I’m having a gerbil problem, a sibling gerbil problem?
I recently bought two gerbils from the same pet store, they were also in the cage together… But I noticed that one is a female (Merlin) and the other is a male (Arther) I thought they were both males… My mistake. They’ve been er… mating… and I’m kind of scared, wont inbreeding be really bad? Or is it ok for gerbils to inbreed? I would separate them right now, but I’m afraid since they may not be mating, and they just might be playing, but just in case… what will happen to the babies? Will they die? Or will it be okay? Thanks in advance for answering!
It’s not uncommon for petstores to do that. I would watch for signs of illnesses as well.
They will breed, and inbreeding is not healthy as it can cause genetic issues, etc – especially since often gerbils from petstores are already inbred.
Do you have an idea of approximately how old they are? Gerbils are typically weaned at 6 weeks – so I’m guessing 6-8 weeks or more? Younger gerbils will mate once they are sexually mature.
If they are actually mating – keep them together for now. The gestation period for gerbils is about 20 days or so. On the day/night of the birth, seperate the male and female for 24 hours (no more, no less). Then put the male back in to help with the pups. After 24 hours, the female will forget about the male and fight him to protect the pups. However, male gerbils are often great parents and will reduce stress on the female. In fact, they are often even better parents then the females.
At 6 weeks, when you wean and sex the pups place the male gerbil with the male pups, and the female gerbil with the female pups. Then you can choose whether to keep the pups, or give them away to family and friends (or even schools – they may want a class pet). Remember to keep gerbils in pairs, at least. Single gerbils often become very lonely. And please don’t sell them back to the petstore.
And do your research on gerbil breeding and pup development, that way you can be prepared.
If they are not actually mating, separate them. Then if you choose to get them a same-sex friend, slowly introduce them to each other using the split cage method. Stranger gerbils will fight unless slowly introduced.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Movie Trailer HD (merlin style)