Gerbils are very lovable creatures with sociable characteristics that make them one of the best animals to keep as pets until you see them fight!

Gerbils fighting is quite a sight, but remember they often fight playfully too. Fighting among gerbils is normal and harmless, but the actual fight is quite rare.

If you can tell they are fighting for real, it is best to intervene because they will end up hurting each other if left alone. When they are playfully fighting, they jump around, box, and wrestle one another with their front paws. However, it if is a proper fight, they do it aggressively by biting one another around the head and tail, and that usually draws blood.

It is a bad idea to have only one gerbil as it will be too lonely, but when they are more, they are great together; the more the merrier. Although the more the merrier also implies more actual fights and so to help minimize the way they fight, it is important that you learn everything about them and what leads to them fighting.

It is possible you’ve not been able to tell the difference between when they are playing or fight. No worries at all, we will discuss it at length shortly. 

Why Do Gerbils Fight?

Like we mentioned before, fighting is very normal. Don’t forget that gerbils are very social and they love to be among their pairs.

They bond together, especially if they are from the same litter or they were introduced together as babies.

They sleep, eat, play, and also fight together. Their play fighting never results in injury, so if you noticed injuries on your gerbils, then know that they have fought for real.

Actual fights are quite dangerous, and it causes lots of injuries to the parties involved. And if nothing is done to stop them from fighting continuously, it might lead to the death of one or more of your gerbils. Thus, they need to know they are fighting and understand the reasons for the real fighting.

Real fighting results from a process called ‘declining'. In their natural habitat, gerbils live in social groups of up to 17 of them at once and the group is referred to as a 'clan'. In each group, each gerbil in a clan has a different social ranking. As the young gerbils increase in size and confidence,  they challenge the authority of the highest-ranking gerbil; the dominant gerbil.

This is done by bullying the dominant gerbil and trying to stop it from doing other things. As soon as this occurs, the dominant gerbil does one of the following. It will either prove its dominance and keep its position so the clan remains as it was, or it concedes defeat and immediately leaves the clan in search of a new home. This process is called 'declining’.  

Declining occurs in pet gerbils irrespective of the number of years they have lived together. How large the clan is determined the probability of this process occurring. According to Experimental Animals, wild gerbils assert their territory by secreting a particular scent gland on their underside. The dominant gerbil traverses the boundaries and scents mark it, such that if a foreign gerbil tries to trespass, it is chased away.

Sadly, when a gerbil is 'declined’, it may not leave to go elsewhere but forced to stay in the winner’s clan and that might lead to another round of fighting. When your gerbils fight for real, that simply lets you know they have been ‘declined’ because the loser and the winner just can’t live in peace with one another.

Once you have realized this, make sure you separate them quick before they end up killing one another. 

Real Fighting 

Real fighting among gerbils is aggressive and would not stop until they are separated. Before separating them, ensure you are sure that they are fighting not to play fighting.

This is because if they are just playing and you separate, this might lead to happily bonded gerbils becoming sad and lonely.

One of the first indications that your gerbils are fighting for real is that they will always be nervous and they will make lots of sounds. You can easily tell they are fighting through the following ways. When you see them biting one another’s faces and tails viciously, then know they are fighting.

If your gerbils have their furs puffed up and arched back, then know that an actual fight is about to happen. Also, when you notice a particular gerbil is chasing another one aggressively, and it is fast-paced, then you can sure a proper fight is ongoing. When you also notice your gerbils are diving at each other and are grabbing with their teeth and paws, they are fighting for real. 

Play Fighting

Play fighting has to do with your gerbils jumping on one another by hopping side by side or following one another.

They also wrestle which is them rolling around with one another and if you look closely, you might see them grooming one another.

Play fighting also involves boxing, one that has to do with your gerbils standing on their hind legs and playfully bat one another with their front paws. If your gerbils are playing, they also run around chasing one another. They take turns in chasing one another and they do it slowly and non-aggressively.  

They also cuddle and groom one another when they are play fighting. Their play fighting is not loud and none of them gets injured. However, if you cannot tell the difference between their actual fights and play fights, you can give them food. If they are just playing, they will quickly respond and eat, but if they are fighting for real, they would not respond at all.

That shows the extent to which they take real fighting seriously. Learn their make-up and features and you will have a smooth ride as you raise your pet gerbils. 

Other Questions

Are female Gerbils More Aggressive?

Gerbils are not aggressive, but during and after 'declining’, they show aggressiveness, especially the female ones. This is because female gerbils are usually the dominant ones and the more females you have in a clan, the higher the probability of them fighting for real.

The dominant gerbils assert their dominance in different ways. For the female, it becomes aggressive against the loser or contender and shuns it immediately. Female gerbils should always be kept in pairs, if not they will consistently fight. Keep your female gerbils in a pair of not more than. This will save you a lot of headache and loss of any gerbil to fighting. 

How Do you calm a Gerbil?

Gerbils are wonderful and sociable creatures that not always fight, but if they are fighting, try to calm them as soon as possible. The very first thing to do when your gerbils are fighting is to separate the fighting pairs. Put them in different cages because they can no longer stay together.

The reason they are fighting in the first place is that one is trying to outcast the other, and the other has nowhere to go. The separation should be for some time though, so they do not smell. You can put two friendly gerbils together so no one gets lonely. 

How do I Know if my Gerbil is Happy?

When you house gerbils as pets, make sure you can tell when your gerbils are happy or unhappy. Understanding the emotions of gerbils is very important. The sound they make indicates how happy they or sad they are.

Yipping is one sound that shows your gerbils are happy. If you sense they are not, you can play with them, give them treats, toys to keep them busy and before you know it, they are cheerful again.