# Gerbil stressed or bored



## Guest (Feb 3, 2021)

My gerbil Honey is constantly bar chewing, which I know as as sign of stress or boredom. Recently my other gerbil sadly passed away. How can I help Honey, one day I will upgrade her cage so she has more space. What can I do currently though?


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

If she's only started bar chewing recently, she's probably lonely, bored or stressed because she doesn't have her sister anymore. Personally I think you should introduce another gerbil to her using the split cage method. You can go to a rescue for an older gerbil to bond with her.

How big is the cage? Gerbils do better in tanks really, in my opinion, but if you will get a new one soon that's okay. It looks to me like you have a gerbilarium from your photo. This is okay but they aren't the largest and don't always offer enough space for digging unless you fill the bottom section right to the top as gerbils need a lot of bedding.


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## Guest (Feb 3, 2021)

Hi, thanks so much for replying. Your suggestions are great and I am getting her a bin cage soon that will be a lot larger. I don't think it would be a good idea to introduce another gerbil though because before my other gerbil died we had to separate them as Ginger (my passed gerbil) was the more dominant gerbil and honey fought her for dominance.







So I think if I introduced another gerbil honey may try and hurt her/him. I have provided deep bedding so she can dig.
This is my current cage.


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

For now the cage looks fine as it is a larger gerbilarium and she's by herself, but bigger is always better so yeah a bin cage sounds good 

Don't let one experience put you off bonding as it is very important and shouldn't be too hard since Honey was the less dominant gerbil. Just keep a close eye on her and if she changes in behaviour I would _try_ bonding her. If she doesn't really change in behaviour she can be by herself, but bear in mind you will need to spend a lot of time with her and there can be higher risks of her life ending earlier if you do not bond. This obviously isn't always the case, but when they get lonely they can get ill and I have heard of these stories before.

Good luck with your little one!


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## Guest (Feb 3, 2021)

Thanks so much for all your advice


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

It's no problem! If you have any questions let me know.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Thea_SRA27 said:


> If she's only started bar chewing recently, she's probably lonely, bored or stressed because she doesn't have her sister anymore. Personally I think you should introduce another gerbil to her using the split cage method. *You can go to a rescue for an older gerbil to bond with her.*
> 
> How big is the cage? Gerbils do better in tanks really, in my opinion, but if you will get a new one soon that's okay. It looks to me like you have a gerbilarium from your photo. This is okay but they aren't the largest and don't always offer enough space for digging unless you fill the bottom section right to the top as gerbils need a lot of bedding.


Please don't get an older gerbil, if you decide to bond her with another gerbil you need to get a pup - younger than 10 weeks old as the pup won't be old enough to be territorial so more chance in them bonding.

A tank on its own isn't suitable, add a topper though then it's great as you can add a platform or more within the topper, allowing the tank section to be a digging and playing area, while the topper contains food, water, wheel etc.



Gerbil356 said:


> Hi, thanks so much for replying. Your suggestions are great and I am getting her a bin cage soon that will be a lot larger. I don't think it would be a good idea to introduce another gerbil though because before my other gerbil died we had to separate them as Ginger (my passed gerbil) was the more dominant gerbil and honey fought her for dominance.
> View attachment 461644
> So I think if I introduced another gerbil honey may try and hurt her/him. I have provided deep bedding so she can dig.
> This is my current cage.


Please do not get a bin cage, bin cages are unsuitable for a gerbil due to the fact they are made of plastic, a gerbil can gnaw through plastic in a matter of hours, also they are just not big enough or allow for climbing, personally I think the cage you have is fine as a gerbilarium is the best type of cage for a gerbil.


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

ForestWomble said:


> Please don't get an older gerbil, if you decide to bond her with another gerbil you need to get a pup - younger than 10 weeks old as the pup won't be old enough to be territorial so more chance in them bonding.
> 
> Okay, sorry about the confusion. On the gerbil forum everyone seems to say with females you can't bond them with a pup because the pup will exhaust them and with a male they won't, but I've never bonded gerbils before so I can't speak from my own experience.
> 
> ...


The gerbilarium they are currently using has a plastic bottom part (I had this cage a few years back) and it's thinner plastic than on most big storage boxes. Also, aren't gerbils more diggers than climbers? I have always heard that gerbils don't climb.


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2021)

Hi, the bin cage has no edges that she can gnaw on. Of course I will have a wheel, food and water bottle. I am adding a platform and this bin is very large and big enough for burrowing. Gerbils are burrowing animals not climbing animals. In the wild they live in burrows. In the new cage she will also have not bars to chew on. This is one of the main reasons as there are a lot of health risks associated with bar gnawing. Recently she cut her nose on the bars (we gave her medicine and she is completely better now). I also don’t want to bond her with a pup as she will probably hurt it. And even if she doesn’t when Honey is gone the pup will be lonely and we might bond the pup with a pup and it will go on forever. But thanks for your suggestions they were helpful.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

I can only go by the gerbils I have had and do have and they jump and climb, they are great acrobats as well as fantastic diggers.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

@Thea_SRA27 said
Okay, sorry about the confusion. On the gerbil forum everyone seems to say with females you can't bond them with a pup because the pup will exhaust them and with a male they won't, but I've never bonded gerbils before so I can't speak from my own experience.

I have a detolf by itself and I've seen quite a few people do this with gerbils. I section off the digging bit from the playing bit so they can still have a wheel etc. in there, I also scatter feed so food isn't a problem. Is this okay? I haven't currently got gerbils as my last girl just passed sadly, but I will very soon, but I've seen people use these setups in tanks and Rolo was fine in the detolf while she was here.

_Sorry I didn't see these bits earlier, I am no expert and can only go on what I have read and what has worked for me. I have never done intros between females, but I have never read anything to suggest that you can not bond a pup with an adult female, in fact everything I have read says bonding an adult gerbil with a pup is best, it doesn't always work, but it is the one with the most likely success.

Everything that I have read suggests that a gerbilarium, or a tank with a topper is the best set up for gerbils, as, as I mentioned above it means they can't bury wheel, bath, food, water etc. plus it allows them to have as natural a life as they can.
Personally I wouldn't risk that setup with more than one gerbil, but it's up to you.
Also I wouldn't scatter feed with more than one gerbil either as I like to know what and how much each gerbil is eating.

Lot's of people would argue with me and some of what I do is considered 'the old way', however it has always worked for me, all my hamsters and gerbils have lived long, happy and healthy lives, if one of my little ones has ever need the vet (thankfully not often), the vet (and this has happened with multiple vets) have always been amazed at how old my hamsters and gerbils are and how healthy they are, I don't know if I've just been lucky or something, but I must be doing something right. 
_


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2021)

Hi, is a tank topper like the wire bit that has the orange platform attached to it that is on top of the green plastic tank on my cage?


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

Forestwomble - what works for you works for you! I'm just saying that these things have worked for me. Why would my setup be a risk with more than one gerbil? I'm a little confused. Thanks for taking time to reply though.

Gerbil356 - A topper is basically what is the top part of your gerbilarium. Most tanks don't come with these apart from gerbilariums, but you can make them or make it possible to have one on a tank. I am thinking I might use my old gerbilarium topper on my detolf when I get more pups (which will be very soon!).


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2021)

Is the wire bit that is attached to my green plastic tank a topper?


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2021)

I was also confused when Forestwomble said Thea_SRA27’s setup would be a risk with more than one gerbil. Gerbils should always be kept in pairs or groups as they are social animals. Apart from exceptional situations like mine.


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

Yes, that wire bit is a topper 

I am a bit confused too, but I think they meant because Rolo (my older lone girl who passed away 2 days ago, her sister had passed before) was by herself in the detolf and it would be best to not put more gerbils in. But I don't know why, I'm sure they'll explain.


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2021)

Yeah that makes sense.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Gerbil356 said:


> Hi, is a tank topper like the wire bit that has the orange platform attached to it that is on top of the green plastic tank on my cage?


Yes, that's right.



Thea_SRA27 said:


> Forestwomble - what works for you works for you! I'm just saying that these things have worked for me. Why would my setup be a risk with more than one gerbil? I'm a little confused. Thanks for taking time to reply though.
> 
> Gerbil356 - A topper is basically what is the top part of your gerbilarium. Most tanks don't come with these apart from gerbilariums, but you can make them or make it possible to have one on a tank. I am thinking I might use my old gerbilarium topper on my detolf when I get more pups (which will be very soon!).





Gerbil356 said:


> I was also confused when Forestwomble said Thea_SRA27's setup would be a risk with more than one gerbil. Gerbils should always be kept in pairs or groups as they are social animals. Apart from exceptional situations like mine.





Thea_SRA27 said:


> Yes, that wire bit is a topper
> 
> I am a bit confused too, but I think they meant because Rolo (my older lone girl who passed away 2 days ago, her sister had passed before) was by herself in the detolf and it would be best to not put more gerbils in. But I don't know why, I'm sure they'll explain.


The reason I said that I personally wouldn't risk the detolf set up for more than a single gerbil (and for anyone new reading this, gerbils should live in pairs or a group, Rolo was only single due to the death of her sister), was because due to the division to have a burrowing area and a none burrowing area, that gives a clear divide in the enclosure and could cause them to de clan. I'm not sure if that is only for groups, but I wouldn't risk it.


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2021)

I have finished honey’s bin cage!


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2021)




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## Guest (Feb 6, 2021)




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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

That looks great! I see what you mean, it doesn't have any corners she could chew. Just make sure she always had cardboard to chew on. Is that the Trixie multichamber hideout? I have one of them for my gerbils, they love it!


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2021)

Thanks, she will have an endless supply of toilet role tubes to chew on! It’s not the trixie multichamber hideout it is just a platform with legs, however I do have a trixie multichamber hideout for a dwarf hamster I am getting soon!


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

Aw I'm glad to hear  She sounds very spoilt, in a good way!

Ah ok! It looks very similar from the top haha. Good luck for the dwarf hamster btw!


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2021)

Yes it does look very similar from the top. Yes, I always make sure my pets have the best.
Thanks for all your help


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

It's no problem!


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2021)

I do actually have one more question. We have had my gerbil and syrian hamster for a long time and they have never been ill because of their bedding. I always thought it was safe wood shavings as I know pine and cedar can be dangerous. However I was researching the brand of bedding I use and found it was pine. Because Honey and Churro (my syrian) have never been affected I don’t think I will change their bedding. However because I am getting a dwarf hamster soon I want to find a safe bedding to use for him. I may also change my other pets bedding just in case. Do you know of any safe bedding brands I can use?


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

I used Fitch for my dwarf hamster. The only downside was it got smelly quicker than wood shavings.

Edit: Oops got the name slightly wrong.


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2021)

Ok, thank you


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

https://www.fitchfirst.co.uk/fitch-...maller-critters-10kgs-12-99-inc-delivery.html

This was it:


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

I use hemp (ecoshiv) for my gerbils currently which is good because it's really soft and it's safe wood. I mix it with timothy hay, and pretty much any brand of it is fine, but I've used a few! My new gerbils Pippa and Mali have only been home for just over a day, but with this mix they've made some fabulous tunnels and they've held amazingly! I don't know if your hamster would dig, but the price is so cheap and it's great, safe bedding (ecoshiv is £19.50 for 20kg of bedding including postage).

forstwomble - thanks for the link btw even though it wasn't for me, that's significantly cheaper than most paper bedding so I might have to give it a go some time


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## Guest (Feb 8, 2021)

Thank you, I have been considering using carefresh or kaytee clean and cosy because a lot of people recommend that however I looked at the reviews on amazon and some of them weren’t great.


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## Thea_SRA27 (Jul 19, 2020)

I've seen them too, but as you say on amazon the reviews aren't that great. If you're going for a paper bedding, Forestwomble's is much cheaper


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2021)




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## Guest (Feb 9, 2021)

I added the trixie multichamber hideout


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