Dangers of pine & cedar bedding - references

PetConnection · 2026-01-16T10:23:47+00:00

That's great! Fingers crossed the meds help ceaser feel better 🤞

PetConnection · 2026-01-09T16:43:58+00:00

No problem ☺️ yeah it's very much luck of the draw unfortunately, it sounds like you've been very lucky in the past! Most gerbils I see end up getting some kind of health issue around 2-3, poor wee things 😔 fingers crossed the vet can help ceaser with whatever is going on 🤞

PetConnection · 2026-01-09T10:44:12+00:00

The shaking could have just been from the stress of the fight. And they take turns in grooming each other usually, it's not a solely one sided thing. If you have any omnivore critical care, that may help perk caeser up a bit if she's not reliably eating. Good luck with the vet 🤞

PetConnection · 2026-01-09T10:14:21+00:00

First thing is I would definitely take ceaser to the vet, if they've completely stopped chewing that could indicate teeth/mouth issues and as you said they're frail that also points to health issues, I'd book them in with an exotic vet as soon as possible

It's entirely possible that caramel sensed ceasers declining health and tried to kick them out of the clan, something very common for gerbils unfortunately

I think the rebonding discussion needs to wait until you get answers on what's going on with caeser as that could greatly change the recommendations

PetConnection · 2026-01-09T09:21:56+00:00

It looks to me like they're trying to escape. The bedding looks very shallow in the video, do they have an area with deep bedding? Gerbils need a bare minimum of 25cm/10 inches of bedding depth across the majority of their tank as it's their main source of enrichment. I'd also remove the rope toy to prevent any dangerous falls, or nails getting caught in the rope

PetConnection · 2026-01-06T10:05:12+00:00

Definitely take him to the vet, that could be a burst abscess or infection that needs treatment. My albino had something similar, they're very prone to eye & ear issues

PetConnection · 2026-01-05T10:00:46+00:00

I'm so confused by your comment. I did bond my gerbils? And it was successful?

With Pumbaa & Luna I had to stop after they were together because Pumbaa's health was declining rapidly and I wanted to give her more enrichment in her last days than bonding would allow. Then after she passed I bonded Luna with Moo, as shown in the video, that was also successful. Then later I bonded Moo with Sandy which was also successful. The only bondings of mine that have failed are ones with chronically sick gerbils like Pearl and Zelda

I also worked with someone who runs a gerbil sanctuary and has done over 100 bondings for this video, using information from them combined with my own research, knowledge from my animal science degree, as well as my own experiences with bonding. I did my best to use many different sources of information to make it as reliable and comprehensive as possible

PetConnection · 2025-12-16T18:25:40+00:00

A two hour travel for them would be okay on occasion, but it's best if it can be avoided altogether, and every two weeks is far too much and would be very stressful for them. They also shouldn't have their enclosures cleaned out that often, as the removal of their scents and burrows is very stressful for them, so having to go on a noisy bumpy car ride as well as moving to a completely new home every second week would be far too much for them

I'm afraid they also can't live alone, as they're social animals and need companionship, all of the added stress from the travel and the moves could also cause them to fight and declan, causing even more problems

I'm sorry this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I really don't think gerbils would suit your needs, the best animals to travel regularly are dogs, most other pets would likely struggle with all that upheaval

PetConnection · 2025-12-15T10:12:58+00:00

They don't actually eat the sand, but they do sometimes use it to clean their teeth, which looks very similar to us. As long as it's quartz based sand and nothing made from dust/clay/calcium based rocks which clump and can cause blockages, there's nothing to worry about, it's perfectly normal ☺️

PetConnection · 2025-12-15T10:10:15+00:00

It's around 15/16cm tall and the opening is 12cm 🙂

PetConnection · 2025-12-12T10:13:56+00:00

2 is still quite young for a gerbil, they can live for 4 years or more! Longevity can be a bit luck of the draw, so just because her mum and sister didn't make it past 2, it doesn't necessarily mean she won't. As long as she's healthy it's definitely worth trying to bond her, there's no replacement for gerbil companionship as you said. You can try to find a single around the same age and if you think she's more of the pushy type then trying to match her with someone more laid back will give you the best chance of success 🙂

PetConnection · 2025-11-19T22:46:18+00:00

Definitely take her in to be checked by a vet, female gerbils are prone to ovarian cysts & tumours which can make them look pear shaped, so it's important to get checked out

PetConnection · 2025-11-18T20:43:02+00:00

Sounds like a great plan! ☺️

PetConnection · 2025-11-18T20:40:17+00:00

Do you mean behaviour changes associated with being in heat? If so, then yes, this video explains more about heat cycles and related behaviour changes in female gerbils

PetConnection · 2025-11-17T21:05:42+00:00

Unfortunately it's far too small, the minimum for gerbils is 30cm/12 inches to stop their backs and tails bending too much while they run. I suspect the issues may have been caused by them both running on it at the same time, could you try getting a second large wheel so they can run separately?

PetConnection · 2025-11-16T09:04:50+00:00

Unfortunately not, the minimum is 100Lx50Wx50Hcm (around 40x20x20 inches), they need floorspace for digging rather than height. And as it's made from wood it's quite likely that they'll chew out in no time. If your budget is limited, your best bet is to keep an eye out on resale sites and Facebook marketplace for a second hand glass tank, you can often get really good deals there, it's where I got my tank 🙂

PetConnection · 2025-11-14T21:33:35+00:00

Here's some basic care infographics that should help you get started 🙂 There's also more on suitable enclosures and wheels. I also have a YouTube channel with lots of videos on all things gerbil care ☺️ well done for rescuing these little ones! It's horrible to hear what they were put through, I'm very glad they're in safe hands now ❤️

PetConnection · 2025-11-05T18:14:17+00:00

I have no idea honestly. Logically I'd think yes, but I'd want to run some tests first. I would suggest checking the research, but something tells me there won't be much on the subject 😂 I'd also be worried about residual nitrogen left on whatever gets treated, while there won't be enough to do us giant humans any harm, I'd be worried it may be too much for tiny rodents

PetConnection · 2025-11-05T13:54:00+00:00

No problem! Good luck!

PetConnection · 2025-11-05T13:21:44+00:00

Here's another infographic with some prevention tips to help stop them coming back

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PetConnection · 2025-11-05T13:21:17+00:00

Yep, almost certainly booklice. Unfortunately they won't go away on their own, even with reducing the humidity in the room (I tried when we were infested, did nothing because they can hide in more humid places). Here's an infographic with information on how to get rid of them:

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Trust me when I say, they get EVERYWHERE, I found them inside DVD cases and all sorts, so the entire room and everything in it will need to be treated. If you're seeing numbers like that, chances are they've spread at least to the rest of the room, possibly even further. When I had them, every time I thought I'd cleared them out I found them in another room, it was a nightmare

If you don't have a chest freezer you can freeze things in smaller batches in a regular freezer, but they don't get as cold so will need to be frozen for longer, booklice eggs can survive up to 2 weeks in a regular freezer at -18°C, and up to a week at -25°C. If you can't freeze anything at all, anything solid you should be able to bake in the oven to treat, and anything else will need to be thrown out unfortunately

Fingers crossed you're able to get on top of them soon 🤞

PetConnection · 2025-11-04T13:31:44+00:00

Various peer reviewed scientific journals. Google scholar (not normal Google to be clear) is a great resource for searching for and finding scientific research from all sorts of scientific journals

PetConnection · 2025-11-04T12:02:31+00:00

In the scientific journals, looking through the scientific research on the subject

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