Katie (and Stinker) Herbst
The Gerbils

Katie Herbst lives in Iowa in Matt's basement. She has always loved running around the glass tank cage eating here gerbil food and running around at about 50 mph on her wheel. But she doesn't live alone. She has a sister named 'Stinker'. Stinker was named by Matt's sister, Emily. Stinker is about one and a fourth times as big as Katie and can get very hyper.

Some hobbies of the gerbils are:

• Sleeping
• Eating
• Running around
• Dodging Matt's hand when he is trying to hold them
• Chewing on the stuff they aren't supposed to chew on
• Ignoring stuff they can chew on
• Grooming themselves
• Grooming each other
• Wrestling
• Exploring their "Play Area"
• Trying to escape
• Hiding
• Watching TV when Matt is
• Annoying Matt during the night
• Drinking water

Gerbil Facts

• Common Name: Gerbil or Jird
• Scientific Name: Meriones uniguiculatus
• Order and Family: Rodentia, Gerbillinae
• Longevity: 3 years
• Diet: Herbivorous

Why I, Matt, like gerbils
Most people don't like rodents. My mom for example. Some people only like tamed rodents and rodents not in the wild. Me for example. A few people love all rodents, including mice, rats, squrrels, and other fuzzy wild creatures. My sister, Emily, for example. Well, I personally like gerbils, but not mice. Gerbils are the only things I will call 'cute'. I brush Katie and give her a bath every week, and she is always fun to pet and hold. My sister Nichole freaks out, and my mom only likes them when they're in the cage.

More About The Gerbils

• Katie's birthday (when I got her) is April 26, 1999.
• My sister and I are renting Katie's cage and most of her toys for $1 a month from my friends, Matt and Libby.
• Katie is darker than Stinker.
• Katie eats Kaytee gerbil food. (Pun intended)
• She also eats Kaytee gerbil treats.
• Katie likes running in Ponderosa Pine bedding, which you can see in the background.
• Stinker and Katie alike chew on cardboard tubes profusely to keep their teeth worn down
• When the gerbils are really hyper, they can jump really high. Stinker alone has escaped from her accidently uncovered cage many times.

E-mail Katie here: Katie G-Mail (Gerbil Mail)

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