One Gerbil Being Cast Out Of Gerbil Trio
We bought three young gerbils seven months ago. We really only wanted two, but I felt badly to leave one behind. I have three cages for them, so they will not get bored with just one. I have a safe open area where the gerbils get to play some every day. I also give them a variety of food and LOTS of chew toys. I think the gerbils are pretty spoiled. We have Brownie (the biggest and sweetest) and two gray-colored gerbils, Boo Boo and Coo Coo. They have gotten along great until just recently. The smallest gerbil, Boo Boo has been not being very nice to Brownie. He chases him frequently, and I feel sorry for Brownie. I do find all three gerbils sleeping together some, but I think Brownie feels as though he is an outsider now. I hate to think of having Brownie live alone, as I know gerbils are very social. Typically, this sort of bickering occurs when the gerbils hit full maturity at about 6 to 10 months of age. At this point, a gerbil with lower status in the clan may decide he wants to move up. So, it might, for example, be the number two and number three gerbil that are having issues. Almost always the third gerbil in the trio gets along fine with both the other two. The second factor is the environment of the gerbils. With a gerbil trio, offer a spacious but simple environment. Gerbils do better in a tank/aquarium with a mesh wire lid, which has room and allows having a couple of inches of litter at the bottom which gerbils need to dig and burrow in. A 20 gallon, long tank/aquarium is a nice size for three gerbils. If you have them in a 10-gallon tank/aquarium, make sure it has a stimulating environment. Give your gerbils communal toys that all three can enjoy together. Think about if you had three children and you gave them one shiny bike versus a basketball. Which would encourage fighting each other versus playing together? A few things gerbils like to use together are a climbing branch from the reptile section of a pet store, a dust bath to roll in, Timothy hay to nibble and cardboard tubes to gnaw up. Give your gerbils one toy or activity at a time rather than cramming the tank/aquarium with too much. It is important that the gerbils have only one nest box in one corner big enough for all three gerbils to sleep in. This encourages the gerbils to bond; they have to snuggle together or sleep out in the open, alone and exposed.Chinchilla Litter Box - News
If you find Boo Boo chasing Brownie more right after they are out and are then put back in the housing, try putting Brownie back first with a shallow bowl of chinchilla dust and Boo Boo a few minutes later. This will make Boo Boo less territorial and
Caring For a Chinchilla | Pet Hooligans
Chinchillas are quickly becoming a popular pet because they are unique, interesting animals and, let’s face it, they are cute!Chinchillas are mostly nocturnal, though some chinchillas will behave more like crepuscular animals, meaning that they are active at dawn and dusk.
Caring for a chinchilla is a little bit more difficult than caring for your average pet because of their unique habits, so be sure to research chinchillas and how to care for a chinchilla before deciding that you want one as a pet. Remember that chinchillas will be most active at night, and also shy away from being cuddled or held at most times. This makes them a good pet for an adult that wants an independent animal, not a child who wants a cuddly friend.
One of the main parts of caring for a chinchilla is creating an environment for your new pet that is comfortable and meets its basic needs. Chinchillas are skeptical and timid by nature, so you’ll want to place the cage that you buy or make in an area of your home where there is not much traffic. Also try to keep your chinchilla away from areas where there are frequently other pets, or children. The cage should contain a sleeping box, litter box, food, water and ideally a solid exercise wheel. Chinchillas are also naturally inclined to like temperatures that are cooler than 75 degrees, so keep your chinchilla in a cool room in your home.
Chinchillas mainly eat pellets, much like rabbits or guinea pigs. You should buy the specially formulated chinchilla pellets instead of feeding your chinchilla rabbit pellets though, because rabbit pellets tend to make a chinchilla gain extra weight. Chinchillas eat only when they are hungry, so you can leave pellets in the cage without worrying about overeating. Also provide a hay cube for them to nibble on at their leisure. Chinchillas also love seed mixes, so provide your pet with about a teaspoon of seed mix a day as an extra treat.
Since you can’t bathe chinchillas (they don’t like water, and water would wash away their natural protective oils!), you’ll need to purchase a dust bath . This special dust for chinchillas should be placed in a bowl and set in your chinchilla’s cage about once or twice a week. Dust bathing too often will dry out the chinchilla’s skin, but not dust bathing enough will cause the chinchilla to get greasy and oily. Dust bathing is normal for chinchillas, so leave the bowl with dust bath in its cage for about 30 minutes, twice a week in the evenings. Increase or decrease how often you offer your chinchilla the dust bath based on how their coat and skin looks. Also, it’s fine to reuse the dust for several bathings, as long as you scoop out any particles or waste before using it again.
Chinchilla Litter Box - Bookshelf
A New Owner's Guide to Chinchillas
While you can't reliably teach a chinchilla to use a litter box in the way you would a cat, you may have some luck in getting him to do at least part of his ...The guide to owning a chinchilla
Teaching your chinchilla to urinate in the same place very day can be useful ... While you can't reliably teach a chin to use a litter box in the way you ...Rodents
They are fastidious groomers and should be provided with a box containing a mixture ... Chinchilla litter size ranges from one to six, with a mean of two. ...The Complete Idiot's Guide to Choosing a Pet
Chinchillas, a complete introduction
Droppings can be removed An ordinary cat litter box serves well as a ... are a wide variety of receptacles which are excellent for a chinchilla dust bath. ...Day-after-day News Directory
How to Potty-Train a Chinchilla | eHow.com
Put the litter box in a corner of the chinchilla's cage, away from water and food bowls. ... Clean out the litter box every week when you change the chinchilla's bedding. ...
Chinchilla Training 101
Training your chinchilla might be more difficult than expected. ... You can put a litter box in the same spot your chinchilla likes to urinate, and it will go in the box. ...
I-PETS - CHINCHILLA, RABBIT, BUNNY, GUINEA PIG, RAT, HAMSTERS ...
I-PETS - CHINCHILLA, RABBIT, BUNNY, GUINEA PIG, RAT, HAMSTERS :: LITTER BOX ... Copyright © 2005-2011 I-PETS - CHINCHILLA, RABBIT, BUNNY, GUINEA PIG, RAT, HAMSTERS ...
Caring for Chinchillas | Critterology.com
They learn easily to use a litter box for urination but are rather stubborn were they ... Baby chinchillas are known as kits with two kits being a normal sized litter, although ...
Chinchilla
For bedding, use pet litter made of recycled paper or organic pellets such as Carefresh. ... Chinchillas tend to use one corner as a bathroom, and you can put a litter box there. ...