dead gerbil

[KathyM]

Originally Posted by RubyCurtis

they told me gerbils have to live in pairs though? the woman said they die if kept alone

Like I said (twice now lol), she would have a friend once she was safe to, just from somewhere decent like a rescue or a good breeder? How does that mean "make her live alone"? If you introduce her to another straight away, she will most potentially pass on the illness the other died of to the new one. You have to quarantine either way.

I personally wouldn't take her back, and I wouldn't accept animals from somewhere that sold me ill/dying animals as the ones they replace them with will be from the same source. Who's to say you won't get the same problem again with different ones? And the returned one would most likely be put down, regardless of what they tell you.

[Cranwelli]

Andy it's best you don't keep gerbils alone if there is a chance for another to be introduced. Female gerbils are more prone to stereotypy than males when kept singularly.

Ruby has a young one so it's worth trying to introduce another, all though I agree that perhaps getting a couple of gerbils from another source would be worth doing and keeping the one you have as you like it. Just keep it quarantined for a couple of weeks and see if it deteriorates in health.

[RubyCurtis]

how do you introduce a new one? i want to keep the one i have, and dont really want another from pets at home. will wait to get one from somewhere else.

[Marcia]

Originally Posted by RubyCurtis

how do you introduce a new one? i want to keep the one i have, and dont really want another from pets at home. will wait to get one from somewhere else.

You can try neutral territory introductions or failing that, the split cage intro is a great way of pairing them up.

Build a Secure Split Tank

You are better off getting another gerbil from a breeder etc and not pets at home.

[Cranwelli]

I would go with the split-cage just to be safe, obviously after being certain the gerbil you have won't spread anything to the new ones.

[hedgehog738]

Originally Posted by RubyCurtis

i bought 2 gerbils on friday from pets at home. they are only babies but one of them has just died. should i take it back?

yes..

[AndyJY]

Originally Posted by Cranwelli

Andy it's best you don't keep gerbils alone if there is a chance for another to be introduced. Female gerbils are more prone to stereotypy than males when kept singularly.

Ruby has a young one so it's worth trying to introduce another, all though I agree that perhaps getting a couple of gerbils from another source would be worth doing and keeping the one you have as you like it. Just keep it quarantined for a couple of weeks and see if it deteriorates in health.

still better advice than tellin her a gerbil on its own WILL die this is not the case. do females not leave the burrowes to search for a male why not wait til it is grown more then introduce her to a split males tank????

[Nebbz]

Originally Posted by freekygeeky

its the law, lifestock, like a jumper or a tv or any goods are covered for a week.

actually its up to 27 days legally, but shops give a week due to an animal should show signs of illness with in 7 days of 1st ownership.

trading standards anywho

[Marcia]

Originally Posted by AndyJY

still better advice than tellin her a gerbil on its own WILL die this is not the case. do females not leave the burrowes to search for a male why not wait til it is grown more then introduce her to a split males tank????

It's isn't a good idea to breed from pet shop gerbils let alone ones from pets at home.

[AndyJY]

the one i had was from pets at home strange thing though it was fully grown any ive seen since then were far to young to be being sold imo. whats wrong with gerbils from some petshops u cant tar all of them with the same brush some petshops are absolutely fine.