what do i do if my gerbil wont come to me so i can bond with it

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Gerbils brand nifty companions and are easier to care for and cheaper than many other types of pets. They tin can entertain each other for hours, and you too! Whether you are a first-time owner or want to bond more with the gerbils you have, bonding with your gerbils is easy every bit long equally you follow general guidelines.

1. 1

   Be patient. Gerbils, similar people, build relationships based on trust. Since they are prey animals in the wild, they are especially cautious of bigger animals (like you)!^[1] Until your gerbils get used to their new domicile and yous, avoid trying to touch them or pick them upwards.

   • The amount of fourth dimension information technology takes gerbils to get used to a new environment and owner varies from a few hours to a few days.
   • Your gerbils will "tell" yous when they are ready for more interaction. If they hide or run away from you, they aren't ready to be touched or held.

2. 2

   Identify their cage in a central surface area of your dwelling house or room. To become socialized, gerbils needs to be effectually people more than they are not.^[2] Practice not let gerbils out of their muzzle to roam freely until you are able to concur them!^[iii]

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3. three

   Sit down virtually your gerbils' muzzle and talk or sing to them. If your gerbils won't come near your mitt, spend some fourth dimension each day sitting near their muzzle and talking to them so they can observe your movements and go used to your vocalism.

   • You don't have to speak straight to them, but talk or sing out loud (merely non loudly) so they get comfortable with your vocalism.

4. four

   Wash your hands. Gerbils have a very potent sense of scent and utilise this sense to familiarize themselves with people. Washing your hands well before interacting with them ensures that they are smelling you and not whatever you touched earlier in the day.

   • This is peculiarly important if you have other pets, similar dogs and cats. These animals would exist predators in the wild.
   • Employ a non-perfumed soap so you don't mask you own odor.

5. 5

   Offer your gerbils a treat from your hand. Taming your gerbils requires a series of steps. Getting them to swallow out of your mitt is the all-time way to encourage them to come up close to you and to become accustomed to your smell. Lay your palm on the ground with a treat in the middle of information technology and keep your hand still.

   • If they will not eat from your hand right abroad, that's ok. Put the food on the flooring near them and back away. Somewhen they volition associate your hand with treats.
   • The best treats are things that don't typically come in gerbil food, similar almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
   • Gerbils, similar people, are individuals with dissimilar levels of social acclimation. Some may come up to y'all quickly, while some are more than skittish. Don't have it personally.
   • Sometimes gerbils will regress, and you may have to start from an earlier stage to rebuild trust. Don't go frustrated and try once more.
   • Offer a 2nd care for if they are not tempted by one. Put i on the ground and one in your hand to encourage them to go to either one.

6. 6

   Place your hand out and let them leap into information technology. This is the best way to hold your gerbil, and volition be much less threatening to them than trying to selection them up.^[4]

   • Information technology might have a few times before s/he is comfortable getting in your mitt. Exist patient and kind.
   • When they outset jump into your palm, raise your arm slowly to your breast so that they don't feel scared.
   • If they won't let you touch them, attempt belongings your hand in a fist nearly them and letting them get used to your smell showtime.^[5]

7. 7

   Use both hands to "scoop" upward your gerbil if you accept to pick them upwards. It is amend to let them come to you, just if you lot demand to pick them up, cup your hands and place one on either side of them. Move them slowly together so that they have to footstep up into your hands. This method lets them know what is going on and allows them to decide to let you selection them up.^[6]

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1. i

   Schedule daily playtime. Gerbils demand regular attention to stay socialized. If you stop playing with them, they won't desire to play with you anymore. Brand sure yous are spending sufficient fourth dimension with them every day, both caring for them and providing recreation.^[vii]

   • Don't e'er permit them out of their cage unsupervised. Gerbils are very good at hiding!

2. 2

   Prepare a safety environment to play in. Gerbils demand playtime exterior their cage every day. Whenever you open the muzzle, brand sure y'all are in an enclosed expanse with few hiding spaces so that your gerbil can't run away. Check that all windows and doors are closed before opening the cage and make sure no electrical cords are within achieve.^[8]

   • Information technology's all-time not to let your gerbils out of their cage until yous are able to hold them.
   • If they practice manage to find a hiding identify, information technology's all-time to wait for them to come up out on their own rather than forcibly take hold of them.
   • A great identify to allow them play is in an empty kiddie pool.

3. 3

   Open the cage and let them investigate. After the initial introductory menstruation, let your gerbil enter your environment on their own terms. If yous tin can't touch them past the 2d mean solar day, try letting them out in an empty bathtub.^[9] Identify their cage in the tub, sit on the opposite side, and open the muzzle door.

   • Don't pull them out of their cage forcibly! But open the door and sit near it.^[10]
   • Make sure the tub is clean, with no lather or detergent balance.^[11]

4. 4

   Add some toys. You tin can buy rubber toys or make your own. Cardboard tissue boxes, egg cartons and empty toilet paper rolls are keen "toys" you tin easily find around your home. They also might similar wooden blocks with holes drilled for walking through and wheels to run on.^[12]

   • Purchase a wheel that is solid, not one with spokes or holes in information technology. Their tails or anxiety could go caught in whatever holes and crusade injury.
   • Don't requite them scented newspaper towels or towels with text or writing.
   • Gerbils need to chew, then look for untreated and unpainted wooden toys rather than plastic ones or painted ones.
   • Utilize empty newspaper towel or toilet paper rolls to make a fun tunnel for your gerbils to run through.
   • Make a tunnel out of PVC piping.

5. 5

   Pet your gerbil gently on the head or back. Gerbils tend to exist fidgety, but to develop a close bond they demand to get used to your affect.^[13] Await until they approach you lot and gently stroke their head or back.

   • Exist careful not to use besides much force! Gerbils are footling and may scare easily until they go used to you.

6. vi

   Make your gerbil a present! Wrap a treat in a few tissues and paper to brand your gerbil a special toy. Make sure to utilize clean, white tissues with no lotions or added scents!^[14]

   • Put treats in the middle, fold tissues in half, and coil up like a burrito.
   • Tie the end of the tissue pack into a loose knot and put inside a toilet paper tube.
   • Stuff a tissue into each side of the scroll, so that the treat is in the middle.
   • Place the coil on a sheet of white paper and scroll like a burrito.
   • Twist the ends like a candy wrapper and present to your gerbil.

7. vii

   Teach them to flip backwards. Hold a treat in your fingers just out of their reach. When they motion towards it, bring the treat upward and over their caput, towards their back. Eager gerbils will flip over to get to it.

   • If your gerbil is really smart, they may just turn around on the ground to go the treat. Try holding it closer to their caput next time.

8. 8

   Train them to jump up for treats. Gerbils tin can jump eighteen inches beyond and 6 inches loftier, and can even change direction in mid-air.^[15] Hold a care for in your fingers up high to encourage jumping. Agree a treat several inches abroad and a couple inches high to encourage a long spring.

9. 9

   Teach them to run through a maze. Create maze with blocks or other light objects and put a treat or two at the cease. Carefully place the gerbil at the kickoff and spotter them try to notice the care for.

   • Kickoff with a direct line maze and increment difficulty equally your gerbil gets used to it.

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• Refill their nutrient and water dishes daily. Make certain your gerbils ever have fresh h2o.

• Always make sure they have clean bedding.

• Some gerbils shouldn't take wire cages because they can chew them. Become them fish tanks instead, well-nigh x-15 gallons.

• You should besprinkle feed your gerbils, as to encourage more natural behavior, merely make sure to clean out whatever old food daily.

• Leave your gerbils lone the showtime few days so they can get comfy in their new home.

• Don't play loud music or intense music because information technology tin hurt your gerbil'southward ears, every bit they tin can hear very well.

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• Ever supervise gerbils when outside their muzzle.

• Never let your gerbils outside of their cage in the outdoors.

• Never pick upwards a gerbil by its tail, under any circumstances! Their tails are very frail and they utilize them for balance.^[16]

• Don't punish your gerbil for what you consider "bad" behaviors, like nipping at your apparel or fingers. These are natural behaviors and should not exist associated with negative reactions. Wear an sometime t-shirt when playing with them if they like to chew your clothes, instead.^[17]

• Never blow in a gerbil's confront.^[18]

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Commodity Summary 10

To play with your gerbil, create a fun tunnel for it to run through using an empty toilet paper roll. If y'all desire to go creative, stick multiple rolls together and put some treats inside for your gerbil to find! Additionally, y'all can create a nowadays for your gerbil by wrapping some treats in clean, unscented tissues and twisting the ends. If you want your gerbil to get used to you, wait until it approaches and gently stroke its head or back, but be careful not to employ too much force or you may scare information technology. For more advice from our Veterinary co-writer, including how to teach your gerbil to leap for treats, keep reading!

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