DIGGER

We got little Digger on February 16, 2006 as a new buddy for Speedy. Digger is currently 6 weeks old. Her color is a Spotted Agouti. Her name comes from her passion to dig. She is currently being split caged with Speedy. I will write more here as progress continues. Here are some pictures I took the day we got her. She is keeping a journal about this experience below. On September 12, 2006 we got a new buddy for Digger. Her name is Trixie. They are currently being split caged.

Digger's Journal:

02/16/2006: "Where Am I Going?" Where are my friends? Who is this strange gerbil next to me in this strange place?

02/17/2006: What is this strange smell? It doesn't smell like my brothers and sisters. Look at her. She can chew up tissue into a bed. Wish I knew how to do that. At least I got tp rolls to chew.

02/18/2006: Is starting to be a little fun. I have a name now. They call me Digger. The gerbil next to me is called Speedy. I don't know why she is upset with me. I didn't do anything. My new mommy took me out yesterday and let me run around in this play area. It has lots of stuff to hide in. There is something big and round in there. It moves when I jumped into it. I will figure it out. I am a little upset. Mommy took my little house away. Now all I see is the gerbil Speedy all the time.

02/19/2006: This starting to be fun. My new mommy lets me come out and crawl all over her. She brings her hand down. It is warm and smells nice. I jump into it. I notice that her arm goes up so I start climbing. What fun! She switched us again. Now I have to rearrange all over again. All this work poops me out. I am going to take a nap. Every morning mommy brings me this little treat called a Cheerio. Speedy loves it so I give it a try. Yum!! Hmm...Speedy slept here. I will sleep here too.

02/20/2006: Stupid water bottle. It got all my bedding wet. Mommy had to change it this morning. She let me run around in the playpen until she fixed it. No fair! Speedy was placed on my side and I got the other side. But at least I got tp rolls to chew.

02/21/2006: Mommy! Help! I am stuck in the jar. (Opening was accidentally pushed against the divider). Mommy let me come out this morning and climb all over her. This bedding isn't right. A little kick here....A little kick there...  Mommy says I purr when I come out. I don't know. I am just happy that she lets me come out.

02/22/2006: Mommy gave us a piece of a paper plate. What fun! It was so easy to shred and noisy. Speedy loves the paper plate also. I watched her first and then I started so I know what to do. I saw Speedy this morning sleeping next to the divider that separates us. Maybe she wants to be friends soon? I want to be friends. Mommy took more pictures of me last night also.

02/23/2006: No Fair! Someone woke me up.It scared me.Once i found out it was mommy, I was ok. I think Speedy is starting to like me. We sniffed through the bars of the playpen. I am now 7 weeks old.

02/24/2006-02/26/2006: What a fun weekend! I got a pumpkin seed for the first time. Yum!! Speedy is starting to like me. She licks my nose. I had lots of tp rolls to chew and cardboard. I got to go out into the playpen and run around. I think I figured out the wheel. I love it when mommy is around. I get to come out and climb all over her. Speedy also. She keeps telling me about this condo. I can't wait to see it.

03/01/2006: Mom did it. She put me in with Speedy. Speedy was very careful. She wasn't sure what to make of me. I let her sniff me up and down. I kept squeaking at her telling her that I am ok. I want to be friends. It was a frightening few minutes but Speedy calmed down. She groomed me a little. Felt so good. We had the whole tank to ourselves. I digged up a storm. We finally settled down in a corner to take a nap. Feels so nice to have someone to cuddle with. Mom took lots of pictures.

03/02/2006: The night went well. Speedy and I are now the best of buds. Mom tried giving us a Cheerio this morning but we were not in the mood for one. Speedy used to love them but now she seems she doesn't care for them anymore. Speedy even now likes to come out climb all over mommy also. I just turned 8 weeks old.

03/03/2006: Mommy did something extra special for us. She put something in our home to play with! Speedy says it is a coconut. We can jump in and out of it and it is also a wonderful place to sleep. Later that evening I saw Speedy sleeping in there so I wanted to also! Speedy is being such a wonderful friend and being a mommy to me also. She is teaching me all kinds of stuff.

03/05/2006: Mommy put something else in the tank for us to play with. A wheel! Speedy was a little sad until the wheel came in. That night she just ran and ran and ran. I watched. I hope to run like that someday. Wheel running is fun!

03/08/2006: No Fair! Mommy moved us to someplace new. She calls it a cage. It is wide open and airy. Speedy took to it right away. She told me this was her home prior to being in the tank.  I was nervious. I never had a place like this before. Speedy was nervous since I was nervous. I calmed down after awhile.The wheel in here is fun. I can't fall out. I like climbing these tubes.

03/09/2006: I am now 9 weeks old. Big girl now.

03/10/2006: Everything is cool now. We made our bed in the upper part of the cage. There is always plenty of things to chew and a wheel to run. Speedy and I love to cuddle up together and sleep and groom. Climbing out onto mommy's hand is still fun. I noticed that Speedy does it more often now.

03/15/2006: We got another addition to the cage. It is now a big condo with lots of room for me to run. Mommy also added another wheel. (Picture at top of page).

03/19/2006: It was Speedy's Birthday today. She is now 2 years old. We got a fun present. A little box with a treat in it. We had fun tearing open the little box to get at those goodies.

03/21/2006: Mom put me in this ball and let me run around on the floor. Whee!!! That was fun.

04/19/2006: Sorry I haven't written in awhile. So much to learn! I got run in balls that let run all over the floor. Lately, Speedy and I have been itching like crazy. Mom said we had some bugs. I wondered what those little black things were. She took us out of our cage and sparyed us with this stuff and she put us in this little cage so our fur will dry. I didn't like it at first but the itching stopped. Now I am glad that mommy helped us. She totally cleaned our home jsut after we got it the way we liked it but I don't see those "black" bugs anymore. I feel so much better now and so does Speedy. I just want to come out and crawl all over my human family.

06/19/2006: It has been awhile since I wrote in my journal. I have been having so much fun with Speedy and my human family. Speedy and I had a first today. Mommy gave us a "bath". Not a dust bath. This one was with water. Speedy was getting a little dirty. I was fine but mom said I had to have anyway. We didn't like it  We were good. No biting or nipping. Mom put us in this soft towel to dry us off and into a small cage filled with bedding so we could burrow and dry ourselves off. Later, mom put in our dust bath. That was lots of fun. We each got a treat that we only get in the morning. A Cheerio! Speedy and I feel so much better now.

07/06/2006: My 1st 4th of July. I kept hearing all kinds of booming outside. I was scared at first but Speedy told me it is nothing to worry about. It won't hurt you. Good, That calmed me right down. Speedy had a bad dream last night. She started thumping. I came close to her and nuzzled her and told he it was ok. She calmed down and went back to sleep. Wow! I am 7 months old this month. So proud of myself. I learned so many things about being a gerbil from Speedy. We even scheme to try to get out of the cage once in a awhile. It works most of the time. Humans are so gullible.

09/07/2006: Where is Speedy? Where is my buddy? What is wrong? I don't like being by myself. She was here yesterday and now she is gone. I want my friend back!!

09/12/2006: Not again! I am in this tiny room again with another gerbil next to me. I don't like being in here. I want out.

09/13/2006: Ok. Ok. I got to know this gerbil a little bit. Her color is a grey agouti and mommy named her Trixie. She is only a month older than me. 10 months. Mommy let us sniff noses.

09/24/2006: Mommy said that this is the day I get to finally meet my new friend. We have been nosing for a week. Look! She took the divider away. Trixie is a little afraid but I have to tell her that I want to be friends and that I AM the boss. It was a little tense for a few minutes but we are friends now. Trixie was very shy at first but one I started chewing on a roll, she came right out and chewed with me. It is so nice to have a grooming buddy again. I did exactly what Speedy taught me and it worked.

12/10/2006: I am not feeling good. My tummy is getting bigger. It is hard to walk. Mommy saw that I wasn't feeling week so she took me to this nice doctor. The doctor pricked me with a needle. I didn't like it but it somehow made me feel better. The doctor gave mommy some meds that will make me feel better. Mommy said I had a ovarian cyst. Whatever that is. Trixie was so happy to see me. I told her everything that happened. I am goinf to take a nap. I am so tired.

12/18/2006: I am feeling much better now. The medicine tastes real good with the Cheerio that mommy give me. She took me to see my regular doctor. He said she is doing everything she can to take good care of me.

01/10/2007: Mommy is sad today. She told me that Frankie died. Me sad because mom is sad. Frankie was one cool mouse.

01/16/2007: I am not feeling well today. I just want to curl up in my bed and go to sleep. Trixie knew I wasn't feeling well so she slept and cuddled with me. Mommy saw that I wasn't feeling good so she took me to see the vet. I didn't like leaving my bed. The doctor looked at me. He smelled different. I like mommies smell better. He found nothing wrong. He told mom just to watch me. I was so glad to be home. I crawled into my little wood house and went to sleep.

01/17/2007: Mommy had this camera thingy on me all day. She did this so she can watch me anytime of the day. That is silly. How can she watch me when she is not here. I feel much better. I played around with Trixie. Munched on some hay. Did some chewing. Had a drink of water. Mommy even took me for a ride in her hands to other parts of home. It was so cool.

01/28/2007: Mommy let us out to play, Yippee!!

01/29/2007: I am not feeling too well. My tummy hurts and it is getting bigger. Mommy is taking me to the doctor but I don't wanna go! I want to stay home. The vet stuck this needle in me to help my tummy but now I feel worse. Mommy let me come home to be with Trixie. She has such a sad look on her face.

01/30/2007: (Final Entry. Digger asked me to write this for her). I barely have any strength this morning. I just want to stay in my coconut. It hurts to move. Trixie tries to comfort me. I  love the warmth. Mommy said it is time to go. I know it is time. She said I will be with Speedy. That is good. I want to see Speedy again. Don't let Trixie be alone. I am ready Mommy.

   Digger's Tribute Video | More Pictures