RIP Waffles. Your explanation of keeping Chicken as a single gerbil makes sense. Sometimes there is no perfect answer.

I had this happen just a couple of days ago. I acquired a pair of gerbils who lived their entire lives in a five gallon tank in an elementary school. I upgraded them to a much larger enclosure and I learned so much about gerbil/hamster care (your videos aided in this!!) and the passing of one was a shock. I’m confident it was from old age but it’s still such a bummer. thanks for making this, it makes me feel more confident in my decision to keep my remaining gerbil alone as the stress of another would likely do more harm than good. keep up the great content!

I just recently just had this happen to my gerbil too I truly feel

RIP WAFFLES, I had 2 gerbils in the pass one lived for 4 years and we decided to keep my other one as a single and she made it to 6 years ❤

One of my gerbils passed and I found it was okay for the other. I give him a lot of attention and he seems fine. I’m so sorry for your loss though ❤️

My gerbil passed away 4 days ago and (I did decide to get another one, a rescue) and I just want to send you a lot of love. I know what you're going through and it sucks. I'm quite nervous about the bonding process but I've done it again, and I'm being very patient with bonding so I do think it'll go well

Oh no , I’m soooo sorry for your loss, she was the one of the cutest lil girls ever. R.I.P waffles ❤️🐭

I had my 2 male gerbils (they were brother) back in April 2019, 8 weeks old, 1 of them passed away in October 2019. I had him as single for 7 month, I noticed his behavior were off. Not eating much, he would only eat mealworms and never came out/active. There were moments that I haven't seen him for few days. So yesterday (June 6, 2020) I finally decided to grab 2 more male gerbils from a breeder and were worried. I had them in dividers 10 gallon where they can only sniff each other (didn't want to put them in his enclosure where all his scent so I pull my 10 gallon out and deeply clean, put 1 inch bedding in). I made sure there were no toys, hide, or much bedding where they cant borrow. I had read that it takes up to 2 weeks for them to bond. But mine gerbil was something else, he was more excited. I was so surprised that he took them in quickly so I waited 30 minutes before moving the divider out. He now more active and excited, even got to see him playing again. I had made the best decision of all time for him. I got rid of all his scent and items, made a complete new enclosure. And since, he look happy and healthy.

I’m so sorry to hear about Waffles. ❤️ I respect your decision to keep Chicken alone for the remainder of her life, and I hope everyone is also able to understand your reasoning as you know your gerbil best.

I feel similarly about my gerbil. I got her as a (free) adoption from a Petsmart that doesn't even sell them. It got returned (was bought from a different Petsmart) by some people who bought it as a gift and the woman who recieved it knew the critter trail they bought with it was wrong. She didn't have the right setup and didn't want it. I love my gerbil and thought she was just beautiful when I first saw her. Unfortunately I couldn't find anyone near me (including any Petsmarts) that sell them. I even checked places like Craigslist. So now I've had her for several months with no tank mate and I'm afraid of what will happen if I actually find one. And if they couldn't get along I'd have two lone gerbils. The same problem X2 So I've decided to keep her alone. I put her in a 55 gallon and give her lots of digging depth & tons of wood hides/toys. Edit: OMG I forgot to say my condolences. It's hard to say goodbye to our little furry friends.

I've had gerbils for years now and I always keep the last one alone (I used to have groups). That's the sad thing, they are so hard to bond, I have seen many of them wounded and die because of it so yeah..

When my girls declanned the less dominate one really fell apart... lost weight, was frantic... so I got a baby right away for her (she was only 5 months and the baby 8 weeks). The more dominate one seemed ok on her own for awhile but when I had the chance to adopt another female I did try to pair them. Months went by trying and stopping the split cage method and they never did bond. Then in one week the dominate one passed, and the cage mate of my other gerbil passed and again she was a wreck, and lost weight so quickly I thought maybe she was sick. Once we got the all clear from the vet I tried a 7 day split of the two remaining gerbils and when I lifted the split they were best friends in about 2 hours. It is so much to do with personality and preference. There is not just one right way to do it.

The story of dominant one being fine alone is so relate-able. I have 2 guinea pigs and when the dominant one is left alone, she seems completely fine. She even looks like she's saying, "Good. All space is mine now." But when the passive one is left alone, she always wheeks and calls for the dominant one but the dominant one don't even respond to it (I separate them for a short period of time when I clean cages, clip nails, etc.). Many guinea pig youtubers say that the owner should let the single one go (to the animal rescue centre) so the pig can find new partner. But if I'm old, I'd rather want to live in the place where I am comfortable. It always depends on the personality.

My gerbil passed away just now (Panda) I found him buried in the soft stuff they play and sleep in (George and panda) George is still alive. I feel so sad

R.I.P Waffles we will miss you 💕❤😇🕊🌊 Also I love your hair ❤💕

Sorry for your loss.

I am so sorry it’s always hard loosing a little critter. They are family just as much as humans. ❤️

Exact circumstance we found ourselves in. Few years old, one died. About a month we watched the survivor, she seemed terribly lonely. We bought another... now we have babies 😯 We were sold a male, obviously 🙄 we were told he was a girl.

Rip! 3 of my rats passed away 2 passed away in with 2 weeks

One of my mice passed away recently and now I only have one left. My parents won’t allow me to get another mouse though. I feel really bad because I can tell she’s depressed. :(

Thank you for posting this. I just found my beloved Twinky this morning and she has passed. Her and Nutmeg (Nutterbutter) were bestest of friends and I have dreaded this day, knowing it would eventually happen. Im watching her, she seems upset, but it hasnt been 24 hours yet. I thank you for this video, very helpful in deciding how i will proceed. The comments and others experiences is also helpful. RIP Waffles. and Twinky. I am so sad for my Nutmeg.

i apologize for the off topic comment but my hamster has a 650 sq feet cage, 7.5 inches of bedding, i tried scatter feeding, new toys, everything.. but he still climbs on the cage and shows signs of being bored. he’s a syrian hamster please help.. i also let him free roam my hamster safe room and he has a sand bath. and of course RIP WAFFLES🖤🖤

My gerbil, (also named Waffles, he was an agouti male gerbil) passed away just last night. I'm considering keeping Oreo alone, but he was the non-dominant, so I think I'm gonna get another young pair of gerbils to bond with him. I'm so sorry for your loss, I know how hard it is to lose a pet. Waffles was a beautiful girl 💞💞 Edit: Oreo actually looks almost like Chicken does, but he doess have the little white patch on her back. Just thought that was kinda cute.

I’m sorry for your loss. I hope Chicken is going to be okay without Waffle.

I have questions and pictures... I'm devastated. My gerbil was closer to 3and 1/2, almost 4. His name was Alphie. I don't know what what happened, but his stomach busted out.. Please help me. Please no one laugh at me. I loved him so much.I took pics, trying to figure out what happened.. I often checked him for wounds. I think he had mites.. but I got him from a pet store, soon as he was weaned.. He was family.

This is exactly my situation when one of my boys passed away in October 2018. I still have the other boy amd he's almost 4 years old which I am amazed he's still doing so well. But same as you I didn't notice any behavior changes after his brother passed and they were 2.5 years at the time so I decided to try his as a single gerbil. Now that he's almost 4 he is starting to slow down but still doing fairly well!

My gerbil is currently dying right now cause of a bloody ear and I’m very devastated she is four

Sorry for your loss of Waffles. I like your purple hair. Good luck with Chicken. My new hamster Snowy already is taming well in only having her 2 weeks . I lost Stormy only 4 weeks ago. I do miss her greatly but I knew for my anxiety needed another right away .

While gerbils are social animals, I believe you have made the right decision for Chicken's sake considering her age. If she were younger, I would definitely consider getting her a playmate.

RIP Waffles. Sorry for your loss. Love the hair, btw!

😭So very sorry about Waffles. Glad that Chicken will be ok living on her own though. Thanks for sharing. 🙏💖

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's incredibly hard to lose a pet, however I think you are making the right decision. I had two gerbils. I got them in december '17. Haji was the first to pass on, around christmastime. Then a few days later, Honey passed away as well. It was very hard on me and while you continue to observe Chicken, take time out of your day for your peace of mind as well. I'm so sorry for your loss. R.i.p Waffles 🐭❤

I have one gerbil and shes fine and happy alone

This helps because I have a really old one on her way to gerbil heaven and a single one left

My two year old, Male Gerbil, Buster just passed away on May 4th. He had a tumor and wasn't eating or drinking. And is now gone. He was amazing, he never bit or was rude. I'm so sorry that she passed away and I know how you feel.

I'm grieving.. I never saw a gerbils belly bust.. please, I got horrible pics. I was trying to see what happened. Looked like a whole in one his organs. Something busted through.Right before he died, I tried to pick him up, he bit me,. Then right after , I noticed bloo... He died within a few mins after I discovered he was ok.. Help me please.

i lost my baby this morning :( now his brother is all alone it hurts my heart

Omg this video really hit home ,my black gerbil waffles died and left her sister donut alone

My gerbil named Kirby has passed away long time ago and my hamster named Luigi has passed away long time ago and I'm going to miss them so much and my 2 babies Kirby and Luigi is now in heaven but I have 2 gerbils named Eddie and Josh

Ima so sorry. I have two gerbils now and it would break my heart if even one of the passed. It gets better❤️

This is exactly why I don't have gerbils right now, bonding them seems such a hassle. Rats are much easier to bond and do better in groups, so you can avoid ending up with a lone rat by always having 3 or more. Gerbils are so cute though. :(

My gerbil passed yesterday because my cat. But it was also my sister's fault she left the cage open and the door open I am so sad

My gerbil Olive died today; after her sister willow died. This leaves there lasts sister Peper on her own. I’ve given her many tubes and things to naw. Her cage is quite large; and she gets put in her run every 2-3 days. Olive died quite unexpectedly; she seemed fine this morning. I’m not sure how to look after peper as she keeps searching for olive, and squeaking quite loudly. Any advise?

Awww I am sorry about Waffles I hope that Chicken is doing fine. I lost both of my gerbils this year. Cherry my black gerbil passed away in January and she wasn’t a the leader. And Cherry was 2 years 10 months. Ghost who was the boss she passed away in June and she was 3 years 6 months. I kept her as a single gerbil because she was the boss and she was aggressive as well. I just gave her attention until she passed away from old age and I miss them dearly😭

My gerbil died recently. I feel guilty because I feel like I didn’t take care of him as much as I should have. However I hope the end of his life was good as I did rescue him from the side of the road where I found him abandoned in a cheap cage habitat

Mine just passed away today.. i have only one more left and i don't know what to do

Don't give up, sweetie.one of my female gerbils passed away last Sunday and I buried her and a damn fox dug her coffin up and ate her.broke my heart.her sister spirit however is doing well so far.

This happened almost exactly like my gerbils. Gizmo had a tragic accident with my dog. R.I.P. She was the non Dominant one. That day I got a new gerbil to pair her with. Every day I switched their cages so they could get used to each other’s scent. I did this for a little over a week. When I put them together, they fought. I separated them and was deciding whether or not to try and pair her with another gerbil. Then, pumpkin escaped and almost died (by dog). So, I decided, since she was dominant, she would be fine on her own. R.I.P waffles. You will always be loved. 😇 I hope chicken lives a full and happy life🥰

My gerbil Yoko died last Thursday night and her sister died 4 year ago because of a cancerous Tumour that she had so Yoko did well as a single gerbil and she preferred being by her self

I’m so sorry Pickles

My gerbil passed away the day after I got another pair but the new gerbils are girls so I now have 1 male and 2 females In the same cage I did get the male neutered and when they were together for the first time the girls were 7 weeks and split on different parts of the cage

whats the difference between a gerbil and a hamster?

Please make more gerbil content I can’t find enough on KZfaq btw I make content to if you interested

One of my gerbils had to be put down so this is useful

My gerbil passed away two months ago and I decided to keep my other gerbil as a lone gerbil too for the same reasons.

My gerbil died today and it just hit me at 1 am... here I am.

My gerbil peanut died. I witnessed it. She was eating broccoli then started trying to jump. I cried so much after it, she has a sister named pickle.. we got a tan gerbil to pair her with but made a barrier in the cage and we gotta wait till they sleep by each other.

My girlfriend gerbil just passed away she was really heartbroken

RIP ☹ I had a single gerbil for 6 months, by time I found a potential new friend for him he died on the day bonding was meant to start. He wasn't miserable for 6 months as I let him have some shelved and run around living room. I'm currently trying to adopt more gerbils but the two currently being bonded don't seem to want to be friends.

my gerbil died recently and his brother is still young im very sad and i dont know what to do should i get him another friend please respond hes still young

(Tw, gruesome topic) My male gerbil currently has a gaping hole in his stomach. He is ok because he’s been cleaning it really well but I’m worried and don’t know what it is. He’s almost three years old and will die soon anyway. What should I do?

Before I watch the video... I’ve had 16 gerbils before, 15 of which are still alive. I have 5 cages with a pair, 1 cage with a trio, and 2 single ones. I know which ones I would wanna find a friend for and I know which ones would be fine by themselves. Generally speaking, females are trickier to keep together so there’s only 2/7 of my girls that I wouldn’t be comfortable keeping alone. For my males there is 5 of them that I wouldn’t wanna keep by themselves. But I also plan on having gerbils for years to come so hopefully I’ll be able to bond some of my boys together from different pairs when any of them pass away. Some gerbils do fine alone and some do not, it’s weird to say but I find it easy to tell who looks depressed by themselves and who looks happy as normal. I can understand why in some situations it wouldn’t be best to get another friend, it really just comes down to the specific gerbil’s personality and needs🤷🏼‍♀️ Okay I’ll watch the video now, RIP Waffles❤️

Totally understand. Really unfortunate. Hope you feel better.

Sorry for your lost

Don't know if you know this but gerbils are very social and need a friend so please don't do this. Gerbils NEED to be housed together!

My last gerbil died a week or so ago and she looked just like your chicken. Same pattern and color.

I have three girls,mum and baby and then asterix the dad is seperate it was an accidental litter as got told snowy was male. Anyway asterix is on his own and has been ever since the pet shop and ofc when I seperated them,asterix is happy on his own but he is very nervous and shy

My 2 gerbils are about 2 they're already less active

Mine had a heart attack 😢it is in their genes. They have poor blood circulation and can have sudden heart attacks. ♥️

Sorry for your loss, I lost one of my females in the summer she was 3. I also decided to keep my other female as a single. It really is sad!

I have had multiple gerbils. I always get them in pairs once I got a 2nd gerbil after another died and there was a fight so I had to seperate them. I don't want to risk that again so now when one dies I leave the other alone

Im sorry to hear that your Gerbil passed. Mine passed away today, left with one male. I also do not intend to get another gerbil.

My gerbil died in November bonfire night 2019 its 2021 an I still cry ;-;

After chicken passes will you get girbil

I'm sorry for waffles jan 2 my gerbil milly died and left tilly alone sadly jan 11 tilly died they were 3 and 2

I am getting a gerbil soon I have wanted one for 5 years and I can finally get one I am so excited I am getting it later on this month

aww rip, waffles! i had 2 gerbils. i had a girl and a boy and recently the girl died :( r.i.p milly and waffles

Im sorry for your loss 😔💔

My gerbil was the last gerbil in the cage should I get her a friend?

So sorry for your loss, I used to own gerbils (Blaze and Snowflake) and when Blaze passed away I decided to do the same thing and monitored Snowflake to see how he was doing (assuming he was a boy, I never actually had them gendered and I couldn't really tell) Snowflake seemed to adapt well and didn't fall into depression so I decided because Blaze passed so suddenly and young (a little over a year and a half old) and I dont really know what happened and Snowflake seemed okay that it was best if i just kept him as a single gerbil. Snowflake ended up living to be about 4 years old maybe a few weeks off and passed of old age.

chicken is so adorable 🥺🥺🥺 but i’m sorry for your loss 🥺🙁

My gerbil is 5 years old

I'm sorry for your loss 💕 I also really love your hair 😅

I am so sorry for your lost R.I.P Waffle

I was thinking of keeping mine by herself and she was so sad so I got the one she was in the same cage with but she doesn’t like me any ideas to get her used to me?

I'm so sorry! Rip lil Waffle❤️💔 I understand your reasoning about Chicken

So sorry to hear! Can't imagine!

I’m sorry

How do you keep the sand bath upright? I have 2 male gerbils and I now keep their sandbath in a separate tank (which I call a playpen) because they kept knocking it over and making a huge mess

I’m sorry for your loss 💕😟

🙏🤗😥 I am so sorry for your loss. Prayer to you.

My gerbil passes away on the 7th :(

Wondering why you chose to remove the wire topper?

What exact metal rack are you using for the 40 gallon breeder glass aquarium?

Awww. I have a question, its not based on the video but, what type and size is your tank u use for your leopard geckos? Because i want the ones you have, they look amazing!

My hamster passed away on the 15 I’m so sad 😞 her name was hammy she was 3 years old

How do you set up a water bottle on the glass?

Sad to hear about Waffles and in this particular case I think you made the right desicion in keeping Chicken on her own. I've kept Gerbils for over 30 years now after I rescued one from its not too kind owner. I/we managed to pair her with another and "Mouse "and then "Minnie" (my wife names them usually) and ever since, would never be without a pair of these absolutely fascinating creatures. The've kept us laughing through the darkest of days of which there have been many. They are hard to pair but if you're going to try, it takes patience and bundles of it too. One thing I have notice over the years is that gerbils do not generally like tanks, they much prefer cages, and love to gnaw on the wires. We did a test with a cage and a tank next to each other. When in the cage, they were happy and playful, when in the tank they were frightened and peed and pooped every few seconds almost. They just wanted out. Generally all things considered, the happier a gerbil is, the longer they will live. Ours are out for at least five hours a day (we are now retired). When they want to go back they go back of their own accord, the cage is left open for them. Well, Mouse VII and Prawnie (don't ask) are now 5 1/2 years old and show no signs of slowing down. And one thing too is they never pee or poop outside of their cage. They use a purpose built loo which is kept clean and hence they don't need so much cage cleaning. This is a boon for us and they love it too. Thankfully all our work is on desktop pc's these days and they just love to play around demanding our attention. I didn't mean to write a book but I stumbled on your page and found it interesting. Welll done and keep up the good work. .......Oh by the way, they love porridge, Brocoli, peas, sweet corn, roast duck (just a little) and they love fruit which we believe seems to extend their lifespan. Most important thing is a happy gerbil will be a long lived gerbil..........

Sorry about your luck! I’ve always had singles and they’re the happiest tiny animals I have ever seen!

God rest his soul. When my gerbil died i had to get a pint of vasaline and a shop vac to get him out of my rectum. What were your gerbil's pronouns?