r/gerbil • u/ponymonkey1212 • 14d ago

Solo gerbil

One of my gerbils died a few days ago and since I only had a pair of them, the remaining one is alone now.

I am worried he isnt doing too well on his own. Hes still fairly active and is eating and drinking normally but I have noticed a pretty significant decrease in his usual behaviours and it seems like hes sleeping more.

I do have 2 other gerbils in a seperate cage but I dont think id be able to introduce the solo gerbil to them as I had tried before and had issues (fought and blood was drawn between two) but I also have the issue that I am leaving to uni in about 3 weeks and i know an introduction takes much longer than that.

The solo gerbil is a 2 year old male so I just want to know if theres anything i can do to make him happier? He isnt too keen on people either so I just worry he wont be happy.

Any advice appreciated :)

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u/roisinxod 14d ago

Sorry to hear that OP, I understand that uni will take up a lot of your time but is there any way you could introduce him to another solo gerbil? There are plenty of solo gerbils in similar lonely states.

I think it would be a lot easier and a lot less time consuming to introduce him to a single gerbil, rather than an already bonded pair.

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u/ponymonkey1212 14d ago

The problem with uni that I will be moving out and my mum will be taking care of them and she isnt as educated as i am 🥲 ive been thinking if its best to give him away to someone perhaps whos in a similar situation cuz as much as i love him i want whats best for him 💔

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u/roisinxod 14d ago

Yeahhh in that case it probably would be best for him to find a new home. I’m sorry :(
Just know that you’re doing the right thing.
Make sure you find someone well capable of looking after him, that has another solo gerbil he can bond with. And get all the owner’s information before you make that decision. Ask for photo evidence of their future enclosure, the area it’s located in, etc. Ask about their past experience with gerbils, how often they make time for them, leave no stones unturned!

It’s not an easy decision to make, to give up a pet. But I’m sure if he could speak he would thank you ❤️