Gerbils and their fights?

Gerbils are beautiful and friendly creatures best kept in pairs; however, like any other animal, they also fight.

Fighting among gerbils is quite common as this is one way they play and bond with one another. Aside from the play fighting, gerbils also fight for real when they are not on good terms. 

Play fighting among gerbils is usually slow and playful, but when they are fighting for real, it is fast-paced and very aggressive, such that it might end up leading to the death of one or more of the gerbils.

On some occasions, when gerbils fight, if they are not separated instantly and keep fighting brutally, one will kill the other. 

Although real fighting that results in death is rare, it is still very much possible, especially among gerbils kept together in a cage. This is because they cannot cohabit as one must leave for the other, but since they are stuck together, death seems like the option, except they are instantly separated. 

Wild gerbils

In the wild, when gerbils fight like that, the loser flees the environment in search of another home, so no one has to die, but the ones in the cage cannot leave on their own accord.

Therefore, as a pet owner that houses gerbils, it is very crucial that you can tell when your gerbils are fighting playfully and when they are fighting. 

Learn to tell the difference so you can be the mediator by separating them as soon as their fights begin.

Gerbils are social creatures that thrive on staying in groups and pairs, but why do they fight and kill one another? Well, here are some reasons. 

Reason 1 - Declaning

The pairs and groups gerbils form is called a 'clan.' In the wild, there is disagreement in a clan as one gerbil is trying to prove its supremacy over another, the losing gerbil has to leave the family. 

It either joins another clan or goes on its own. Pet gerbils are stuck together in a particular environment, and so when they are fighting, the loser cannot leave. Hence the reason they keep fighting, and one ends up killing the other. 

Reason 2 - Stress

As much as gerbils enjoy staying together, being in a cage does not afford them enough space to establish individual territory, and that might cause serious trouble among them.

Once there's trouble, they fight, and if they are not separated, they kill! 

Reason 3 - Play Fighting

Gerbils fight playfully to practice how strong they are and bond well. But at times, these fights might grow intense, and they fight for real. 

Adult gerbils

No bonding between the Adult Gerbils: adult gerbils are more territorial than young ones, such that if they are not from the same clan or are not introduced properly, they will fight. Severe fighting that might lead to death. 

The Bonding process: when you introduce an opposite sex gerbil to a bonded same-sex pair, you are looking for serious trouble. This process usually causes declaning and fighting among them because of mating conflict.

Note that gerbils also fight for the hierarchical right to mate, and all fights have the potential to lead to the death of one or more. 

Now that you know the likely reasons for their fights, you might wonder how you can tell when they are fighting. Once you see one is biting the other, they are fighting. This is because playing gerbils don't bite one another.

Once you also notice aggressiveness and fast racing and rolling in a ball formation, know they are fighting for real. 

Sounds and blood

When they are fighting, you also get to see them drawing blood or hearing shrill or loud sounds. Gerbils are not noisy animals, so loud sounds and noise also show that they are not at peace with each other.

If it is the case that they are play fighting, they groom one another, box each other with their front paws, hop one another, or wrestle gently. 

To avoid some reasons for their fights, you can adopt gerbils from the same litter; in other words, get those they are born together.

If you cannot get the ones from the same litter, you can take them through the process of familiarization. 

Familiarization among gerbils is not instantaneous, as it will take a lot of time and patience, hoping that they can get used to one another and stay together. To do this, you are to get a cage already divided or have a small cell within a large enclosure. This is so the gerbils can see each other and smell each other without touching one another. 

New cages for gerbils

Put the gerbils in the cages differently and let them observe one another for a while, and then alternate the cells between them.

That way, they will quickly get used to each other's scent. Keep rotating the cages for about a full week or more and see if there's a result. 

A promising sign is when you notice they start to sleep close to one another on the opposite sides of their cages. If that does not happen, know that they are not yet friends. If they accept one another, they wouldn't be aggressive; instead, they begin to play. 

Watch them well and see if they are playfully fighting or fighting. If you do this after a while and notice they keep fighting, sadly, that’s a sign that they may never get along. 

For any reason at all, once you know your gerbils are fighting for real, the only way of it is to separate them instantly, either for a while or forever. If they are returned to stay together, and the fighting persists, note that they can no longer cohabit. One has become an outcast, and take it out before it is killed or kills the other. 

Other Questions

What’s the lifespan of Gerbils?

Gerbils may live for as long as 3, 4, or even longer years, depending on the species you have and how well you take care of them. If they contract any disease and adequate care is not given to them, they will surely die untimely. 

If they fight and are not separated on time, one might kill the other, or they die together. There's no 100% way to take good care of your gerbils as they all have distinct circumstances, so it is left to you to be the judge of how well you want them to last. 

Can a Gerbil Live Alone?

As mentioned earlier, gerbils are happy and very pleasant creatures that perform their best when they are in pairs or groups. Do not raise a single gerbil; get at least one other so they can form a team, bond, and grow together.

For no reason at all should you put two unfamiliar gerbils together, except you are trying to familiarize them? 

Remember, although gerbils don't enjoy being alone, they do not want other animals around as they find it stressful. Whether in captivity or the wild, gerbils prefer being in the company of one another. 

Are Gerbils Cuddly?

The most common reason for pets in a home is their cuteness and cuddly nature. Gerbils are cute and beautiful creatures to look at and have at home.

However, gerbils are not Cats, nor do they behave like them. Gerbils are not cuddly pets; they show affection in other ways. 

Very few gerbils like to be cuddled, and that's because they must have adapted over time to the surrounding. They prefer to run around and explore everywhere than be carried and cuddled. 

Gerbils might not be cuddly, but they are friendly; it is just that they are too active to stay in a single position for a long time. This is one fact you must take away from this informative and educative piece on Gerbils and their response to fights.