2 replies to this topic

[TheFluffyHam]

I got my four male gerbils back in August of 2021 from a shelter and just recently got them all tame. I have noticed a couple of them showing some boredom/stress behaviors like scratching at the glass and chewing the mesh on the lid. (they live in an IKEA detolf which has around 900 square inches of floorspace) Does anyone know how to get rid of these behaviors? I was thinking of giving them regular floor time, or maybe an enclosure upgrade? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheFluffyHam]

Here's their enclosure, the other side has 10 inches of bedding. 

 

https://ibb.co/pzY2GYB

[daisy~]

Does the mesh chewing happen in the side with deep bedding? I don't think it's necessarily a space issue but if there's one thing a gerbil hates it's something blocking their way. In this case, that's the mesh restricting their vertical space.

Obsessive digging at the glass is a stereotypical behaviour which some gerbils suffer from. Once established in a young gerbil (often even before they're weaned) it tends to persist throughout their life, even once they're living in a big tank with deep bedding. Boredom and stress make it worse but aren't necessarily the root cause.

My gerbils that have been stereotypic glass diggers have always been from pet shops. Some of my gerbils were born in a rescue and they don't have the behaviour. So I think it's likely related to their environment when they are growing up.

Edited by daisy~, 04 April 2022 - 03:32 PM.