Five days isn't that long. When I introduce females, I do the split
cage method for two full weeks before I try to put them together.
Whenever I do put them together, there's invariably a moment where
they kind of cartwheel around the cage grappling for position to
smell, but they aren't necessarily fighting.
If they haven't drawn blood, don't give up yet. I'd keep split caging
them for a few weeks, to allow the memory of past quarreling to fade.
Be patient. Make sure you swap bedding occasionally, and switch them
from side to side. When you do finally try to put them together
again, put them on fresh bedding in a clean tank, so there's no danger
of territorial aggression. Keep things like nesting boxes, toys, and
tubes to a minimum, since they tend to engender fighting. Then keep a
sharp eye on them for a day or so.
Males are usually easier to pair up than females, so give it another
try. If it doesn't work after a few weeks, you can always get some
six or seven week old males to pair up with your older males, since
gerbil males will more easily accept a juvenile. Two tanks of
non-breeding gerbils are no more difficult or expensive to care for
than one.
I'm very sorry you have this problem. You wouldn't have had it unless
you had the misfortune of running into an ignorant salesperson who
didn't care enough to learn about the animals he was selling. Don't
feel guilty about your gerbils. You're doing all you can for them,
and they'll be just fine no matter what. Gerbils are tough little
critters!
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Amy Yolanda Castillo
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
