I hate christmas!

Why do all bad news come on christmas? ='(

When i came home from my job thi morning, I heard some noise in the living room... Zero had escaped, but we cought him again... He had jumped up too the roof of his cage and chewed up a hole big enough for him to get out through, so now we need to quick buy a new cage for him.
We decided to put him down with Marvie again after we checked no new babies were there, cause he can't stay in the transport cage untill we have bought a new cage for him, cause everything is closed today.

When we checked in the cage, we found another thing instead, Brownie is dead. He was in the cage on his side all dead. I'm so sad, don't know why he died, he didn't seem as bad as Halvan was at all, I held him in my hands yesterday before I left, and he seemed ok, yes a bit smaller then the others, not as small as Halvan though, and the clicking sounds was still there, but still, we thought he'd be ok soon cause he wasn't at all as bad as Halvan was. We hoped to keep Brownie, but now we can't ='(

And Halvan died before as I said, just another bad thing that have happend this christmas.

Other bad things in my life:

• My dad got a heart problem and needs to take really expensive medicin which he can't afford, cause he don't even have a home, not a job either. I paid it for him ofc, if I had a big apartment or a house I'd let him stay with us, ofc I would now too, but he don't want to cause our apartment is really really tiny, and he rather lives with friends then.

• My "almost" dad, don't know for sure what to call, him but he lived with us, and my mum ofc from I was 6 years old untill I was 18, so he is like an extra dad for me... He told me he got cancer.

• My grandmother on my dad's side is very sick too, she couldn't even come for christmas cause she was too tierd... =(

• I miss having a mum, the one i've got don't even want to talk to me, she thinks children above 18 years old are parasites on their parents and should make their own money and pay loads to their mum for the room and the food she never buys...

• My boyfriends still don't have a job, so we have to live in this crappy little flat...

I hate it, every bad news comes on this christmas, and everything comes now. Why? Why can't the people (animals included) I love stay safe and well? I wish the world was a happy place.
Sorry for complaining lots, I know I shoudn't, and this is the gerbils blog, not mine... Just can't keep everything in anymore... But bow it's out there, so I'll try to keep it to myself again. I'm just so sad atm. Why am I sad, I have a roof over me and food on the table. There are lots who have it much worse. I shouldn't expect anything, then I won't get disapointed when I don't get what I want, but I almost expect everything to go wrong isntead, and that not good either, nothing good comes either that brings my mood up, just down hill from here. So stupid, I'll shut up now. Sorry. Don't read this tbh, it's just depressing.

R.I.P Halvan, 23/11 - 22/12 2007

The 22 december Halvan decided to give up, almost a month old, she had start to get worse instead of better the last two days, and around 1am the 22nd she past away, she took her last breath in David's (my boyfriend) hand. It was a really sad moment, but earlier the 21th we asked ourselves if she really was going to survive much longer, and we thought maybe it was only pain for her, cause she didn't want to eat that day, and she didn't move as much or as well as she had done only some days before...
So i guess she was tierd, and at least we were there for her, cos she was the one of the babies that really enjoyed being in our hands alot, so she was warm and safe when she left this life.
I really hope you are ok Halvan and that you will have a much better time or life now, without any pain and with full health.

It was a really sad moment, and I have had lots of sad things happening in my life atm, so I haven't been writing here much. Things are still not ok, but will try to write here some more anyway, since there are not much I can do about the things so I just need to accept it and hope everything will turn out ok.

Long Stripe and Short Stripe are the biggest babies, they have recoverd well and are really big, think they are eating as they should and running about lots! Helan is still small, but she is really fast and curious, so I think she are really ok, No Stripe and Brownie are a bit small, but they run around and are curious, Brownie have start to like to be in our hands more and more. Those two I mentioned last still have clicking sounds, even tho we still give them medicin... So I really hope they will recover soon and start to grow a bit more so they catch up with the biggest babies. We give them some extra food, Brownie loves apples.

Soon more babies will come, and I hope they are all ok, Zero has got his own cage now so it won't come more babies after the ones that we are expecting now. It's a bit lonely for Zero, but we let him see the babies and when they are old enough, one of them will be moving in with him. We are hoping it will be Brownie, cause he is really cute, and likes to sit in our hands too. We just hope we looked right and he really is a "he".


Merry Christmas!
/Emi, Neo (bunny), Marvie, Zero, Brownie, Helan, Long Stripe, Short Stripe and No Stripe

Some hope...

this night Halvan has been sleeping in my hand lots, they need to stay warm to get well again, and if the other gerbils push her away and let her sleep alone, she would be too cold....
I gave her some food, and she ate lots ^^ Was a bit hard for her when she took some big pieces and tried to chew on, but I was really happy that she wanted to eat some real food. She really needs it. Before we went to bed we gave her some more water with medicin in, because the vet said she need to drink more, and she was a good baby and swallowed that too.

Best thing of all, this morning I found all babies, including Halvan, sleeping under both Marvie and Zero, which means she has been able to stay warm thanks to the others. I was so happy when I saw it. Before Marvie didn't seem to like Halvan anymore, and let her sleep alone, and had all the babies togehter but Halvan who was left alone in a corner, so I really hope Marvie has changed her mind about Halvan and want her with the others again. More food and water today for Halvan and the other babies, and hopefully all will make it. I was really sad yesterday because I didn't think Halvan would survive, but I'm a bit more hopeful today.

A plate for the babies

The babies are too small to drink from the bottle with water we use for Marvie and Zero, so we put down a plate with some water on it for the babies, and medecin in the water so they'll get some medicin too. The vet told us to give them small pieces of fruit, so we put them there too, and some small pieces of (baby) cat food for the protein. So hopefully they'll eat from it. We try to give them medicin with a bottle too, but it's not easy if they don't want it, so in case they feel thirsty, they get medecin too. We put everything in the medicin water because the vet said they need to drink much, and if the food is in the water, they'll get water at the same time. She also told us to give them fruit juice, for vitamins, so we will try to give them some juice with the bottle later.

Real food instead of milk?

When we came home from the vet, Brownie decided to try some real food instead of milk. Was really cute. The other babies has tried real food too, Long Stripe and Short Stripe really liked it, they chewed on everything ^^ When we were at the vet they even tried to chew on the paper pellets we use as bedding now instead of the wood shavings...

We put som food on the floor inststead of in a bowl for the babies, so they easier could get to it, even tho we got the smallest bowls we could find for Marvie and Zero, the babies are still too small to eat from them, cos they just fall down in them

We visit the vet today

Today we visited the vet with the babies. She gave us a presciption for some kind of antibiotics which she hoped would help, she also told us to try to feed the babied, apsecially the small ones, with small pieces of fruit and cat food for cat babies... She said that the black ones, Long Stripe and Short Stripe looked really good and was sure they would be ok, but we will give all the babies antibiotics just to be sure. She also told us that in the wild, Helan och Halvan would probably not survive, but if we try to feed them much so they get enough nourishment they might make it anyway, but she wasn't sure...

Here is a picture of Halvan, when i try to give her some medicin, after a lick she actually seemed to like it. The other ones were not as keen on it, but Halvan is the one who need it the most, so I'm really glad she liked it. Brownie liked it too, but the other ones didn't want to sit still, they have all opend their eyes, but Helan and Halvan, so they like to run aroun lots, cos now they can see where they are. Breeders call this age "the popcorn age"

Marvin is Marvie

We decided to call Marvin Marvie instead, sounds a bit more girly, but isn't that different from Marvin.

Babies sleeping in my hands

from I don't think Marvin takes care of Halvan and Brownie anymore... They were trying to get milkher, but she just pushed them away... Anyway, I picked up Brownie, and he was a bit cold, so I held him in my hand, and he fell asleep, so cute! I could see he was dreaming, kicking some withhis back legs, and cuddle up in my hand so he'd lay comfortable. then I thought I should check on Halvan too, she was a bit cold too, and when i put my hand down in the cage, she crawled up in it and fell asleep too, so ther I was with one sleeping baby in one of my hands, and one other sleeping baby in my other hand. Thing they really needed to sleep where it was warm and were they felt safe, cos Marvin wasn't with them in the cage, so I think they felt safe with my hands around them cos it was someone warm and alive, not only paper. Was really cute anyway, sat there with them in my hands for a very long time, couldn't put them down and wake them up so I let them sleep in my hands. :)

Do I worry too much?

I've realised i worry lots about the gerbil babies, some days I can just sit and watch the gerbil cage incase something happens so I'll be there for them, I forget all about school, and almost came too late to my job, because I was watching the babies... ^^
I love those babies with all my heart, how will i ever be able to give them away? I know i have to be realistic, we can't have the appartment full of gerbils.... But I love them... I know i can't keep them and my boyfriend won't let me, so I'll just have to enjoy the time I've got with them. The breeder of the two gerbils we had from the beginning (Marvin and Zero), has promised to buy the babies from us when they are old enough and to take good care of them, so at least I know they'll have a good home.

I don't think I can have children of my own because I would just worry myself to death ^^

Going to the vet tomorrow

Yay, tomorrow at 2pm we are going to the vet with the babies, or well, not fun that we need to go there, but it's good we got a time for them so hopefully the babies will get well again.
And not very far to drive either, only about 15km. The vet we got near where we live, didn't even know what gerbils are, so they told us it was no use to go to them... ^^
This one we are going to tomorrow is specialized in small animals :)

Babies not well

Now i'm worried about No Stripe too, today the parents had seperated the babies from eachother, not like when Zero kidnapped one to have beside him when he was sleeping, but the two white babies, Helan and Halvan and No Stripes was in the house, and the other babies, with no, or not as much clicking sounds was at a new place sleeping. So I guess Brownie is better then i thought and No Stripe is worse then i thought. I'm actually most worried about Helan, she don't look as big and strong as she used to, Halvan has always been small, but is still strong, so I'm not as worried about her... Maybe the parents seperating the babies like that is a sign that some of them are not well, and the ones not being well is in that case Helan, Halvan and No Stripe.

We are trying to get an appointment with a vet a.s.a.p. but no one answers the phone and the one that answers, that is very close to where we live, they said they know nothing about small pets, except from giving vaccinations to rabbits. There are one big pet hospital in a town quite far away from here, but they are good at small pets, so I hope they answer the phone and that the gerbils won't get too stressed from a long drive... But I think Helan, Halvan and No Stripe need antibiotics to get well, at least some breeders said that if they get an infection in the air pipe they need it to get well again, so hopefully we can get some from the vet to give them so they get well soon.

I hope Marvin still gives them milk, we bought extra milk replacement for pets at the pharmacy in case she stops giving them milk.



(Yes i know Marvin is a guy name, but we first thought she was a male, haven't thought of a new more girly name for her yet, the name marvin i took from the book and film The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, the robot who is depressed, but so cute. And Zero is from the film The Nightmare before Christmas, the little ghost dog. So I want a name that means something, but you shouldn't change pets names, so I was thinking maybe just change Marvin's name to Marvie, och Marre, but not sure yet)

Worried about the babies...

I'm a bit worried about Brownie and Helan, it comes clicking sounds from them, it sounds like when Marvin or Zero are eating something hard... it could be an airpie infection, because they can get alergic to the wood shavings material we used for beddings to them before, and then they can get the infection from it. If it don't disappear they need to be treated with antibiotics for it, they have had the clicking sound since friday, it's the night to monday now. So we will try to get a time with a vet tomorrow or as soon as possible. Friday all babies had some clicking sounds, so we changed the beddings to another material, pellets looking things made of recycled paper, som gerbil breeders said it's better for the babies, it won't come any dust from it as it comes from the wood shavings. the new material is good for the enviroment too ;)
One other thing that worries me too is that Helan isn't the biggest baby anymore, and Brownie isn't one of the biggest either but not as small as Halvan, so that makes me worried that they are not ok... At least they all run around like small babies should, so they can't be that weak, not yet anyway... I worry loads, i know, can't even do my schoolwork because all I do all days is watching the babies so I'll see in case something is wrong with them so I can try to help right away ^^

I'm worried about Halvan too because she is really small, maybe need to feed her some extra milk or other baby food, will ask the vet about that too when we get there.

One baby I'm not worried about is Long Stripe, he or she is big as he or she should be and runs around lots, was the first and still the only one to open the eyes, and is the only one that really enjoys being in our hands, likes to sleep there, and wash his or hers furr, so cute :)

Zero kidnapes babies ^^

Daddy Zero miss his Marvin sleeping next to him where he makes his bed when it's time to sleep... But she mostly sleeps with the babies... So instead, Zero kidnapes one baby when it's time to sleep and keep the baby there with him while he is sleeping ^^
Licks the furr on the baby, makes sure it got lots of paper on it so it won't be cold. I can tell he loves the babies very much, he just don't understand that they need to be with their mother to get food.
Well, after a while Marvin discovers the baby isn't with her and not outside the house, so then she goes and get it back, but next time it's time to sleep, Zero just kidnapes another baby... ^^

At the moment we call our babies these names to seperate them:

• Long Stripe - black, (don't know gender) because he or she got a long stripe under the chin
• Short Stripe - black, (probably a male) because he got a short stripe under his chin
• No Stripe - black, maybe slate, (probably male) because he got no stripes
• Helan - (swedish name for Hardy, from Laurel and Hardy, means the whole) - white looking (girl) because she was the biggest of the babies before
• Halvan - (swedish name for Laurel, from Laurel and Hardy, means the half), white looking, (probably female) is the smalles of the babies
• Brownie - burmese (probably a male), because he looks brown ;)

16 days old

Baby gerbil (16 days old) sleeping some after some big adventures in the cage, sleeping in the paper the parents use for bedding in the cage, ofc we use other material in the cage too, not only paper.

It's the baby who has opend it's eyes, he or she is also the most adventurus one :)

the other babies still keep their eyes closed ;)

15 days old, first baby opens the eyes

Today the first baby opend his or hers eyes (15 days old), it's very cute, he or she can't see very well yet though, but it will get better when he or she has been able to see for a while. :)

The picure is from when the baby is 16 days old, it's the baby with the long white stripe under his chin that has opend it's eyes.

14 days old

Babies 14 days old "playing" or investigating a paper box

13 days old

A 13 days old baby sleeping in my boyfriends hand :)

13 days old

Here are all 6 babies, on the picture 13 days old. We got two white looking babies, could be the colours siamese, bew or silver nutmeg, we got one brown looking baby, that probably got the colour burmese, and three black looking babies, that probably are either black or slate, we can tell better when they have opend their eyes.
Different gerbil colours can be seen here http://home.wtal.de/ehr/gerbils/colors.htm

Two of the black ones got white strpies under their chins, very cute, one got a longer stripe then the other, and one of the white babies is smaller then the other one, so we can tell difference on all babies now :)

Almost 9 days old baby outside

Here is the second baby that we saw outside it's home, here he or she is almost 9 days old, still blind

6 days old gerbil baby

The first gerbil baby that was up outside the house Marvin made for the babies, here the baby is 6 days old, blind and almost deaf, but oh so cute ;)

November 23, 6 small babies was born

We got 2 male gerbil, we thought, on November the 23d, my boyfriend David found 6 small, naked gerbil babies in the cage. The adult gerbils names are Zero, a black gerbil with a white stripe under his nose and mouth, and Marvin is a siamese coloured gerbil. You can look up the colours at this site: http://home.wtal.de/ehr/gerbils/colors.htm
It turned out that Marvin isn't a male gerbil, she is a female and now a mother of 6 beutiful babies. I was in school when it happend, and around lunch time i got a text from my boyfriend that said "Our gerbil boys are not boys.."

The first two weeks after the birth we didn't see the babies much, cos the parents hide them in tunnels they've made in the bedding in the cage. But we could sometimes her them calling for their mother, and we did see them sometimes.


I'll write more about the babies another day.