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Forum THE LOUNGE How about these gerbils?

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    • xXPanicXx
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        Hi guys! its been a while, i stopped coming on after my beloved baby babs died (R.I.P) anyways, i cant imagen my life without having an animal i could call my own, not replacing babs by any means though.. i was hoping for my birthday, i could ask for the gift of permission to buy myself a pet, that i could call my own. i treid for a ferret a few months ago, but they are highly against me getting a pet.. which im sort of sensing they wont allow a geril either, but i would like to try. i just have some questions, that i could use to share with my parents, hoping its good 

        So, i would love to own a hamster, but what i disliked, was that the cage smelt constantly, and every time i brought them out of the cage, they pooped in a constant line. they sometimes bit, and never liked to comunicate with me. i still loved them dearly ”

        Im assuming a gerbil is close, but could you guys answere these for me:
        1. are gerbils a social animal with humans? (i.e- like to sit and relax with you, are interested in you, follow your movement ect.)
        2. do they poop or pee when they are out of their cage? or are they more controlling of their bladder?
        3. my sister likes bunnies becasue they were so loving, and loved to be around us, could gerbils be the same? (basicaly like number 1)
        4.are they good pets to have to keep us entertained? do they bite?
        me and my sister dont do anything in our lives which is why i also think this would be a god idea. ”
        thanks guys!


      • Moonlight_Wolf
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          Gerbils in my opinion are very nice.
          1. I don’t know about social, they don’t follow you around or cuddle. They were fun to play with though, we would make mazes out of blocks for them, mazes out of pillows on the couch for them and would even let them in the yard (Under very close supervision- basically following them around on hands and knees).
          2. Yea they kind of do, I don’t remember pee, but there was definitely poo, though I don’t think it was that much.
          3. Well sorry to say, but not really, I didn’t really see them as ‘loving’ though they were fun to have, although my memory might be tainted because we only had them when I was fairly small.
          4. Yes they are very nice pets, very entertaining and ours never bit me or my sister, but I think one of them bit one of my friends once.


        • angelicvampyre
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            get a rat, rats bond with their human and will be happy to spend all their time with you.


          • Elrohwen
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              I’ve owned gerbils for almost 20 years and have had over a dozen. Now that you know my credentials, I’ll try to answer your questions based on my experience.

              1. Are gerbils social? Well, they’re not especially cuddly. Out of 13 I’ve had only three who were what I would consider extremely friendly – loved to be picked up and handled, etc. One would curl up next to me on the couch and sleep for 45 minutes. The rest were extremely friendly in that they would always come up to the front of the cage to see me – they were interested in everything I was doing. They just weren’t crazy about being picked up or held. They like to be on the move all the time – they don’t want to sit still to be petted.

              2. Bathroom habits: I would let my gerbils exercise by running around on the couch – I really didn’t trust them down on the floor. Too many small places to hide and if they don’t want to be caught, I’m not going to be able to catch them. While on the couch, they did poop and pee whenever they felt like – not really any bladder control (they never peed on me though). However, they would typically go in the same spot, so I would just lay down some paper towels before bringing them out. It helps that I have leather couches, so if they pee I can just spray down with cleaner and wipe up. I wouldn’t let them run around a non-leather couch.

              3. I think I answered this question in number 1. The vast majority of gerbils will never be as cuddly as a bunny. There are the rare special few, but they aren’t common.

              4. Gerbils are really lovely pets. I wouldn’t have had them for so many years if I didn’t absolutely love them! They extremely entertaining – they’re always being silly and running around. I find that they do nip a little, especially while young, but I’ve only had one or two that were serious biters. I’ve had a lot of success training them not to bite by blowing lightly into their face as they’re biting. For most I only had to do that one or two times before they got the point.

              Some final advice: If you do decide to get a gerbil, make sure you get more than one. Either two females, or two to three males (more than two females will tend to fight). They really really need to have a friend. Bonding them is similar to bonding rabbits, so I would get them together (from a young age) and you won’t have any issues. Don’t get two random ones and expect to bond them – it can be difficult.

              I would also very highly suggest getting them from a shelter or a breeder. I have had pet store gerbils and they ran the range from sick to biters. Only one of my pet store gerbils was actually friendly. Since then I have only purchased from breeders (I really haven’t seen many in shelters) and they have been wonderful animals. They’re healthy and have been handled from a very young age. Just be warned that you will very likely be disappointed by the personality of any gerbils you get from a pet store. Breeders don’t charge any more than pet stores either. If you can find some at a shelter, that’s another great option.

              I hope this helps. They’re a really easy pet to care for and bring a lot of joy. I find them to be the friendliest of the small rodents (ie animals smaller than rats), but like I said, they’re never going to be quite like a bunny.


            • Moonlight_Wolf
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                Some final advice: If you do decide to get a gerbil, make sure you get more than one. Either two females, or two to three males

                Yea, forgot to mention, ‘Santa’ gave us two BOY gerbils one Christmas….. turned out he was wrong about the gender of one of them.


              • GHbun
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                  How about a guinea pig?


                • Lintini
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                    I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gerbil in a store in california…are they illegal here like ferrets and hedge hogs?


                  • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                      My friend lives in CA and said foxes, gerbils, sugar gliders, etc are all illegal


                    • Beka27
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                        I was also thinking a rat. From what I know of them and acquaintances who have them, they make awesome pets… even moreso than the smaller “rodents”.


                      • RabbitPam
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                          Since your folks have laid down the law about getting pets, which you have to respect for a few more years at least, I would not get anything larger than a hampster. I like the idea of gerbils for you, but you need to investigate what K&K said about whether they are legal where you live.

                          Have you considered small turtles? Or a goldfish or two? Something that does not require an elaborate aquarium, but needs care. A tiny turtle can be in a small fish tank with nice things on the bottom and eat lettuce among other things, come out and walk around with you, be held and generally fun to watch.

                          I’m afraid a rat is too involved, like a rabbit.


                        • Elrohwen
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                            Posted By Kokaneeandkahlua on 03/01/2010 11:26 PM
                            My friend lives in CA and said foxes, gerbils, sugar gliders, etc are all illegal

                             

                            Ditto. I don’t think they’re banned anywhere else though, but I could be wrong.


                          • TARM
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                              Why are your parents against letting you have pets? If you already had a rabbit why would they not allow you to have another?


                            • kralspace
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                                We had gerbils for a lot of years, a few were friendly in that they liked to be picked up and allowed to explore you, mostly it was a lot of fun to keep rebuilding their area and watching them play in their ‘city’. They were a lot of company even if there wasn’t a lot of physical contact. Their cage never smelled bad like the hampsters did. (they never bit us like the hampsters either)

                                We also had a couple of rats, they smelled terrible no matter how often you cleaned the cage and peed constantly everywhere, after 6 months we gave them to a guy who was really into them.

                                Next to the bunnies, I really like the guinea pigs. One who has no experience with small children is very friendly and likes to be petted, the other poor girl lived with my grandkids for a year and is still a bit nervous. Once I catch her she calms down and chuckles and I don’t blame her one bit.

                                The pigs need room, at least a 2×4 grid minimum. But they are so very social. Mine weep, squeal, chuckle and purr and are always interested in what you’re doing. When I’m working in the room, they come to the front of the condo and follow me around full of advice, their eyes are very expressive. They’re not small like gerbils or hampsters, mine both weigh around 2.6 – 3lbs, as much as Hershey and Simba did.


                              • Deleted User
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                                  Posted By Kokaneeandkahlua on 03/01/2010 11:26 PM
                                  My friend lives in CA and said foxes, gerbils, sugar gliders, etc are all illegal

                                   

                                  do people want to have pet foxes? odd.


                                • TARM
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                                    I agree that rats stink. But they are cool pets. :0)


                                  • KatnipCrzy
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                                      Fennec foxes are an exotic pet- I have never seen one personally.  I have seen a couple of Bobcat kittens- as those are bad enough- not nice and not social with other people.

                                      But check out the link- these are cute foxes with huge ears- but I don’t think you can have them with other pets since they are predators.

                                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennec_Fox


                                    • angelicvampyre
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                                        I can’t work out why you say rats smell? I had one and he never smelt at all, in fact he was 100 time better then any other pet I owned. I stuck with litter training and he would use his little litter box and i emptied that once a day and that was that.


                                      • kralspace
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                                          I guess I should say the rat urine smelled really strong, even just a tiny bit was potent. I cleaned every night but they just kinda dribbled everywhere all the time. Probably the only type of pet I’ve had that I definitely wouldn’t have again. For several years after buying my older house I battled rats/mice mess in the walls and attic and I guess I associate that smell with trouble…lol

                                          They were funny guys, big fat rats that would sit on their haunches and scratch their bellies and yawn. 😉


                                        • Deleted User
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                                            Posted By KatnipCrzy on 03/02/2010 03:32 PM

                                             

                                            But check out the link- these are cute foxes with huge ears- but I don’t think you can have them with other pets since they are predators.

                                            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennec_Fox

                                            Those are tiny canids! And their “singing” — how neat!   But no, I wouldn’t want one. I’ll just stick with regular dogs.

                                             


                                          • Monkeybun
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                                              Oh my gosh I want one.

                                              Monkey likely wouldn’t approve though


                                            • Deleted User
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                                                A friend of mine seriously wishes for a pet skunk.  They can be descented and littertrained but  there are no rabies vaccines approved yet for use on them. I wonder if the vaccine situation is similar for the fennec foxes; this may be why some places consider them illegal exotic pets.

                                                This guy is on wikipedia.

                                                 


                                              • Elrohwen
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                                                  My biology teacher in high school used to tell hilarious stories about her neighbor’s pet skunk. One day she was trying to get her daughter out of the house to school and there was a skunk hanging out right in front of the door. She kept trying to get out of the house by different doors but the skunk kept following her so she couldn’t get out. She was getting kind of nervous/annoyed until finally one of her neighbors came over. Apparently the skunk was their pet and was just looking for handouts. Of course, my teacher didn’t know that and kept trying to figure out if the skunk was rabid or something.


                                                • Deleted User
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                                                    I want this guy but it wouldn’t work out for my dogs.


                                                  • Deleted User
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                                                      xXPanicXx, I apologize for turning your thread into a parade of exotic pets.


                                                    • Deleted User
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                                                        Posted By Elrohwen on 03/04/2010 08:26 AM
                                                        Apparently the skunk was their pet and was just looking for handouts. Of course, my teacher didn’t know that and kept trying to figure out if the skunk was rabid or something.

                                                         

                                                        There is a rescue for skunks, and apparently you can hire a skunk from them for advertising. This is… interesting.

                                                        http://www.skunkhaven.net/


                                                      • bunnytowne
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                                                          My aunt had a skunk.   De descented it herself.  She had rabbits too.   I got my first one from her.

                                                          The skunk got mean cuz my cousins would pick it up by the tail .

                                                          Also she had a rabbit in the house as well.  Uncle David would get so mad it would go wee in his shoe.  lol

                                                          Yeah she had outside rabbits for food too.  I don’t like thinking of eating them since I have had mine for a while.  

                                                          Some tribe of native americans  believed that eating a part of an animal they killed it would stay with you and you would take on some of their characteristics.  

                                                          Hmmm I wonder if rabbit eaters would turn into gentle peace loving vegetarians very territorial of their home  lol   Can’t forget buns are territorial.  OH and would start eating their poop  rofl.  

                                                          I know crazy thoughts.  I really scatter sometimes


                                                        • vaderslave
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                                                            Ratties are great, but are pretty involved like bunnies. Plus their life spans are pretty depressing… 2-3 years for most, though I had one make it 3.5 years. He also happened to be my grouchy anti-social rescue boy They do have a slight odor, but all you really have to do is clean their cage every few days and whatnot. I used to just lay down bath mats for their “bedding”, use a handheld vacuum thingy and vacuum their poops, and swap out bath mats every 2 days or so. Just throw them in the washer with a tiny bit of bleach, some vinegar, and all was good. I got spoiled with not buying litter — I can’t get over how much it costs lol compared to free anyways. They have to be kept in pairs or multiples, and take a little bit to get bonded but aren’t too bad usually. For feeding, don’t buy mixes in the store, they generally aren’t very good… look up “Suebee’s rat diet”. They usually love snuggling the older they get, especially boys. I had one I could take in my bag and he’d go for car rides and the movies and whatnot with me. He was a very loyal and stable rat, unlike his cagemate who while very sweet, was rather nervous and scaredy. Though the grouchy one I mentioned above was so scared of change that I had to get anti-diarrhea meds from the vet because he would get “sick” every time something changed in his cage or even in the room his cage was in.. poor fella.

                                                            I love ratties, and someday I’ll get more, but they don’t live long enough and it really hurts to bond with them and lose them in just a couple years.


                                                          • Elrohwen
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                                                              It’s a shame that rats don’t live very long. Most gerbils also only live to 3 years, and it’s pretty depressing, especially when you have a special bond with one. I did have a little guy live 5 years once! But otherwise they’ve all been right around 3 years. After the last one died a few months ago, I said I wouldn’t get anymore because I couldn’t handle losing them so soon. However, now that I don’t have any, I miss them!

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                                                          Forum THE LOUNGE How about these gerbils?