Oh, for heaven’s sake.
Looks like the harness is made of potholder loops.
"The several reasons for the popularity of gerbils as household pets include: The animals are typically not aggressive, and they rarely bite unprovoked or without stress. They are small and easy to handle, since they are sociable creatures that enjoy the company of humans and other gerbils and potholder loops.
I may have paraphrased that a little.