Gerbil De-Population Program

This is a continuation of the ongoing saga of the Grenon Gerbils. Or should I say "gerbil" singular?

Until today we had a total of 8 gerbils living in two cages with no possibility of increase. Our ability to support unlimited amounts of gerbils was not very good, so we separated the males from the females and only let them gaze wistfully at each other through their cages.

Now one of the problems you get when you have a 7 year old in charge of 8 gerbils is that the cages don't get cleaned as often as they should. The result is that the bedroom starts to smell like a giant gerbil cage and people who pass the doorway tend to faint if the door happens to be open. I knew we had a problem when I found Elodie passed out cold on the hallway floor.

Tamara was told to take the gerbils outside and change their bedding and clean things up. The cleaning was to extend not only to the bedding in the cage, but all the litter on the dresser they were kept on, the litter on the floor, and the general muck and messiness that exuberant gerbils cause when gaily tossing litter and scratching in their cages.

In the course of the cleaning, I was heard to mutter that I thought it would be best if the gerbils were found a home outside since I didn't enjoy seeing the girls' room turned into a giant gerbil cage with bedding everywhere, including their dresser drawers. Tamara decided to take me at my word and left the gerbil cages outside in the woodshed.

Alas, she neglected to put the cages up out of reach of the two water on the brain Cheseapeakes we own, and the dogs mistook the family pets for doggy treats.

We are now down to one gerbil who is enjoying the luxury of a room of its own.

Somehow, I just don't think we were cut out to be rodent owners.