In Reply to: Re: Rebuilding Trust posted by Debra on December 01, 1999 at 17:15:07:

: : : I posted a message last week and Bourbon was nice enough to respond, but I am still unsure how to regain the trust of my female adolescent glider "Jammie". Should I carry her in the pouch while I work? Will that too stressful? I try to hand feed her but she will not accept. I want to do what is best for her but I'm stumped. My other 2 gliders are always glad to see me and respond to me with love. I don't want you to think I am not responsible or that I don't spend time with them, I do. But some cage time is needed due to my work. Help.... I really want to work through this and keep Jammie. I want her to be happy and well adjusted.

: : Can I ask why you need to rebuild the trust? Did something traumatic happen to her?
: : Without knowing more - I would simply suggest you read the glider for signs of stress or good signs.

: Jammie was rejected by her mother while her eyes were still closed. I carried her and nursed her for 2 months. I then began leaving her in her cage while I worked and she began to display aggressive tendencies ie crabbing and biting. At this point I can't get near her. She refuses food from my hand and seems more interested in my hand and biting me than eating. She lunges from across her cage to bite me. If at all possible she will jump past me to get out and then I have to catch her which is very traumatic for both of us. I was wondering since I used to carry her all the time in a pouch if I should try to do that again. I work at the Humane Society in Austin as a Nurse and I take care of sick and not so friendly cats, so for safety reasons caring her at work is not all together a good idea, but I am desperate to fix the situation. At this point even cleaning and feeding is a big production. Any advice would be welcome.

I have had my glider for a year now and she used to act like yours. I could not even walk by the cage with out her trying to jump at me and bite me. To get near her I would have to wear leather gloves and a thick sweatshirt. Like you, I did not want to give up and I felt like a bad mom so as a final attempt I let a friend with a sugar glider take her for several weeks and now I have seen major improvement. I am going to buy a second glider this week in hopes that this will solve the problem. If you need to find someone in Austin with a glider, feel free to email me.

Follow Ups: