Thanks again for all your helpful advice (even if some of it conflicts). :-) Yesterday, Hickory moved all seven pups from the cardboard box to a back corner of the cage, directly beneath the corner where she gave birth to them. All seven seem to be doing well thus far. We've found possible homes for all the pups (including a classroom at the inclusive daycare my wife works at). I'll keep you posted on developments. Re: hardware cloth floors. Only the upper floor has a hardware cloth floor. The lower (13"X26") floor has kitchen tile (!) and a few wood shelves to climb onto. Do you still think the hardware cloth could cause sore feet? Has such a reaction actually been documented in gerbils? It is my understanding that gerbils cannot chew flush wood surfaces, only exposed corners. My cage is constructed such that all non-flush wood surfaces are covered. Is this assumption correct? Thanks again to all who have responded. -Jeremy
