Apparently, there was a gerbil found in my dogs food bin. My bf said he was soaking wet, so i'm guess he fell in the water bucket crawled out and got into the bin to escape my dog.

I haven't seen him yet, because i'm at work, but i guess he's healthy. Cranky, and a little bitey, but that's it. I'll inspect him when I get home. He's resting comfortable in a tub with some shavings, water, and food.

So, what do I do with him? Setting him free isn't an option, as i'm fairly certain it's already been "set free" ending up in my dogs food bin. Of course, feeding him isn't an option. Maybe I can wait to see if he has a good temperament and adopt him out? I don't know. What would you do? Just put him down? Seems a little extreme.

If I keep him for a little while, do I need to worry about the balls picking up his scent if he's kept in the same room as my rats? (After a quarantine period).