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Gerbils chewing on plastic lid

3K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Hanlou 
#1 ·
We got my girls a Sterelite bin this summer and they seem to really like it. For a while we used chicken wire as a lid and just bent it around to fit snugly, but my dad was worried about either wearing it out or it bending too out of shape to fit properly (we were already having trouble getting one corner to stay down) so we cut a whole in the plastic lid and my dad attached the wire to the top.
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The problem is they do chin ups and chew on the plastic (they used to sit on top of the water bottle and do it but I moved it up to stop that). They've made a lot of ....progree and I'm worried they'll eventually chew it away past the wire and make a hole they can get out through (not to mention it can't be healthy to chew on). How can I make them stop, ot am I just going to have to figure out a new lid solution?
 
#2 ·
Your bin is not nearly deep enough if they can do "chinups" to reach the top. Keep in mind when using such a bin you have to keep fewer things in the bin so they can't climb on them to reach the top. All that is why I prefer tanks with mesh tops.

This was a Syrian hamster of mine, Zeb, a great guy now deceased, taking apart the lid of a bin that was too shallow:
 
#8 ·
Mine are incredible jumpers, Zouave! Martina always greets me by jumping and standing on the rim of the tank when I open it, even when I briefly had her in the 30g tank! As a matter of fact, my first experience with Martina (and with a gerbil in general) was me opening my little box to put her in her tank and she jumping in the air and me catching her in midair!
 
#11 ·
Yup - all the gerbils I had could jump *amazingly* well, I had to be careful when I took the lid of their tank off, as in no time at all they'd be out if I didn't watch them carefully! With their big feet and fairly powerful hind legs with that beautiful tail to aid balance, they are good at jumping. :tramp:

It was a good sized tank (2 1/2 ft - and quite deep!) with lots to do and lots to gnaw, but they still felt the need to attempt gnawing everything they shouldn't gnaw - and that included the lid. :rolleyes:

Probably best to go back to an all metal lid. :winky:
 
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