Hi Christina,
> They love running up and down the
> ladders. I thought of trying to make one out of wood, but I'm not sure that
> this will work. Any suggestions?
They will gnaw or wood to little pieces. Your two choices are metal or else
replacing ladders a lot.
> I also wondered if anyone has any tips on making my 7 week old gerbils stay
> still when I take them out of the cage.
Most gerbils will never stay still and they don't get that much calmer. (They
get more relaxed and enjoy people more, but are still just as active). The
likely to run from hands to arms to shoulders and even inside your shirt.
Gerbils are sometimes still for a little bit up on your shoulder -- they like
to look around from up there.
Holding a struggling gerbil to be still can really frighten them, and you might
get nipped. All that said we have one (of 17) very unusual gerbil, from the
time we got him at 7 weeks my three year old would clutch him to her chest and
even fall asleep with him in that position. He is the calmest, stillest gerbil
I've ever seen in my life -- but that is very atypical.
> I have tried giving them treats in my lap, but they
> ignore them and just run round looking and smelling everything. Any ideas?
Gerbils are way more interested in exploring than food. My only idea is to try
a Guinea pig -- I've heard they will hang out in your lap for hours being
petted and brushed.
-- Donna
ABC Gerbils
http://www.geocities.com/abcgerbils/home.html
