I need some advice

[tamsworld]

Hi everyone, :wave:
although I have had Hamsters before, I'm new to Gerbils :shy: . I have 2 females approx 8 weeks old.
Can anyone give me some tips on how to get them used to me and tame them? :scratchch
I dont want to scare or aggravate them by me being too full-on when I'm trying to pet them. :hug:
Any advice would be appreciated!!
Thanks very much!!
Tams

[SBonnier]

The first thing to do is the make sure your hands and clean before touching them. If you have any foreign smells on your hands, they may nip at you. I just put my hand in the cage and let them walk on me and sniff me. When they get more relaxed, they will start climbing up your arm. As with any animal, it just takes time, patience and love. Good luck!

[Doom Gerbil]

all good Bonni
do not try to grab them from above as you will be seen as predator, instead scoop them up from below

[Zouave]

People never mention talking to them, but I always do. Talk in a soft friendly voice to them, always. Let them associate that also with something nice, such as feeding time, or gently being rubbed (akin to them being groomed).

[Doom Gerbil]

lol yeah talkings good with any pet
not just when handling but every time you pass the cage or when you look at the cage and theyre watching you
one other tip..wink at them
gerbils love it when you wink back when they wink :D
and touch your nose to theirs, eskimo greetings seem popular with gerbils :D

[tamsworld]

Hey, thanks guys - This feedback is really useful! I'm sure that if I persevere slowly but surely they'll get used to me!
I stumbled across this site only a few days ago and I've spent hours upon hours reading through everyone's threads. It's fantastic! I've learnt so much already! :) I wish I had found it before!!
Plus it's just so interesting reading about everyone else's pets, and all the pictures are fantastic....!
Thanks,
Tams

[SweetFancyMice]

First: Lay your hand in the tank (palm up) with a few sunflower seeds. The gerbil will sniff around checking out your hand. Then it will jump "on and off" your hand a few times, before it grabs a sunflower seed. It will run away to a corner and eat the seeds one by one. This way the gerbil will see your hand as a "Good" thing. Don't try to grab or pet the gerbil when it's in your hand, at first. Or the gerbil might get upset, and see your hand as something thats going after it everytime they eat.
**After a few weeks, without nipping.**
Second step: Instead of laying your hand in there, hand them one seed at a time. The gerbil will do the same thing with going, to the corner, to eat. This the way the gerbil will learn to come to you for treats and love.(Remember to talk in a gentle voice)
**After a long time of the gerbil being gentle, and NO NIPPING!!**
Third step: Lay your hand in the tank palm up, with no treats in your hand. Every time the gerbil stands still in your hand, with your other hand, hand the gerbil a seed. Do this for a few times a day. This way the gerbil will not stress or worry about being in your hand. Do not pick up the hand with the gerbil.** Do this for atleast a week before you go to step Four.**
Step Four:
Do everything as in step three, but this time lift your hand a few inches, BEFORE you give the seed with the other hand.

In time the gerbil will run up your arm when you stick it in. The reason I am telling to go VERY slow is: I don't know how trained your gerbil is, how ready you are to train the gerbil, and how old the gerbil is. The older, the more time you'll need to train them. The younger, the shorter it is. "So I find". There are sooo many tricks to train a gerbil, these are only a few. Try this and let us know how it goes, so we can give different advise as you go.

Just remember to keep at it, BUT never bother the gerbil for more than 20 minutes at a time. You can do it as many times as you like in a day, But not one after another. They need breaks also.


Good LUCK.