# Soon-to-be Shaw's jird owner... any others out there?



## sarahobw (Aug 12, 2014)

Hi all, 

So in about 10 days I'll be bringing home a pair of male Shaw's jirds. (Shaw's are of the same genus, Meriones, as their Mongolian gerbil cousins but are 2-3 times the size). They're not super exotic I guess, but I have never kept them before and I'm so excited! I've read all the information I can find about their proper care, but was keen to see if there are any other past or present owners around, so maybe we could share our experiences.

I recently lost two of my Mongolian gerbil trio. Though it was tempting to get the last gerb standing, Pip, some new pups for company, I've decided instead to start a separate tank for a pair of Shaw's.

I found it near-on impossible to find breeders in the UK, so I've ordered them through Simon's Rodents. They are a large scale breeder that supply pet shops with hamsters and other small animals. I know this is not ideal and you might not agree with me for doing it - I have read mixed reviews about them. But I've also seen some really positive reviews and articles, and the staff I have spoken to have been extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I don't see it as much different from buying in a pet shop, and I don't intend to breed them. So I'm a touch apprehensive but still very optimistic.

The two boys I'm getting should be 8-10 weeks old. The Shaw's they breed are a combination of the UK and Dutch varieties, and while most are the regular agouti colour they have said some exhibit a white spot on their forehead; I'm hoping for one with and one without so they're easier to tell apart!

I have a L 70cm X D 40cm X H 50cm tank for them, for which I've built a 65cm tall topper with several shelves and room for a rat-size wheel. Ideally this set-up would be longer, and I do have a L 100cm X D 40cm X H 40cm waiting in the wings - I intend move the boys & their topper across to it when I get a bigger place.

I'm going to feed them my regular gerbil combination of Beaphar gerbil muesli and care+ pellets. For their extra protein requirement I'm going to use a cereal-free dry cat food and freeze dried mealworms 1-2 times a week (rather than tinned cat food or live mealworms, for the sake of convenience and mess) - but maybe treat them to some live crickets every now and then. Then obviously fruit & veg 1-2 times a week too.

Names are to be Scooby and Dexter 

Are there any other Shaw's owners on here? Any advice on my plan, or on their behaviour, training or common problems? Or just some funny anecdotes or stories?**I'd really love to hear them, as I haven't found a prominent community of owners online and it would be cool to exchange experiences.

Sarah


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

We have 6 jirds at work in 3 pairs (but I think they've been separated into single sex as they haven't bred). I'm not sure what kind they are though...they're all just small furries to me! Will try to get some pics this week.


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## Fangio (Jun 2, 2007)

They were commonly available in a certain large pet chain about 17 years ago when I worked there. Haven't seen any about in quite a few years now. I used to regularly handle the trio of males we had at one point, they were brilliant. I'm told the females are less friendly though I have no experience of them. 

Good to see people keeping them, post pics when they arrive!


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## aquajird (Oct 27, 2010)

For the first time in 25 years I no longer have any Shaw's. I must have bred 200 or so over the years. They were extremely common in the 1990s when they came out of labs onto the pet market and were often found in local pet shops. The Shaw's we had in the UK were either a hybrid or a sub-species different to the one commonly kept on the European mainland. They were bigger and bonded very closely with their human owners. They made great pets, particularly the males who were great soppy beasties. The females tended to fight with one another, but again were great with their humans as long as they were not breeding. Then they were extremely territorial and unpredictable. In the late 1990s, degus arrived in the UK. Compared with Shaw's, they are easy to bred and have large litters. Soon the niche that Shaw's held was taken over by degus. Gradually the gene pool disappeared and they died out.

The Shaw's you will get today are likely to be Shawi isis. These are smaller animals and the females are far less likely to attack the males, meaning that breeding pairs can be housed together throughout their lives. They make good pets. However, be aware that some so-called Shaw's that have been imported from Europe are Shaw-Sundevall hybrids and not pure Shaw's.

Good luck
Sue


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