Hi!
Don't know if anyone was following my gerbil saga, but here is what's
happened since Friday night...
Saturday morning after a little funeral for the deceased argente cream
pup, my daughter and I sat down and discussed what we wanted to do. I
had removed the argente cream spot pup (Pumpkin Pie) the night before,
after a brief but nasty attack by her mother that left her leg dangling
straight behind her. I had separated her from the mother with one
sister Icicle (polar fox). I was worried that at barely four weeks they
would not be able to keep warm enough (although I hdid have a heat lamp
warming one corner to 80-85 degrees) or be sufficiently weaned (I am
giving Pumkin Pie, the smallest of the remaining pups, KMR milk 3-4
times a day).
My young daughter, always the calm, clear thinker of the two of us,
suggested we put the dad in with these two to take care of them. It was
a happy reunion with the pups trailing him around the tank and him
quickly settling down to grooming all of the caked KMR out of their
fur. After two days with dad's grooming, sitting on them, and showing
them how to forage for food, they are looking sleeker and healthier.
Pumpkin Pie was limping on the leg, but is putting some pressure on it
now. I am encouraged that they'll be okay.
Mom Cara and the two agouti/agouti pied pups seem to be doing well
together so far. She's looking huge with her next litter. We're
thinking we'll keep her paired with her agouti daughter Megan after this
second litter grows up.
-- Donna A.
PS -- thanks so very much for all the helpful emails people have sent on
this topic.
