Buying live from a pet store

breed your own gerbels

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Originally Posted by Slim

Yes, they can. My local PETCO won't sell you anything if you state you are going to use it as a feeder. They claim it's company policy. I have no way to varify that or not.

My local regional chain pet store, Pet World, not only are happy to sell feeders, they raise them in the back.

Are you really sure you wan't to go down the gerbil road? BPs can be impossible to swtich back once they've been on gerbils.

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Slim (and everybody else) ask your PETCO to show you their P&PS where it states they cannot sell mice or rats as feeders. It is NOT PETCO policy to refuse mice/rats as food, but it is against policy to feed anything other than goldfish, minnows, crickets, fruitflies, mice, or rats as food. I know this bc I was a PETCO employee for 5 years, know the policy like the back of my hand, my boyfriend works there, and I have several friends in PETCO management in different states.

As for gerbils, try gerbil scented bedding (right where they have been pooping/peeing) on a rat. If you are set on gerbils, I would suggest breeding them instead. They are a pain to breed, but it will be FAR cheaper than the 8-15 dollar ones at the petstore.

Yeah, the scenting thing is my game plan at the moment. I'm keeping a gerbil so that I can get my own "freshly scented" bedding. Maybe even use it to scent the room.

Hopefully I'll get her back on rats soon, or at least on mice.

Thanks all. And yeah, I figured Gerbils were on the exception list to the feeder category since they made me fill out a companion pet form instead of the mice/rat form.

Some people might refuse it just because they don't own snakes, and they only see gerbils as pets. I work at a Pet Supplies plus and sell my fellow BP owners gerbils quite frequently. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the snake loves gerbils because aren't gerbils their native food source? As in gerbils are native to Africa, and so are BPs :). I think it's in their DNA to loveeee them some gerbils. Too bad gerbils are like, 15$ a piece. Lol

If rats are more nutricious than mice

...Than where do Gerbals fall into that? Are rats still more nuitricious? What else can BPs eat besides mice, rats and, Gerbals? Just curious...

I know for a fact that it is not against Petco's policy to sell live feeders but it is actually against Petsmart's policy.

Asfs, they LOVE Asfs, African Soft Furs, they bred much quicker than gerbils, and can be very nippy. I have had cautious fun with mine :) They pee in one corner and it is easier to clean up and they smell alot less than rats or mice. Also supposed to be a more native food.
*Fila*

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Originally Posted by ExotixTowing

They sell snakes knowing full well you have to feed them..... Then they refuse to sell you FOOD !!!

Yet if they catch on your not doing what needs to be done to ensure the health of your snake you will get a visit from the OSPCA .... :O


Talk about a Double Standard !@!

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My PetCo sells sells rodents as feeders.
In fact, that's how I ended up with 3 more pet rats.

[they were way too cute and sweet to be eaten]

:D

Please, please, please, oh for the love of heaven please DO NOT get your snake eating gerbils!!

I made the mistake of going down that road with a stubborn super pastel. Was the WORST mistake I ever made.

Finding reliable sources of gerbils for feeding was all but impossible, so I decided to try breeding them. Not only do they breed slowly, they have very small litters and take forever to get big enough to feed. Save yourself the months of frustration and aggravation and hair tearing out and just make the spoiled little brat take rats. Unless this is a baby ball, it can go for a VERY long time without eating, and sooner or later I can almost guarantee you she'll take a rat. My super pastel did after a 7 month battle over who hard a harder head, myself or her.

ASF's are supposed to be like a drug to balls, they supposedly attack them with a vengeance and then refuse anything else. However, all but two of mine have no idea what to do with an ASF. Well, since my ASF colony is doing very well and I've had it with rats that don't get eaten and then get too big to feed, eventually my stubborn little monsters are going to figure out what an ASF is for.

I wish you all the best, but I cannot recommend against gerbils strongly enough.

Gale