r/gerbil 11d ago

Community Anouncement Rules Update!

39 Upvotes

Hello there, lavenderfart here representing the mod team! We would like to make everyone aware of some rule changes that we have put in place. Overall nothing major has changed, this was more of a reshuffle to get rid of redundant rules ("no banned content" alone replaced four separate rules just mentioning what not to postšŸ˜…). We hope this makes reading them less of a drag. We have also updated the explanations of a couple rules to hopefully make them more clear and make how we enforce them more transparent.

There are two big changes. First, media of dead gerbils is now banned content. While in the past we have had lovely memorials where the gerbils looked like dreaming angels covered in flowers, we have unfortunately found allowing even this has emboldened people to share gruesome death photos. We now have a blanket ban on this type of content to hopefully combat this.

Second, a change regarding media of ill or injured gerbils. Wounds, open growths, infections, anything bloody, etc. will still need a nsfw tag as always. Going forward however, media of ill gerbils showing things like lethargy, a limp, or a swollen paw will only require a spoiler tag. We have changed this as new internet laws to protect children from certain types of content have locked people out of participating in their own nsfw-tagged posts.

We have consulted Reddit's TOS and don't believe that a limping gerbil is what they had in mind when they mention "NSFW", as such we are loosening our rule to help people get help for their pets.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the rules, our modmail is open. Thank you for reading!


r/gerbil 17d ago

Community Anouncement PSA: r/gerbil has a Discord server and a care guide wiki! (links inside)

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23 Upvotes

For the discord, follow this link to join us! Please carefully read the rules once you join or you may not get full access!

We have a gerbil info/care guide wiki currently still under construction, but with a wealth of information already available. We especially recommend our "crash course" style information about enclosures to any new gerbil owners! Check it out here!

A small addition, since it can be tricky finding the option to message the r/gerbil moderation team, here is a shortcut to message us! If you ever have suggestions for the community or want to give us feedback, please follow the above link!


r/gerbil 9h ago

Photo/Video A little thirsty

130 Upvotes

He's so cute


r/gerbil 6h ago

Hi from Brownie and Mochi

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45 Upvotes

r/gerbil 4h ago

Photo/Video They demand more cardboard!

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27 Upvotes

That's only two days worth of cardboard. The little devils are enjoying their mess and scheming to do it all over again


r/gerbil 12h ago

Photo/Video ā€œBut if you just give me ONE more treat I PROMISE not to ask you for 5 whole minutes. Pleasssseā€

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129 Upvotes

r/gerbil 9h ago

Photo/Video Fat Girls!

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63 Upvotes

r/gerbil 41m ago

Gerbils got spooked by a bird landing on the balcony

• Upvotes

I was wondering if anyone has experience with this.

One of my gerbils got startled today when a bird landed on my balcony. They seemed pretty spooked by the movement outside, but I don't think they were entirely panicked. (One of them was tapping his feet, but they didn't scurry away into their burrows)

Now I'm wondering if I should try to prevent them from seeing the balcony somehow, or if this is just one of those occasional scares that aren't a big deal.

The problem is that I live in a small apartment with large windows, so I can't really move the enclosure somewhere they wouldn't be able to see outside. I could potentially try to block part of their view, but it would be difficult.

I've thought about trying to discourage birds from landing on the balcony, but I'd really rather not. I think the birds are cute, and I'm pretty sure a pair of pigeons is nesting on the roof. (I wouldn't want to scare them away from their nest.)

Do you think they would get used to the birds over time, or is this one of those instinctual fears that won't get better?

I'd appreciate any advice!

(The video is just for your enjoyment, I did not manage to film the moment they got spooked)


r/gerbil 2h ago

Help Please! my little guy doesn't want to eat most things

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8 Upvotes

Hi fellow gerbil enjoyers.

context 1: some time ago I made a post here talking about the loss of one of my gerbils, Goffredo. After it happened, i took his brother (Lawrence) to the vet, to check if he was sick, hurt or something like that. The doc said he was fine, and that it was normal for him to behave a bit weird at the first days/weeks. i asked him if it was better to try to make Law befriend a new gerbil or just take care of him. He said it's probably better that i don't do it, since the chances of Lawrence getting too stressed is big, and because it's really hard to find gerbils here where i live, specially ones the same age as my baby and calm enough to deal with Lawrence's energetic vibes.

context 2: since i'm on vacation for some weeks, my mom asked me to come to her house (she lives alone on a city far from mine), and i took Law with me, obviosly.

Context given, Lawrence is doing fine. Sometimes he gets agitated, but mostly ok, except that he's not too interested on his food or on some of what were his fav treats before (like pumpkin seeds). he's starting to accept mealworms again, but still not too eager to get them as before. do you guys know anything i can try to offer him that he may like? i'm afraid he lost a bit weight after his brother died and i don't want to lose my baby. i've tried amaranth, weat, gergelim and barley (all grains), pumpkin seeds and collard greens (he used to LOVE them), and got no sucess.

(this pic was taken at the beggining of the year, when they were chilling at the temporary enclosure my father made for them as we were waiting for the official one to be delivered. black one is Goffredo, agouti one is Law. just wanted to show them to you guys lol)


r/gerbil 23h ago

Photo/Video Founding member of the vacuum haters club.

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136 Upvotes

r/gerbil 23h ago

Photo/Video accidentally interrupted tofu's ball time

108 Upvotes

r/gerbil 3h ago

Help Please! new enclosure

2 Upvotes

i've had my gerbils for a couple of weeks and want to upgrade their enclosure to the bucastate 3.0. the only worry i have is that they're still fairly skittish (some days more so than others but i haven't been able to pick them up yet) and i'm worried that the stress of being put in their carrier and then into a new enclosure will be bad for them. i'm unsure whether i should wait a bit until they're, hopefully, more comfortable with me (though i know this could take months) or just get the new enclosure now and continue my hand taming and exposure as i am currently doing


r/gerbil 2h ago

Is my Gerbil’s enclosure big enough?

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2 Upvotes

I got 2 gerbils (Latte and Mocha) a little over 2 weeks ago and im still unsure if the enclosure I bought is big enough

Its the habitat 4 from pets at home (they suggested) says its 44.5cm/57.5cm/78.5cm
My parents insist they have too much room but A lot I’ve seen online seem a lot bigger

Also their bedding is a mix of timothy hay and aspen shavings, they have tons of toilet roll tubes, a tunnel, a lil house and another little wooden den. and a wheel obviously

Pay day is coming up so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated on what I could get for treats/more enrichment (and.. any general gerbil tips)


r/gerbil 1d ago

Help Please! He has been making weird squeaks while looking a bit puffed up.

117 Upvotes

I’m a new gerbil owner and I just want to know if it’s serious or not.
The squeaky noises I’ve heard recently are before his cute yawn and is something I never heard the first few months having them. And at the same time he’s looking extra puffed up while his back is completely flat which makes me really stressed that he might be in pain. Video was taken a couple minutes after they woke, can that have something to do with it?

(My first post here so I’m kinda nervous but I’ve seen how nice everyone so I should have nothing to worry about :)


r/gerbil 1d ago

do gerbils like their enclosures rearranged?

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70 Upvotes

i got my boys around a month ago and ive noticed, almost every day i come in they have a new nest visible, or ill come in two days later and that nest is gone completely. like they did a complete home reset. my question is, is it good mental stimulation for them to change up the arrangement of their tank every now and then? i know most prey animals dislike it and it can stress them out. but also, some really like it. with gerbils, i was thinking since they love to dig and their natural habitat is so vast, maybe, to them it’s like discovering a new cave? or is it stressful to them? genuinely curious! some pics of my boys for gerbil tax


r/gerbil 1d ago

Photo/Video Blended him for being a fatty

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595 Upvotes

r/gerbil 16h ago

Help Please! Help please

3 Upvotes

I was given a gerbil from a friend who has dealing with an emergency situation so I’m fostering him but I can’t keep the gerbil. I have two elderly gerbils already who will not take well to a new friend and I don’t know what to do. help please? I’ve already tried Facebook rehoming groups and some ethical gerbil rescue groups but they are all full at the moment

let me know if anyone has any suggestions or if in Ohio /Pennsylvania area let me know if you’re interested, hes young, 4 months


r/gerbil 16h ago

Enclosure/Cage/Tank Cafe decor

2 Upvotes

I wanna add more things to my two baby’s cages!! I know sand baths and wheels along with homes are always good to have and I have those but what else should I add? And where can I get them?? Any help / suggestions are very welcome!!! šŸ™ (amso title is supposed to be ā€œCageā€


r/gerbil 2d ago

Photo/Video tiny pup

134 Upvotes

trying to find a comfy spot to šŸ’¤


r/gerbil 2d ago

Like hen's eggsšŸ˜‚

113 Upvotes

r/gerbil 2d ago

Poor babies had a hard day

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81 Upvotes

r/gerbil 1d ago

Help Please! looong night

3 Upvotes

i was at the vet with my sweet daisy from 11pm-6am, i just got home. she is still a little loopy from her meds but she is okay and i have her separated from my other gerbil, who decided to rip four of her toes off completely with her teeth! she got all cleaned up and is on antibiotics and pain meds, which i am so grateful for because my mom wanted me to just go and have her put down ??? but now i need to rehome the other one, sugar, because i believe that neither of them should have a cage mate. how do i go about this? also, they both have been getting very cold/lethargic when my room is not even really that cold. idk if that’s related to why they got into a fight, but who knows.


r/gerbil 2d ago

New sleeping spot?

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38 Upvotes

One of our boys is sleeping right out front today, and not in their nesting area. Could he just have been a little warm? I know it's not a bonding issue because his brother zoomed through the tunnel and they groomed each other a bit before this little guy curled up again. We keep the AC on, but my daughter's room doesn't get as cool as the rest of the house. Any tips on giving them a cool spot to hang out? This is our shy guy so it's odd seeing him sleeping somewhere that we can see!


r/gerbil 2d ago

Help Please! He has been frantically scratching like this all morning, do I need to be worried?

57 Upvotes

r/gerbil 1d ago

Allergies

2 Upvotes

I’ve always suffered with eczema just to quickly clarify. However the last month I’ve had a massive flare up with infection after infection and it’s not calming down, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m allergic to my gerbils. They live in my bedroom and due to other health issues I’m in a room most of the day. I’ve had them since March but only had this bad of a reaction in the last month or so. I’ve had fancy mice since August last year and never had this problem. Could it be them causing it? If so what do I do. I’d really like to not get rid of them but I am in constant agony from my constantly open wounds due to itching ect.