# dead gerbil



## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

I realized one of my gerbils had been mia for a bit. I thought that was odd then I looked inside his cage and found chewed up corpse. from what I've found via research gerbils generally eat the dead so I'm guessing it wasn't a murder? I'm confused though whenever my rats died it was peaceful their bodies just looking like they were sleeping. This gerbil is not sleeping and he doesn't look it at all. maybe that's cause he's chewed but I found him under his wheel and I'm wondering what happened. His body almost looks as though the wheel crushed it. I don't know his age I rescued him from an abusive home. but I've had him over a year so maybe it's old age?? Does anyone know with gerbils what do I do with the body? I live in an apartment now I can't dig a hole in the backyard. I don't understand why he looks so miserable almost like his gerbil buddy killed him... but they've been together for their whole lives why would they suddenly turn on each other? maybe it just looks gruesome cause he's partly chewed. any thoughts?


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

It's more than likely old age that did him in. His cage mate was more than likely just trying to get rid of the body, sometimes rats do this too. As to what to do with his remains, you could wrap him in a scrap of nice cloth and put him in an airtight container and store him in your freezer till the ground is soft enough to bury him. I have my Thistle wrapped up in a nice blanket and sealed in a airtight tupper ware container in the deep freezer till I can bring her home to MI and have her laid to rest beside her mother and siblings.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

How do u transport the body though afterwards without it smelling up the car during the drive? 
I'm thinking you're right about it being old age, everyone I've talked to seems to think that was it once they learn how old they are. It's so sad that rodents don't live very long.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Sounds like it was just cleanup to me, too. Having a dead body around leaves them feeling extremely vulnerable to predators, so they try to hide it.

Just transport it in a cooler on ice. If it's a long trip, most convenience stores sell bags of ice so you can swap it out every few hours.


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