Hooray, the lergy has left the building. We’re all a bit tired but feeling much better so ta everybody and hope you feel better too babe.
Now I have a tale for you. A sobering saga of torture, woe and extreme motion sickness.
Imagine…
You’re minding your own business. You’ve had a light lunch, done some digging with your brother and have the afternoon mapped out before you in the direction of a snooze, some mild exercise and maybe an early tea.
Suddenly you feel a shifting, and your whole house moves and shakes and before you can say ‘Englebert Humperdink’ your roof has disappeared and you are being ushered down a wooden corridor from which there is no escape. Both ends are blocked by something fleshy and pink which filters the light and renders the tube with an eerie quality, like being inside a lung or some other corporeal vessel.
Instinctively you do not struggle, even as you feel the confining tube being lifted, moved to the left and lowered. Then there is light and air and for a moment nothing below you. Your legs dangle then touch down on cool plastic and you look up to see a lid being screwed into place and locked with an ominous click. You are carried slowly, ceremoniously to another place, a vast arena where you are placed on the floor in your spherical cage to entertain the lively crowd.
What am I talking about??
This…
..and this.
So what did you see?
Gerbils in an exercise ball having a lovely time exploring my messy living room safe from small hands and feet?
Or, rodent torture?
You see, on Friday Miss M and I purchased this lovely exercise ball from our local pet shop, and we came home and let the little furry critters have a go one at a time. It seemed like a nice way to give them a bit more exercise. You can’t put a hamster wheel in their cage as gerbils chew everything and would probably destroy a hamster wheel in one sitting and possibly hurt themselves in the process. The thing is, both me and Misses E and M find the whole ‘gerbil in a ball’ thing quite funny.
As I was discussing this with a certain person on the phone the other day, I started to feel a bit bad.
Maybe it was hearing myself say the words…
Me: “Yeah, it’s really funny when they go so fast they nearly flip over when they stop.”
I mean, that sounds a bit sadistic doesn’t it? Cough. And then I found myself justifying my ‘putting a small creature in a Bond style torture chamber’ to Miss Holl, using statements like,
- “Well it’s better than those blumming hamster wheels where they run their little legs off an never get anywhere. I mean, if I was putting in that much effort I’d at least want a change of scenery.
- “It gives them a chance to explore their environment and widens their, erm, horizons”
- “It’s good exercise.”
But if I’m honest, the more reasons I come up with the more unsure I become. Perhaps if we didn’t find it so cute and funny, it would be ok, but I just don’t know.
What do you think?
Is this cruel? Do they look scared, or is that the gerbil equivalent of ecstasy on their little furry faces?
Jo Beaufoix wants to know.
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September 15th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Have you ever seen Double Dare? That game show where kids run in hamster ball type things as one of the physical challenges? Sure they look a bit like they’re struggling and unhappy but throw in a Casio keyboard and their eyes light right up. Just offer your gerbil cash and prizes and he’ll be happy to roll around in the ball of doom.
September 15th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I think they have to get used to it – probably if you put it in there for half an hour every night it would start to like it. The first time rolling might be a bit wierd for the damn rodent though. We had a hamster called Lily and she rolled her ball into something with such speed and force the lid came off and she escaped.
September 15th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Hey, I saw your posting and thought you would probably enjoy reading this little synopsis of rodents and what makes them rodent-like:
http://decentcommunity.org/2008/09/15/tournament-of-decent-rodents/
September 15th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
My son just saw that with me. He said “I want one of those things to do that thing.” He’s three. He also finds pleasure in killing ants for sport. So I’m not sure if his excitement is good news.
Really, I don’t know that gerbil brain can get all the frustrated. Maybe it’s just simply relieving exercise. Like yoga in a very very small space where you can’t really quite reach your goal because the walls keep getting in your way. Or something.
Glad the sickness is leaving.
Oh, and at first, in the beginning of the post, I thought you were referring to birth! Ha!
September 15th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Don’t know about the hamsters/gerbils. They look happy enough, but I’m not sure I can interpret rodent non-verbal communication to be sure.
I am intrigued by your friend from Wyoming who live in Cardiff. Does she write a blog? (If not, she should!)
September 15th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
PS It DOES sound a bit like birth!
September 15th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I will never forget the day my brother tortured our family gerbil by sliding it back and forth in a wrapping paper tube for severel minutes. I finally grabbed the tube from him and rescued the gerbil, but when I let the animal plop out on my hand it bit ME, thinking I’d been the torturer.
Sigh.
September 15th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Nah. If they were really scared they’d curl up in the fetal position and refuse to move.
I think they like it.
September 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Glad you’re all better. May the house of Beaufoix continue to flourish!
September 15th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
the thing i forgot to mention, but have known for quite some time is that gerbils *invented* the rodent ball. they THRIVE in these things and for quite some time (hundreds of years) they were unable to live very long *without* them.
think about *that* next time. you’re helping them live, jo! LIVE!!!!!
and i’m sorry you were poorly.
why don’t they have these for children? i’d let mine outside more if they did…
September 15th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I think it’s fine. Honest. It;s a great way for the kids to interact with them without a) being bitten b) catching any infectious diseases c) have the rodents pee or poo everywhere in your lounge d) losing the rodents.
Whilst giving them loads of exercise and stuff. And entertaining too!
September 15th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
What kind of treats do you give them when they are done? That’s what really matters.
September 15th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I was all set to say “heck ya they like it” but now you’ve got me thinking…maybe they don’t.
Damn you for making me question this – it’s bound to keep me up all night…:-)
September 16th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Maybe the gerbil would like it better if it were a little larger and made of clear plastic instead of that awful green color. I am really opposed to keeping small animals in cages and think it should be disallowed. It is too much of a confining life and imagine being manhandled all the time by small children who nearly squeeze you to death. I don’t think it is the kindest life we can offer a fellow creature.
September 16th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Nice to have you back Jo, so glad you are all feeling better. Now I’m not sure that these balls torture or fill our furry friends with ectasy. They must be quite frustrating though. I had a hamster once that learnt if you smacked into the wall hard enough the ball would pop open and you could run wherever you liked. At the time I found the repeated wall smacking entertaining but looking back I’m not so sure my little chap enjoyed it so much!
September 16th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Princess Perfect has two of these torture balls (a bit like those huge balls in The Prisoner) for her two hamsters. She puts them in there while she’s cleaning their cage. There is an added bonus: Scabby the cat can’t pounce and eat the plastic balls so hammies are safe.
I think the hamsters or gerbils or whatever shouldn’t be in the balls for more than about 20 minutes. Also, the balls are completely unsuitable for slugs.
September 16th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Congrats on POTD Jo! You make us all laugh.
September 16th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Pleasure? Pain? I don’t know. I had gerbils when I was a kid, and they never came out during the day. So I’m thinking in the daytime it might be pain. But let them at it at night, and they might be having the time of their lives! (And are their brains really big enough to care that you think they’re funny?) Over from Authorblog.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Oh Jo this reminded me of once when I took my 10 month old grandson to visit my brother and his family. They put their hamster into one of those balls and grandson promptly kicked it across the room like a football!! Thankfully the hamster survived!
September 16th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Honesty, I don’t know how the gerbil feels about it, BUT it’s great exercise, right? That keeps them healthy, right? Can’t be all bad.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I’m sure they love it. It has to be better than nothing, right? Now I’m doubting it as well. sigh….
glad the sickies are gone though. hugs!
September 16th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Lilacs, hee hee, oh that made me laugh. I bet I could get them a little Casio keyboard, and a nice walkman.
Goneback South I’ll remember that. Gerbils don’t get as big as hamsters so we might be ok but we’ll be careful.
Tubesteak thank you, I’ll have a look.
Heather, when I read it back it did seem a bit birthlike you’re right. Snort. And Miss M is also 3. I have instructed her NOT to kick the ball at any time. That would be bad.
Iota, Holly from Holly’s Nevereverland is the friend and she is a fabulous blogger and writer and piece of gorgeousness.
Susan, oh boys are so mean. Gerbil bites don’t hurt too much do they? Ours have had the occasional nibble but no skin has ever been broken.
Kim I think they do too. And they stop and have a little groom here and there and read a book so they’re not in a panic or anything.
David, well we flourished for a whole day…
Holl, they do have them for grown ups don’t they? Zorbing. My mates did in in NZ and loved it. So it’s just extreme sports for rodents.
Crazycath, I like your answer.
Leendaluu, I tend to make them a large trifle. Hee hee. ;D
Don Mills Diva, exactly, I mean, what if they hate it?
Irene, ahhh this is my dilemma. I agree, but I also want my kids to learn about animals and caring and nurturing them. I haven’t let Misses E or M hold them yet as I don’t think the gerbils are ready, and I do think the ball gives them a bit of freedom to explore. I hate the green too but it was either that or dark pink so I went for the green thinking at least it might be a bit lighter. I really think they look happy in it, and we will take care of them, but I understand your views.
Berthddu Suit, I will watch for that. We’ve only let them have a go for short periods of time and they seem ok but if that starts I’ll rethink, I promise.
Dumdad, hee hee, I bet it’s mad watching two of them. Do they chase each other or go off in different directions? And the slugs are rubbish in the hamster ball, they just slime it up.
Crazycath, thanks. Congrats to you too, your post was amazing.
Louise, I hadn’t thought about the day/night thing. I only get them out when they seem active but I’ll remember that. And my gerbils have enormous brains. Seriously, if they had hands and pencils they could, erm, design space rockets and things. Honest.
Akela, I was prepared for that and have given Miss M many warnings. I don’t leave them alone together either, just in case.
DFTF, that’s what I think. Exercise is good, in fact, I could do with one for me.
Corey, thanks, and the sickies are almost gone. Sigh.
September 18th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Late here, but those things are fine for gerbils. They like it. If they had a wheel in their cage they’d use it voluntarily!
Besides, their brains are like peas.
Haha
Just kidding.
But really – I am sure they’re fine!
If not, I am calling PETA on you, you Gerbil dizzier, you!