Anyone know anything about gerbils?

[I love my ducks34]

Hi, I have 2 gerbils I'm trying to introduce to each other. I'm doing the split cage method and switch them in their cages every day so the get used to each others scent. But while Fleck (my older gerbil) seems interested in Cole, every time they look at each other through the bars, Cole tries to get at Fleck, I guess to fight. Do you know why they are doing this? Cole was kept around gerbils before I got him so I'm not really sure why he's acting like this. Sorry for the poor grammar lol.

 

[Pyxis]

Sometimes it just takes time. If they're both older than about ten weeks, it's even harder.

How long have you been trying to introduce them?

 

[I love my ducks34]

About a week or two

 

[I love my ducks34]

I had been trying to introduce them for a week and they seemed interested (I think I was doing something wrong, they may not have been able to see each other well) But when they got together they fought. Cole's been trying to get at fleck ever since.

 

[meon]

a lot of the time no matter what you do they will not bond and will be better separated

 

[I love my ducks34]

Oh, ok, thanks.

 

[Pyxis]

Oh, ok, thanks.

Any updates on how putting them together is going? Still not getting along?

 

[I love my ducks34]

Nope. Almost zero change, that I can observe.

 

[I love my ducks34]

Do you think it would help if I put vanilla on them

 

[Pyxis]

What kind of setup are you using to introduce them to each other? When I used to do it, I had them in a cage together, but the cage was divided in half by hardware cloth. This way, they could easily see and smell each other, but couldn't fight. I also swapped them around from side to side each day so that they were getting very used to each other's scents.

It's also easiest trying to introduce an adult male, which tend to be more tolerant, to a young, not fully grown juvenile of either gender (male if you don't want to breed them though, of course). Are they both already adults? If so, it's going to be harder.