When
the time of vacations arrives, some peoples go traveling. You chose the
destination, make the reservations and everything seems to be set. But did
you think about your little animals?! You must be sure that they will be
safe when you’ll be gone
Those
next advices can be applied to any little furry friend.
It
is unadvised to leave your pets alone for a long time. More then 3 days
can cause problems.
The
food
Obviously,
it’s easy to leave a big quantity of food and the gerbil’s habitat.
But what would you do if you were wrong in your estimate and that they
ate more then you tough. You might come back home and find your gerbils
dead of food starvation. (And yes, I saw that once)
Water
You
could think about buying a big rabbit water bottle that would contain
enough water for 3 weeks but did you think about the water quality in
there? After a while, algae and bacteria can develop and endanger the
health of your gerbils. Another problem more serious would be that the
bottle clogs. Just image if it does, only 2 days after you leave for a 3
weeks trip.
Fights
It
is well known that gerbils are very territorial. Even if your gerbils
got alone very well for 2 years, a fight can begin at anytime. This
situation may be rare but if it happens, it can end in the death of one
or both of the gerbils.
Solutions
Ask
to someone to keep your gerbils!
The
easiest solution might be to find a friend of a family member, nice
enough to take care of your gerbils while you are gone. If the person
you choose doesn’t know a lot about rodent care, you, you might want
to spend some time with him to give him some tips. Show him how to do
and let him do it in front of you. This way you will both be confident
about all that. Change the bedding before you leave, prepare him a to do
list and a « what to do in the case of » list. Leave some
spare items just in case (bottle, extra cage) It’s better to plan more
then not enough.
Animal
Hotel
You
might find some peoples or even a company that lodge animals. Look in
local newspapers and over the Internet to see if something like this
exists in your town.
Bring
your gerbils with you on vacation.
If
your trip allows it, you can bring your gerbils in car. Just be sure
that your gerbils will be welcome where you’ll stay! And also, be
informed of local restriction on rodent. Rodents are denied in some
states like California. For the car trip, you can use a transport box or
simply take their usual cage or aquarium if possible. Take out the water
bottle as it may drip while your drive and replace it by carrots or
vegetables. Never leave your gerbils unattended in your car. In summer,
the temperature rises very fast.
I
hope those advise will help you on your next vacation! Have a nice
trip!
