Omigods.

[shadesong]

So I'm talking on the phone to my mom, who's relaying that not only has Elayna lost tooth #2, but that the teeth on either side of the now-missing teeth are now loose, as are the two top front teeth - and from yendi in the dining room I hear "Oh, shit."

Me: "What happened?"
yendi: "Baby gerbils."

I guess Woody & Freddy aren't gay.

We stared at the gerbils. 7. 7 squirmy baby gerbils. What the *hell* are we supposed to do about this? Do we separate the father? *How* do we separate the father? We only have the one cage, and all the pet stores are closed. What do we *do* with all of these gerbils? Do they nurse? For how long? When can we get them outta here? Can we do it before Elayna gets back? Does anyone want a free baby gerbil?

*whimper*

Comments

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!!

*giggle giggle*

I guess I'm not helping matters, am I?

I got the funniest visual image of you two making this discovery!

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Stunned disbelief, dude. Stunned disbelief.

I wanted them to be gay!

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

oops!!! =)

um. yes, baby gerbils nurse. i don't know for how long. i think male gerbils have a tendency to kill their offspring, but i'm not sure. call the pet shop first thing in the morning to see what options you have.

um, good luck?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Read up on it. They nurse, can't be separated for 4 weeks (6 weeks recommended), and dads usually don't eat the babies.

Want a gerbil? Or three?

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

gah. i don't think it'd be a good idea -- both Tiger and Stinky hunt mice. [they treed one in the rafters yesterday, in fact...]

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

sounds like me when I came home after being away for the weekend to find that rather than one hamster I had 13. Twelve squirmy naked hamster babies nestled up to mama who must have been pregnant when I got her. All twelve lived too. I kept one and gave the rest to the pet store because no one else would take them. Made *extra* sure the one I kept was female though :)

[ilexx.livejournal.com]

i can sympathise. my bianca was a pet store rat and turns out she was pregnant. so one day i'm holding her and i realize, "there is NO WAY this is all FAT." and sure enough she had a litter of 5. i found an animal rescue league that took all kinds of animals, and i did have to buy a separate cage (you'll probably need to separate mom and dad now anyway, unless you want another litter of gerbils, right?) for the boys and girls. but before all that, i panicked, asked anyone and everyone what to do, and everyone who knew anything simply said, "dude, animals know how to take care of themselves. she'll handle the whole thing."

i would say off the cuff, get the dad out of there, let the mom nurse, make sure you handle the babies much, so that no one gets weirded out by human contact, and find out when to wean them. it'll be okay, i promise!!!!

*giggles*

(sorry, can't help it)

do they look like little chewed up pieces of bubblegum?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Yes. Very like chewed up bubblegum.

Would you like some gerbils as a housewarming gift? *hopeful look*

[ilexx.livejournal.com]

*giggles* i don't think bianca would appreciate it. otherwise i'd say sure! but i have to spoil my little girl, you know. she's more neurotic than i am.

[morenasangre.livejournal.com]

From Rescue Gerbils (http://www.geocities.com/spicegerbil_007/rescuegerbils.html) (Don't ask)
"female gerbils will almost always destroy another mother's pups" BUT "Father gerbils will help care for the young... bathe them, warm them, and even retrieve them when they stray from the nest. In a breeding pair, father gerbils do not need to be seperated from the female after the birth of the pups unless you wish to prevent future births. Since the couple will mate again immediately after the birth of the pups, DO remove the father IF you Do wish to prevent more births."

And the Breeding Gerbils Guide (http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/breeding.htm) Says the same thing, with a few more relevant details.

Hope that helps!

[ilexx.livejournal.com]

BUT "Father gerbils will help care for the young... bathe them, warm them, and even retrieve them when they stray from the nest

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!


Since the couple will mate again immediately after the birth of the pups

*trying very hard to be sympathetic and not giggle*

i am SO SORRY 'song!!!! ACK!!!!! you will laugh about this eventually, i promise ;)

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Mmmm-hmm. Yeah. Right. :P

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the links! :)

How insensitive of him!

[ga-sunshine.livejournal.com]

"Since the couple will mate again immediately after the birth of the pups"

Makes me think of the old Jeff Foxworthy skit where the woman is in labor and the man looks at his watch and says "you think we have time for one more quickie?"