How it all began. . .

How it all began. . .


It all started with a golden Argente female gerbil named Peanut.
When I was eleven,  I was determined to have a small pet of some sort. I did a lot of research,  and decided I wanted a gerbil.  Eventually,  the day came when I actually convinced my parents,  and we drove down to the pet store,  where we got Peanut.
Peanut was probably not the best "beginner gerbil".  She never bit or even nipped me,  but she wasn't overly friendly,  and hated being held.  Still,  in a few more months,  when I learned gerbils needed to live in groups,  we got Pebbles.
Now Pebbles was the sweetest little critter.  She was a pied Argente cream.  Her and Peanut got along great,  and I loved the two of them.  My gerbil obsession had officially begun.
About a year later,  Pebbles passed way from an unknown illness.
Next came Puddles!
She was a lilac,  and a very calm,  friendly gerbil.  However,  only a week after getting her,  she got an ear tumor and required vet care for about a month.  When we got her back,  her and Peanut no longer got along,  so they lived separately.
After a few more months,  Puddles died of a stomach tumor.
Peanut, on the other hand,  was still going strong.
So,  back to the pet store we went!
This time,  we got two young gerbils,  so that if one died, the other two would still have each other.
Their names were Paisley and Pixel.  Paisley was a spotted Sapphire,  and Pixel a Red-Eyed Honey.  Sadly,  after only a few days,  Paisley passed away.
We went back and got Pixel's other sister,  Peppermint,  who was a Pink Eyed White.  Peppermint,  Pixel,  and Peanut,  were a happy bunch,  and I spoiled all of them.
Minty (Peppermint) turned out to be quite the escape artist.  Pixel was as sweet and docile as Pebbles had been.  Peanut remained her troublesome self.
Still,  when Peanut died a few months later,  I realized she had been my all time favorite gerbil. (Yes,  I sometimes play favorites)
Pixel and Minty still had each other,  so supposedly I wouldn't be getting any more gerbils . . .
Less then two months later,  Pepper came home!
She was an adorable Burmese.  Her sister,  a Siamese I named Parsley,  joined her a few days later.
Up until a few months ago,  those four were my only gerbils.   However,  that all changed when I convinced my parents to let me breed gerbils!

I currently have twelve gerbils,  with another litter on the way.  Pixel and Minty are still here,  they're a little over a year old.  Pixel is still the sweetest gerbil I have.
Pepper is now a busy mother,  while her sister Parsley continued to reek havoc with her new henchman Penelope.
Pippin,  the first male gerbil I ever got,  is the proud daddy of six pups with more on the way.

Perhaps you've noticed all my gerbils' names start with P.  I don't know how it started,  but somewhere along the way it became a tradition to name all of them with P names.
In order to make keeping track of generations easier,  however,  Pepper and Pippin's pups have M names.

Well,  that's our story!