Welcome new members, Here are a some important rules regarding the care of gerbils, (This will now appear in the Archive and can be refered to by entering "Welcome new members" in the search) : 1) Do not use Cedar Shavings. 2) Its not recommended to use pine if you have baby gerbils. You can make it safer for adults, by letting it air out in an open box for a week. You can use kiln baked pine. The best types of bedding are Carefresh, Aspen, Corncob or plain paper and cardboard. 3) Do not introduce adult gerbils to each other without having a secure wire mesh divider between them. They will fight. Baby gerbils 4 weeks up to 10 weeks will get along even if they don't know each other. 4) Never introduce a single gerbil to a group of gerbils. This will upset their hierarchy and they will fight. However, if they are all babies then it can be done. 5) Check water bottles often they sometimes stop working. 6) If using Habitrail / SAM enclosures check daily for signs of gnawing where connections are etc.. Gerbils have escaped from these cages. Aquariums are better. 7) Do not grab your gerbil by the tail or quickly from above. The end of the tail will fall off, also Hawks and owls eat gerbils in Mongolia. 8) Unscented plain Bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, or tissues are best for gerbils to make their Beds / nest with. Do not use cloth materials, the fibers can wrap around limbs, feet and toes causing gangrene. 9) Information in books is not always correct, more accurate information can be found on the internet and this mailing list. Many times the information in books is based on raising mice. 10) If you want to have a group of gerbils, Males put together as babies will generally get along. (The possibility of a dispute occurring can still happen) Groups of females tend to have a greater chance of a dispute occurring. Trios can sometimes work. Females are best kept in pairs. 11) Feed a good seed mix for gerbils or hamsters which has dry dog/cat food, dry peas, and unsweetened breakfast cereal added. Try not to feed too many sunflower seeds. If the seed mixure has a lot, you can add Canary bird seed to it. You can also feed mealworms, crickets, and any grain product safe for people. 12) Read the Gerbil FAQ. -- Gary's web pages - http://home.talkcity.com/StudioDr/go5
