patrick
my gerbil couldn't open his eyes yesterday morning. he was in a corner in his cage, and he's usually sleeping with zach. i picked him up, and he moved around in my hands, but just seemed really sleepy. he still couldn't open his eyes. i pulled them open to make sure they weren't stuck, and they weren't. so he was dying. i gave him a sunflower seed because they're his favorite. i grabbed some lint out of the dryer for him to lay on too. he walked around like he was sleep walking. i think he had a stroke or something. he was 5 years old...which is really old for a gerbil. they normally live up to 3-4 years. i got him second hand in the summer of 2005. he was a year old then. anyway, he ended up dying yesterday afternoon. allan said he looked like he went to sleep and never woke up. so that's good. i was worried he was going to starve to death. he was only like that for a day. i know he was running on his wheel and laying in his nest with the other gerbil two days ago. allan buried him in a box somewhere in the yard. so now i have to make sure that bo visits zach and keeps him company. he loves the gerbils so much. i don't think he knows that he's supposed to eat them. gerbils don't do well on their own. but zach is 4 years old. i don't want to get another one...it'll be a never-ending cycle.