chuckyduck

Okay. I didn't know that you're not supposed to chase a gerbil around it's cage when trying to pick it up. I figured that it was the correct way to pick up a gerbil. My gerbil investigates my hand when I'm offering a treat, but he won't crawl into my hands so I can pick him up. I've tried to get him into a cup by putting a treat in it, but he doesn't fall for this trick anymore. So I'm back to chasing my gerbil around his cage. Has anyone else had this problem?

Butterfly

You might try cupping him with both hands to pick him up.
Carol

Dojo

Hey well i'd stop chasing him right away because any progress you make with treats will be wasted by chasing as that breaks the trust. The key is to be gentle and patient and first get him used to your hands and more comfortable with being stroked etc.
I've always found it easiest to tame nervous gerbils by sitting on a couch with them and letting them run around and they naturally run over your hands and climb your arms and become more used to you that way.
Best thing is to never grab the gerbil or close your hand around the body, its less stressful for them if you just let them walk palm to palm over and over a few times and then put them back in the tank with a treat so they have a positive association, then repeat a good few times until the gerbil comes running to your hands instead of away from them. Good luck

Fishies-for-me

I guess it makes it kinda hard with all the catching and wiping the eyes over the last week or two. Maybe after you have treated the eye you can then give a special treat and hold both the gerbil and the treat . Also give treats out of your hand in the cage and do not pick him up....sometimes pick him up and give the treat and then replace him so he knows that not every time you pick him up is to mess with his eye...good luck.

chuckyduck

Now my little guy always puts the front half of his body in my hand to check if there is a treat. Now I just have to convince him to put his back half in my hands too. I think he's getting more trusting since I don't have to give him eye medication anymore.