya to tell you, unless they have steel teeth to chew through concrete floors, they can't go under the floor. Settee maybe. Had a through investigation, no signs. :p
 

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