Dear listmembers
I am new to this list but, from some of the postings I have seen, I feel
that some of you may be able to offer me some advice.
I have only two gerbils, both males and both about 18 months old. One of
them I bought as a baby and successfully introduced him to an elderly adult
male which I owned previously. When the elderly male died I bought another
male so that the remaining gerbil (now sexually mature) would have a
companion. I was told by the vendor that this new gerbil was sexually
immature (the breeder told me sometime later that he was in fact 20 weeks
old at the time of sale). When I put the two gerbils together they fought
seriously almost straight away - they were rolled up in a ball and really
going at each other.
I am familiar with the technique of introducing 2 gerbils but I have also
read that once two gerbils have fought as badly as this they will never be
reconciled, so my question to listmembers is this. Do you consider it is
worth me trying to introduce them again to one another? I have not tried
since the day I bought the second gerbil, almost a year ago. They both have
large multilevel cages, and both have access to a large run and many toys
every day. If I attempt to reintroduce them it will mean confinement to a
much smaller space, maybe for as long as a week, and I don't want to cause
them undue stress.
I would be most grateful for any advice listmembers can offer.
Arabelle
