Post by Brave on Nov 11, 2012 9:35:37 GMT -5
Taming a Gerbil
It's that time. The time to tame your gerbil. Now, don't expect you to tame them in a matter of minutes, for it takes longer, a few days, to weeks to form that special bond with your gerbil. First before you train it to jump up onto your hand, you need to earn it's trust. So, take this in, at least fifteen minutes a day, open the cage door or take the top of the cage off, and just talk to your gerbil, let it get used to your presence. Whenever your gerbil stands on it's hind legs, give him/her a treat, like a sunflower seed or something like that.
Before you know it, he/she will trust you, and you may figure that out by when you come near the cage, it will press it's paws up against the glass. When you enter the room, you will realize you won't be greeted with the thumping. If that's so, then listen to what you will read next.
Take the top or open the cage door. Put your hand in, and rub it all in the bedding. Have your hand palm-up in the cage. Take a treat(preferably a sunflower seed), and put it in the palm of your hand. You may notice the gerbil sniffing around on your hand, he/she might grab the sunflower seed and run into a corner to munch on it. If the gerbil doesn't take it from your hand, it's a sign you need to work on the trust a little more. Put several sunflower seeds on your hand in a period of 15 minutes. After fifteen minutes, close up the cage, and repeat the process tomorrow, and the next day, and so on.
Soon, you may notice that your gerbil will eat near your hand, that's a good sign. Then you'll notice he/she will actually eat the sunflower seed and sit in your hand while doing so. When your gerbil is in the palm of your hand, slowly lift your hand up. Your gerbil will probably jump out of you hand. If so, that's fine. Do that every day, and your gerbil will stay in your hand longer, and soon be used to getting picked up! Keep doing that, and whenever you put your hand in the cage, he/she will sit in your palm, waiting to get picked up. If that is so, you have successfully tamed your gerbil!
