u/snivybun

My new pair is adjusting nicely and taming is also going okay, just slower than I'm used to. They're my first pair that isn't food motivated at all. No seeds, fruits, veggies, mealworms or anything I've tried catches their attention. They will grab treats sometimes if I leave it in the enclosure, which I originally didn't do to keep it a "reward" only but I wanted to see if they even liked it. But even then they don't treat it differently than their regular food. It's the same food mix I've been using for all of my gerbils so I don't think it's related but I'm always open to being wrong. There's no treats in their base food.

I know it's not a "must" to have high value treats but it feels like it could make it easier to tame them and also help during weigh ins and potentially future vet visits.

Are there any other food options that could work for them?

Any tips that could make them more food motivated?

Or just general tips to help tame/reward them more easily besides food?

Additional info, they're around 6 months old and I've had them for 1.5 months. They live in a 120x60x60 glass terrarium filled to the brim with bedding. They're active and seem to eat and drink well! I haven't been able to weigh them yet but from what I can tell they're a healthy weight.

Any advice is appreciated!

I named her Pitaya because I have a fruit theme but now my bf can't stop saying Peter like Lois Griffin. She is bonded with another girl named Mangi and it's been a joy watching them snuggle together and tearing up their enclosure 🥰

Her hobbies include digging around her wheel and then getting upset she can't run when it's stuffed with bedding, looking at me to remove the bedding, run for a minute and stuff it with bedding again. She also likes mealworms

1.5 years ago I asked if I should get her to the vet because she had a weird lump, I wasn't sure because she was 3 - 3.5 years old and I didn't want to stress her out as a senior girl. She lived for 1.5 years more and it was the best decision I've ever made. It's been a couple of days and my heart feels so empty.

I noticed I hadn't seen her all day and got worried, I found her barely alive in her little selfmade hideout. I decided to take her out and place her in her sand bath which she had turned into another comfortable sleeping place and we sat in the sun together, that was her favorite thing to do. She could never get enough of the sun! She seemed so comfortable and peaceful and 20 minutes later she passed away right next to me, in her bed in the sun. She had some shade as well and I made sure she felt like she was still safely her hideout, just with the added bonus of her favorite hobby, so it wasn't uncomfortable for her.

I'm so glad I could be with her. I don't know if my scent did anything to comfort her, but I hope it did. We were so close and she was my best friend. Now comes the new journey of bonding my other girl to someone new, which is always bittersweet.

I'm waiting on her ashes to return home and I'm designing a little kiwi tattoo. Such a little creature has changed my life for the best and I'll miss her forever.