I have one sitting right beside me, but I am not sure if I should give it to her or not. I love her very much, even though she bites me and I don't want to kill her. Oh, any tips on how to get her to stop biting me?
2007-03-25 09:57:27 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Your gerbil can have carrots. If you want your pets to stop biting you, first you have to figure out why they're biting you. Do your fingers smell like carrots? Don't hand feed your pets, and they won't associate your fingers with food. Always set the food down and let them get it for themselves. Maybe your fingers smell like the peanut butter and jelly sandwich you had for lunch, and your gerbil wants a bite of your sandwich. Otherwise, keep your hands washed, and a squirt bottle of water handy. Use yourself as bait, and when your gerbil bites you, squirt her with water. You'll have to be fast and squirt her as soon as her teeth touch your skin. Eventually she'll figure it out and stop biting you. Unless she is biting you for other reasons.
2007-03-25 10:04:17 · answer #1 · answered by hrcarr 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As others have said, make sure to always wash hands so you don't smell like food. You can leave waterless hand sanitizer next to the tank.
Also, being too timid or too rough can make a gerbil bite. Make sure to scoop her out from below with two hands and not grab also hold your hands steady when she is out; gerbils see you as a climbing structure so you must be a still, steady reliable one.
You can take her out by putting a box in the tank, and then pouring her into your arms. If she is afraid of hands you can cover them with the sleeves of a sweat shirt until she's used you you and loves coming out.
If she bites rather than jerking your hand away, give a quick puff of air in the face. It will make her stop because gerbil's dislike it, but it doesn't hurt them or reward them (by your retreating). Never squirt a gerbil with water! It is not good to get them wet unless you completely dry them after or they could get a chill.
The book on amazon.com Gerbils: complete care made easy has a whole chapter on taming and "problem" gerbils.
Finally...Gerbils that are kept alone are often stressed and feel vulnerable. If she is young, try introducing her to another female gerbil about the same size. You'll need to introduce them gradually and carefully using a split cage.
http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/adopt.html#split
Wear gloves to separate them in case they fighting; a gerbil in a fight will chomp what ever touches her - it is an instinct.
And, yes she can have a baby carrot. Just remove it after 15-30 minutes or she might bury it and it could rot.
2007-03-26 19:13:33 · answer #2 · answered by ABC Gerbils 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't see it being a problem... i'd just put it in the cage and she'll go after it. My guinea pig loves carrots more than life itself... and they still have pretty small mouths.
Gerbils are pretty prone to biting... i'd keep your fingers away from her mouth and try the water bottle method.
goodluck
Renae
2007-03-26 01:11:55 · answer #3 · answered by Satcaddict86 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its perfectly fine, as a matter of fact it is quite healthy for the gerbil (i'm going to school currently to be a veterinarian so you can take my word....i have to study and research these things)
2007-03-25 17:01:24 · answer #4 · answered by deva_jones 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes,
I have a hampster make sure you cut it up tho!
2007-03-25 19:05:02 · answer #5 · answered by Aly Nicole <3 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yep
2007-03-25 17:04:38 · answer #6 · answered by alicia p 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes its sefe
2007-03-25 17:00:26 · answer #7 · answered by dancingqueenTP 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋