The new gerbils/please advise me on biting issues!

I think I've decided on names:


Caramel (as in Chino!) + Mocha




Latte




Latte + Mocha




Caramel





It's ironic that coffee doesn't agree with me, because neither do these girls! They are being so savage! I've done everything I can to help them feel happy and settled, I've not tried to pick them up or upset them in any way, but they attack me at every opportunity. If I lower my hand into the tank with a treat in my palm (having washed my hands and rubbed them in the substrate first) they fly at me and sink their teeth in! They even continue to take flying leaps at my hand as I'm withdrawing it! I'm covered in wounds and so upset. I've had gerbils for 20 years and never seen or heard of anything like it! Please, if anyone is experienced with small demonically-possessed critters please advise!

I'm not experienced by any means, but we had to separate ours because they attacked each other. I've never heard of them attacking people before? Crikey!

I don't know if Minimallow comes on here much now but she would be the best person to ask. She had a really bitey gerbil I remember - I'm sure he was called Damien (for obvious reasons lol :lol.

I would start with thick gloves at first though and just try to introduce your hand slowly into the tank. The gloves will help you avoid any sudden movements when they do try to bite - it's natural to want to get your hands out of their way as quick as you can :lol: but it's probably scaring them at the same time, making them more likely to see your hands as a threat iyswim.

Once they're comfortable with your hand being in there, you can progress on to holding out food, moving your hand about a little and (eventually) lose the glove and repeat the process with your bare hand.

You may hate to hear it but when I've had bitey rodents, I've just let them bite me. I put my hand in so they can only get to the back of my hand and get less of a grip and wait until they get bored... I'm not sure I'd be happy to do that with three in one go though! Also the last rodent I did this with was a dwarf hamster and while he could hurt, I'm thinking his mouth was smaller!

They're gorgeous though!

Ouch Steph. Not sure I would be that brave lol..... :shock::lol::lol:

Honestly most of my rodents have bitten a few times and when I haven't reacted, they've stopped bothering. Tribble was my only exception, he was a manic biter (but not aggressive, he was really friendly but he just bit anyway) so he bit me every time I handled him until the last month or two of his life. He would have still bitten my finger if I'd offered it but he stopped bothering with my flesh when he was climbing on me.

I may be crazy, but it's always worked... :lol:

It does make sense - the less you react to the biting, the less likely they are to repeat it. I just remember having hamsters locked on to my finger and just hanging there when I was younger and it well hurt. :lol::lol:

KarenM said:

It does make sense - the less you react to the biting, the less likely they are to repeat it. I just remember having hamsters locked on to my finger and just hanging there when I was younger and it well hurt. :lol::lol:

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This, I've worked in a rescue and been bitten and pretty much shredded by many many cats and rabbits :lol: mostly semi feral kittens... They are fun and none of that bothered me and yet I 'handle' my hamster (who is a friendly little chap) mostly by offering him things to climb into to be transported or if I'm feeling brave with gloves on I just flinch whenever he so much as sniffs a finger rodent bites hurt way more than they should given their size!

Hope the gerbils just need to settle, I know with hammies you can sit in the bath and let them run over you to get used to your scent without offering too much tasty skin for them to bite... I don't know if that would work with gerbils, they might be more able to climb you to escape!

steph182 said:

You may hate to hear it but when I've had bitey rodents, I've just let them bite me. I put my hand in so they can only get to the back of my hand and get less of a grip and wait until they get bored... I'm not sure I'd be happy to do that with three in one go though! Also the last rodent I did this with was a dwarf hamster and while he could hurt, I'm thinking his mouth was smaller!

They're gorgeous though!

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Hmm, that may work with nipping, but this is BITING! They sink their teeth in and blood spurts out! My hands are a mess.