B K and STRUDEL

Starbuck was one of the sweetest, most shy gerbils we ever had. He died suddenly. We're baffled and heartbroken. We just adored him.

He was a Burmese gerbil. He was a real sweety. He was very shy and gentle, and was no match for his "uber-Alpha" brother, Cappuccino. Cappuccino put his scent on the wheel, and Starbuck was afraid to run it after that. We put in two wheels. Starbuck loved it, but Cappuccino decided he owned both wheels, and scented the other wheel, as well. Even when Cappuccino was running one of the wheels, or resting in their tissuebox house, Starbuck still was afraid to go on. Cappuccino continuously reminded him who was "numero uno" in that tank.Starbuck didn't challenge Cappuccino, but wasn't happy with the arrangement, either. He became more and more withdrawn and fearful.

After we separated them, Starbuck realized he was safe, that he owned the whole tank. He could run his wheel whenever he wanted. He became a champion chewer! He appeared to be very happy and more relaxed. He was very gentle and sweet. He never completely overcame his shyness, prefering to eat and sleep in his house in the back of the tank. Cappuccino, feeling there was no longer a threat to his owning HIS whole tank, calmed down and became more gentle, as well. Stuarbuck would come up to the front of the tank every morning for breakfast, waiting for me to give him his piece of raw, organic sweet potato and lacatino kale. He would come up to the front of the tank, periodically, all day,. to say hello, to get a half an empty paper towel roll, as an extra toy to chew, or to ask for a gerbil vitamin (which must taste yummy!), pumpkin seed or piece of raw nut. He would look at me with a face that had a sweetness which melted my heart.

Starbuck was chewing his cardboard tunnel and doing other things as usual. Then, the next day, he stopped eating and a few hours later was dead. We are baffled as to why this happened (other AGS members have told me this sudden, early death has happened to gerbils of theirs, as well). and are devastated. I often say that gerbils are heartbreakers. Starbuck's death was heartwrenching. He is survived by his brother, Cappuccino.

Starbuck Melville Block (July 29, 2010-Dec. 24, 2011)
Rest In Peace, sweet boy. We adore you.

Our beloved sweety, Guthrie, died peacefully in his sleep this morning. Outliving his twin brother, Pete, by almost 3 months, he almost made it to 3 1/2.

Guthrie was a real character- "Mr. Mischievous". When we first brought him and his brother home, and set up a gerbil play pen for them, one gerbil escaped and was running around the bedroom. That was Guthrie (we subsequently bought a much higher playpen).

When one gerbil got his head caught in a new toy- a plastic tunnel with different size holes, that was Guthrie. It was the most terrifying thing I ever experienced- I could NOT get his head out because of his ears. I still don't know how it happened; he was suddenly free: Deus ex machina! I angrily contacted the manufacturer of that unsafe plastic tunnel. He gave a donation, at my request, to our group, The American Gerbil Society, and I assume, took the awful toy off the market.

Guthrie was as assertive as his twin brother, Pete, was reserved and gentle. He was the one who insisted on dominating everything. Over the past year, he became more affectionate and mellow.

It became obvious he was ill and going downhill, but he was a real fighter, lasting longer than we though he would. Though a picky eater, he enjoyed his foods. His last meal was a piece of organic blueberry, which he loved.

We miss him terribly. We're just grateful that he never suffered, was never in pain. A peaceful death in sleep is a blessing.

Guthrie Springfield Block (March 3, 2007-August 29, 2010). Rest in Peace, sweet boy. We love you.

Our beloved gerbil, Pete, died this morning. We found him lying in front of his tank, in his magic cube. He always slept under his wheel or in his tissue box house in the back. He must have deliberately come up front to be near us. Pete seemed fine yesterday enjoying his pumpkin seeds and piece of sweet potato, (though he had been sleeping more the past few months). It must have been very sudden and fast (merciful). We're devastated.

Pete was so gentle, and sweet and mellow. He loved to be petted all over, and nuzzled behind his ears. We just adored him.

Pete's mother was the late Brownie, an award winner, raised by Donna Anastasi of Hollis, NH. His father was the late Leo, raised by Tana Lyman of Springfield, MO. He was bred by Rebecca Azer (Gerbil Parade) of Dracut, Mass..

As dominant as his brother, Putnam, was, Thurston was timid. He was the most gentle, sweet gerbil we ever had.
He and his brother “declanned” and had to be separated. Thurston looked so relieved. He thrived on his own, relaxing
in the knowledge he was finally safe. His sweet, delightful personality developed.

Thurston would jump on top of his large tissue box platform every morning to say hello to me, be fed his spirulina tablet
and then his gerbil vitamin. He adored his food, his once a week, raw almond treat, chewing paper plates and cardboard boxes
(he never cared for the thick cardboard tubes, other than to stuff them with shredded tissues), and his wheel.

In the last weeks of his life, he spent most of his time sitting on his wheel. Thurston was a clown. When I would offer him a treat, or even a grain from his food dish, he would put it by his mouth, turn around 360 degrees, and then take it. He had the cutest face, and a beautiful, tuft in his tail. Thurston was ill for several weeks, and suddenly went downhill fast. The vet told me Thurston had lung cancer (in hindsight, this is what Putnam died of, as well. They had the same symptoms). In the end, he went quickly.

We just adored him. We hope we gave him a wonderful, full life, and that he knew how much he was loved. As I have said many times before, “Gerbils are heartbreakers.”

Rest In Peace, sweet Thurston. (ca. May 9, 2004- May 23, 2007). We miss you terribly.

Were he in a pack, Putnam Heracles (aka Paxton, aka Napoleon) would have been the leader. Putnam was a super alpha, a strong, dominant male, dominating his brother, Thurston. He was also a sweety and a charmer . P & T were our first breeder gerbils. We bought them from Mountain Ash Gerbils, owned by Janet Morrow, at the 2004 NE AGS Show in Rutland, Vermont. Putnam earned the name, Napoleon, when, last year, he hurt his right thumb (a minor injury). He held his paw, Napoleon-style, on his chest, attempting to hide the injury from us. He kept this up until he was healed. Putnam was a real character. When we would offer him a pumpkin seed or piece of walnut, he would hesitate, as if thinking, “Do I want this? Hmm. Maybe. Yes. No. I’m not sure. OK!” And he would then grab it and eat. He enjoyed his food immensely. He was ill for about a month with some sort of neuromuscular problem and extremely rapid heartbeat. He slept a lot, then would become energetic, chew some paper plates, and go on the wheel. We would hear him crunching grains in his food dish. He ate his breakfast of organic sweet peas and raw sweet potato (he had stopped drinking from the water bottle and was given veggies throughout the day) and a bit of walnut treat as usual, on the day he died.. Suddenly, this evening, his condition became much worse- he acted manic,, running around the tank, and then went under his beloved wheel and died.
We’re heartbroken. He was deeply loved. Putnam is survived by his brother, Thurston. They were named after Putnam & Thurston, the wonderful, no longer existent restaurant in Worcester, Mass., Stuart used to take me to in the 1970s. Rest In Peace, sweet Putnam. (ca. May 9, 2004- March 9, 2007). We miss you.

        One of Phoebe’s boys. Like his brother, Bacchus, he inherited his mother’s sweet face (but not her art talent), and had the strength of his father, Pan. He had the wonderful disposition of both parents. Dionysius and Bacchus, were inseparable, since the womb. They were practically twins, in appearance (he had more white on his forehead than his brother). Dionysius and Bacchus just adored each other! They loved using each other as pillows, sleeping or resting in their tissue box house.
       Dionysius was a wonderful wheel runner. He was also an adventurer! He showed his brother how to push papers under the wheel to make it stationary, climb on top, chew the plastic of the tank rim, run the wheel from the outside, and ultimately, push up the rather heavy tank cover and jump down over 4 feet onto the kitchen floor. He explored the exciting world of the kitchen and foyer, playing hide and seek with me- HE was having a blast; I was frantic until I managed to trick him, catch him, and safely put him safely back into the tank! What fun he must have had, because he encouraged his brother to also explore the world beyond their tank. He was a wonderful eater, and relished his food!
    Dionysius had been losing weight over the last few weeks. He would seem very ill (no pathogen involved) and weak, and then gain more energy. A few days ago, he had a stroke or seizure. He recovered and was still comparatively active. He was acting normally the day before he died- running into the cage carrier with his brother and playing there while the tank was being sterilized. He relished his raw almond, a treat they each get, after they are put back into the clean tank. He took his gerbil vitamin that afternoon, and ate it, as usual.
      He took a turn for the worst and we thought he would slowly get weaker and weaker over the next few days, until he died. His brother lay next to him, keeping him warm. Then, suddenly, he must have had a massive stroke or heart attack. I went into the kitchen and found him dead. Bacchus was in their house, hiding. He later came out, saw his brother lying dead, and went over to him - important he understood what happened.
Dionysius was very special to us. We just adored him! So sweet, and gentle, and loving and mellow.
One of Phoebe’s boys.

        What is courage? What is endurance? What is fighting against all odds, and winning, over and over again? Combine all these with an incredible sweetness and decency of character, and you have the gerbil, Fairfield, our “special needs” sweetie.
          Fairfield was born with a deformed left paw, which turned in like a fist. When he was a baby, he used it to make a fun game- he would run very fast on the wheel; then he would grab onto a wheel spoke and let the momentum carry him around and around! As he grew older, the deformity became worse, and the color, shape and texture of his nails changed. His top left tooth fell out as well, never to grow back. This necessitated the periodic cutting of his left bottom tooth. Along with this, every month, he had to endure going to the vet for a paw cleaning to prevent infection, and a complete manicure and pedicure. Throughout all this, his sweet, gentle nature prevailed. He did not like going to the vet’s, and he would struggle, but he never tried to bite. And the next morning, as I fed him, he would nuzzle my hand, as always, to let me know he had “forgiven me”.
         He had wonderful character. He and his cage mate, Compo, did not get along- they tolerated each other, each ignoring the other, playing and sleeping on opposite ends of the cage. But when Compo was ill and was dying, Fairfield slept next to him, keeping him warm.
        Fairfield loved his wheel. Even as an older animal, no longer able to grasp anything with his now horribly deformed paw, he would still run the wheel as best he could.
        He adored his food. Every morning, Fairfield would come to the front of the cage, look at me, move his mouth, and wait to be fed. Stuart compared the Fairfield breakfast ritual to a Japanese tea ceremony: First, a spirulina tablet would be pulverized and put onto a small piece of paper plate. When he finished eating this, he would be served the next course: 3-4 cooked, organic green soybeans, the skin removed from each one, and the halves separated and placed facing up, so Fairfield could somehow grasp it. He relished his food. Sometimes he would take one of the soybean halves and run under the wheel, his safe spot, , to enjoy it. Then came some cooked organic broccoli. The gerbil menu continued, later in the day- dinner time he was given, on various days: ground up mixed, organic grains; separated, cooked organic sweet pea halves; cooked sweet potato, cooked spelt pasta with tomato sauce; ground up raw walnut or almond, and other treats.
       When he became ill, he hid it from us as best he could, still running the wheel and playing, still eating, but his lessening appetite worried us. I cut his tooth, but that was not the problem. Kinesiological testing showed a bacterial infection. We put him on an antibiotic and took him to the vet. But here was something else going on too, which is what ultimately killed him. He received an injection of B complex, an injection of fluids, and his monthly paw cleaning and nail cutting. He went downhill fast. He died early morning, on March 14.
      He was about 3 ½.years old. He taught us about goodness, bravery, overcoming obstacles, and the importance of enjoying each moment. We were blessed to share our lives with this noble animal, to have him as a cherished part of our family. He enriched our lives, and was deeply loved.
It was an honor…
    Fairfield, the lilac gerbil (ca.Nov.22, 2000- March 14, 2004) RIP.

        Every beloved gerbil is unique, with a singular, wonderful personality, face, and character. But never, in our over thirty years of sharing our lives with gerbils, have we experienced such an unusually sweet, amazingly talented little soul, that was Phoebe. The beauty of her personality matched the special sweetness of her face. As a dear friend told us, “God sent you an angel a year ago.”
        This gerbil, Phoebe, produced more in her short life- five beautiful children (we have two of her magnificent boys, Bacchus and Dionysius), and those ten magnificent sculptures, became more famous, and brought more smiles and happiness to more people, than most humans do in a lifetime.
        For five months, she worked feverishly on her cardboard tube sculptures, almost as if she knew she didn’t have long to live, and had a body of work she needed to accomplish. Phoebe died of genetic kidney failure. Near the end, she went quickly, and did not suffer. We feel miraculously blessed to have experienced this happy, charming, extraordinary little super nova. And we are devastated her life was so short.
        I felt she was my little, spiritual, artistic soul mate. She was so deeply loved. I feel like part of me has been ripped out. Gerbils are heartbreakers.

Our beloved Compo died June 30, 2002, probably from cancer. He was an incredibly beautiful animal and had a wonderful, gentle personality. He was loved and is deeply missed!

STROMBOLI

Stromboli was a sweet boy and an amazing chewer! He chewed hard plastic, and even managed to repeatedly climb almost to the top of his tank cage, to chew the plastic around the top edges. He was a jumper, extraordinaire! He just loved jumping! We always had to worry he would jump out of the cage! Strombie was a beautiful, lean animal. His black fur was very intense and shiny, like Blackgamma mink! We loved him. We miss him a lot!

I don’t think I ever loved a gerbil more deeply than I did Ishkabibil. I saw him in the Petland near our neighborhood. He was adorable! I never saw a cuter baby gerbil! All the other gerbils in the cage were older than he was, and they were ignoring him. B.K. had just died, and Stuart said to wait a week before buying a new gerbil. All I could think about all week was that sweet animal! I went back to get him and couldn’t find him in the cage. I was devastated! I kept looking In the cage. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t there! Then, from under the pile of older gerbils, out popped Ishkabibil! I screamed, “That’s him!” Everyone must have thought I was crazy, but I didn’t care. I came out of the pet store with the sweet gerbil and a huge smile on my face! Ishkabibil had a lot of genetic health problems. He had a bleeding tumor on his sebaceous gland removed by our wonderful vet, Dr. Fried. He was afraid the tumor might return, and alas, it did, and had to be removed a second time. Ish then developed cancer internally, and finally died of a seizure.

When he was well, he used to play ‘tug of war’ with us with a paper Q-tip. I also would give him a small piece of seed or a grain- he would gently take it from my hand, run to the back of the cage, drop it down, and come back up front for another piece. He would do this over and over! He had a great time with this game! This was the game B.K had loved. Ishkabibil would also come to the front of the cage to say, ”Hello,” while I was reading. We would just look at each other. He let me pet him on the head. He felt so soft and wonderful!! I think I became too attached to Ishkabibil!

B.K. and STRUDEL

B.K.’s original name was Babka- we thought he was a she! Babka and Strudel! We had to change his name and separate them fast! We had seen gerbil births, years ago, and they were amazing, magical experiences. Each time. The miracle never lessens! Then we had, at one point, four cages and inter-cage communication. It was great, but we don't have the space now. The picture is artistic license- those adorable cuties were not living together at that point.

Strudel was a real sweetheart and a good chewer when she was young. She had genetic problems with her front teeth, and when she became older, she only had one tooth. I learned how to cut gerbil teeth, so they wouldn't grow into her jaw. She lived for a long time on organic baby food. She was loved and cherished.

B.K. was Stuart’s favorite gerbil of all time! He used to play with B.K., handing him grains and small pieces of nuts. B.K. would take one, run to the back of the cage, put it down, and run up to Stuart for more. We later played this same game with Ishkabibil. B.K. was a pied gerbil. As a baby, he had a long face. He became cuter and cuter as he got older. He was incredibly gentle and sweet. Stuart became very attached to him. I loved him, too.