cleaning tanks and....

[deana]

Peanut has a bald spot on her back and smelt like urine badly, she needed hers done real bad and the wheel was full of it too. I'm so mad at myself for neglecting her I told my son we have too many gerbils and he is going to have to help because when I was washing it off of her she was crying and she bit me , she doesn't bite ever. and she was crying. I don't like that I told him if he doesn't start helping we are going to have to get rid of some because now Peanut is bald on the back and it shouldn't have happened, I am serious I wil do it. Peanut is not the healthiest gerbil and she is not inbred she has always been on the fragile side and now look what has happened to her. As soon as I can find something to put her and scrappy on I am moving them into my room too then I will have all the important ones in here with me to watch over, that sounds cruel to th eother but that is how I feel right now. I don't know how you guys do it with so many like me I just don't They may not be in a shelter but the way they are neglected it sure seems like it to me, and that says something about me:( I;m not close to the Gebils in th eliving room so I can do it, just have to do it don't think about it. You guys probably think I don't care but I do:(

[Andrea]

I feel the same way somedays. Then others i'm just so glad to have everyone.
If they are trully becoming overwhelming and their lives are not as good as they could be you could try looking for homes for a few pairs. I wouldn't drop them off at a shelter, but maybe see if U can hold onto them as a 'foster' and have the help of a animal rescue group with re-homing.
The group I volunteer for we do this, we will post peoples pets on Petfinder.com and the families hold onto the animals untill a home can be found.

Don't rely on your son to remember to help you with tank cleaning. Kids are still just kids, and I don't belive any child should have a pet, but any animal in a families home is the parents responcibility.

How many Tanks do you have?

When i clean tanks (usualy wed. nights) i will use a white board pen and write the date on the glass, so that I know when it was cleaned. This helps me remember who needs cleaning when, b/c sometimes I can't get all the tanks cleaned at the same time.
Be happy you have just the gerbils, I have to clean the hamster every week (I scoop out her 'toilet area every couple days) because she STINKS , and same with the Degu's they need to be done more often, and the boys spray all over everything, a total mess. Usually my bunnies are pretty good, all but one. And I clean out there litter pans every couple days, then their whole area once a week.
Man, i'm so glad I don't have kids yet, I definetly wouldn't have the time.

<hugs> It will all work out, you may just need to make a schedule to keep you on top of everything.

[deana]

Hi Andrea yes I know you are right on everything you just said. It is hard very hard sometimes to try to keep up with everyone. Now that Princess Peanut looks better and her fur seems to be growing back it makes me happy again and not so angry, yes angry I was because there is no real excuse for her to be like that. I picked her up today to see how she was doing, she let me get her I thought for sure she was going to be mad at me for hurting her when I was cleaning her up but she wasn't or isn't I mean. She is a fragile gerbil always a source of worry since she was newborn, she is a year now in May. We had some scarey moments with this little girl thats why I was so upset when I found her in the condition she was in. you sound like you have a houseful too as well as Zouave If you two can do it so can I. I have four tanks and 6 cages to take care of, and everyone in clean homes now. I am going to devide up the cleaning now, my back goes into spasms when I do it and it is really bothering me tonight I ran out of bedding when I cleaned her up and I have to get some more soon, I got the food already. I will check into the foster care thing in Arizona and see if they have families who want gerbils. Thanks for the encouragement, Hugs Deana

[Die Fledermaus]

>> going to have to get rid of some <<

My pets are here with me for their life.

It would take likely many hours to clean my eight gerbil tanks. That is a minority of the tanks and cages I have for the GPs, rabbit, mice, dwarfs, and Syrians (14 more habitats).

Things are actually better here than they were early in 2004 when I also had 16 Syrians from a litter - a pet store surprise. And I kept them all.

The only time I felt totally discouraged and hopeless was when I had a bad mite infestation - and had not yet heard of Sevin powder (permethrin works too!).

Good luck.