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Queencee Posted - Mar 23 2018 : 11:07:34 PM
Hi everyone. I'm new here . I signed up so I could do more research , get tips & advice Bec I've had a passion to own a suggie for years now. So , recently I came across a girlfriend who was looking to re-home her mother's suggies. I said yes because she told me flat out " I don't mess with them & my mom feeds them at night .." which is understandable Bec she just had a baby & her mom works nights so I deff felt like I should take them Bec that sounds like a lonely life . I've been a stay at home mother for years. My child is only getting older so I have alot of time on my hands . she said they were FEMALES. they are 2 yrs old BTW . So I'm suppose to get them tomorrow or latest is Sunday. Anyways , today she told me she made a mistake & that they were MALES. Which was okay , so then I asked her if they were nueterd & she said she didn't know . So I'm not going to lie it worries me a bit Bec they are not use to bonding from what it sounds like & they might not be nuetured . STILL I wanna be the best owner I can be & achieve the bond with them or at least some kind of trust within time that is. She did tell me they are just a little shy. I just hope they aren't agressice to the point where I can never bond with them BUT again im so passionate about this & I want to care for them forever no matter what. So any advice or tips that anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated please. I hope bonding with 2 male adults is possible for me in the future |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
Leela Posted - Mar 24 2018 : 01:48:55 PM
Ok then they probably aren't on a widely used balance diet. When you get them you can feed a temp diet untlil you decide on a consistent diet for them.
Chose one protein a night;
boiled chicken, boiled turkey, yogurt, eggs scrambled or boiled.
***NO butter oil or seasonings of any kind when cooking for gliders. No non fat, artificial sweeteners in the yogurt, fruit in it is fine.
One or mix of Fruit a night:
apples-no seeds, blueberries, grapes, melons,cherries no pits
One or mix of veg a night
green beans, carrots, corn, peas, cucombers, mixed veg (no onions in the mix)
*** no canned fruit or veg, fresh or frozen is best.
feed 1 tablespoon of each category PER glider. You can rotate the protein,fruit n veg in any combination you want. This is NOT a long term diet, but it will provide more of what they need until you decide on a staple diet for them.
You'll want to put the food in the cage I'd say around 7:30 to 8 pm before they wake up and come out of the pouch. This is less intrusive to their space and you don't have to worry about stressing them out or one getting out of the cage while your putting food in. Take the plate out in the morning after they have gone into their sleep pouch for the day.
The two diets I suggest to new owners are Bml http://www.bmldiet.com/index.html
and the Critter love diets
https://www.critterlove.com/diet-info.html
both diets are easy to make and affordable to consistently feed 2 gliders.
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Queencee Posted - Mar 24 2018 : 01:30:41 PM
Honestly I'm not trying to throw my girlfriend under the bus but she said she doesn't know but she's the one who got them all years ago started breeding then the mom and dad passed away so they only had 2 boys left out of 6 gliders they previously had. She told me as far as she knows that the suggies eat pellets & bananas. Idk if that's a good diet but i don't see how they can be satisfied by that |
Leela Posted - Mar 24 2018 : 01:27:38 PM
Yw glad it helped:)
For the first few days I'd just let them settle in, sit by the cage n talk to them but don't worry about getting them out. Let em get used to your voice, and new surroundings.
Do you know what diet they are on? |
Queencee Posted - Mar 24 2018 : 01:24:26 PM
Thank you Leela ! That was great advice and I just learned so much from you. That really helped me feel better. The mother said I can come get them tomorrow (: I'm very excited & I will update you guys the first 2 days with them (: again everyone's advice is much appreciated ! |
Leela Posted - Mar 24 2018 : 01:16:03 PM
good morning n congrats
It doesn't really matter what they are "used to" or what they behave like with the current owners. All of that is about to change for them, which will probably change their behavior as well.
They are about to have a new human/humans, home, envirement, routine, smells, sounds, lights, food, bonding routine etc... everything is about to change for them so how they acted at the current owners house may NOT be how they act with you.
So don't worry to much about their past, look at is as a new begining for them because that is exactly what it is.
The big thing is to not have any expectations of them, good or bad. Just get to know them and learn who they are as individuals and let them get to know you and your family.
Make a routine, owning gliders is much like raising toddlers they thrive on routine and learn the routine quickly. Example bonding bag time, same time everyday, they will get to know it's time for hanging out with mom. Treat time same time every day, dinner served same time every day....etc. They will get used to the rythm of your daily routine.
You don't need gloves, bonding time should be during the day when they are the most docile. They should also be in their sleeping pouch so it's easy to get them out of the cage ( take the whole pouch out with them in it), might be hard to get them back IN the cage when your done tho If your using a bonding bag it's easiest to just unzip the bonding bag n put the whole thing in the cage when they come out of it n go to their normal sleep pouch or whatever remove the bonding bag.
Most gliders don't like being picked up and held in hands, they have 4 feet and like to use them.
Pleaseeeee don't use hamster balls. 1 they are not safe for gliders, their nails can get stuck in the little slits on the ball. 2 They do nothing to help with bonding.
There are floor toys made specifically for gliders that are safe if you must have one but personally I think they are unnecessary for what they are intended for, however they are great for transporting gliders on short trips.
All you need is either a bathroom (glider proofed) or a tent for out of cage time. You want a small confined space to let them explore you on their own terms. Again during the day which makes it easier to get them back in the cage, usually if you offer an open pouch the gliders will want to go in it on their own especially if you turn the light on when tent time is done.
Most gliders aren't "aggressive" to humans, they are scared. Yes intact males CAN be aggressive but usually to each other over breeding rights or dominance. If they are intact and aggressive to each other get them neutered it will settle them both down usually within a month when their hormone levels decrease.
"bonding" with any age glider male or female is ALWAYS possible. Bonding is nothing more than learning each other, respecting each other, learning to trust each other. If something your doing results in a negative reaction from the glider, try doing that thing in a different way until you find the way that works for that glider. Every glider is different and may need handled differently.
In one cage I have 3 gliders, that all need handled differently. Nicky needs to be aproached from behind she absolutley can't stand hands in her face unless your giving her food, she will bite. She does not want picked up, she wants to come onto me with her own feet and find her own spot on me ( so I let her ). Cozig, i can reach in the pouch anytime and pick her up, twist her up like a pretzel she just doesn't care what I do to her, but god forbid anyone else try to pick her up or hold her. Hansel isn't a fan of being held either but if picked up he's ok he really wants to be a love bug underneath his false brovado. He's come a long way and is still progressing and evolving as all of them are. Learn each gliders likes and dislikes, you will figure out what works for each one, just don't get frustrated.
There is no "end" to bonding really, the bond continues to grow and evolve as long as you own them or they own you rather.
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Queencee Posted - Mar 24 2018 : 01:41:04 AM
That makes me feel better. Hope they are more shy & crabby then agressive. Though I will put in as much time as it takes. , |
SugarQueen Posted - Mar 23 2018 : 11:37:09 PM
I have 2 males that are unneutered but they are brothers and they get along I've had them over 2 years. Not sure if being related makes a difference as they at bonded from childhood. |
SugarQueen Posted - Mar 23 2018 : 11:35:35 PM
Sorry about the she. I copied and pasted my other post as someone had asked the same question.
Regardless the advice works for males and females.
Personally I find the males easier to bond with as I find the females behave more independent and are more active. Where as the males tend to be more sloths. I'm not sure if anyone else agrees. |
SugarQueen Posted - Mar 23 2018 : 11:20:49 PM
I forgot to add. Make sure your hands don't smell of food or anything sweet when you handle him as that could be causing him to bite too. I made that mistake the first time.
I had handed my glider a few sweets and ended up getting the smell on my fingers, as you've guessed I got chomped quite a bit.
The same thing happened with my cousin and the hamster she had just finished eating and tried to pick up our gentle hamster. He smelt the food of her fingers and took a bite.
Also if you have coconut oil on your hair he may try to lick it or chew on it. I've not been bit on the head yet but it does look funny when my gliders play with my hair.
A thing you should know if you don't want to be pooped on or peed on. Don't pick them up immediately after they wake up. They usually pee and poop after waking up so its best to wait until they've dine their business so they don't do it on you. |
Queencee Posted - Mar 23 2018 : 11:20:20 PM
Thank you so much. That is great advice. They are not females. They are males and idk if they are nuetured Bec the previous owner doesn't know. I'm going to do my best & I know patience is key. I will update the first couple days & yes please post again whenever you can. I'm so happy there's a site like this . |
SugarQueen Posted - Mar 23 2018 : 11:14:22 PM
Here is what advice I have given i n a previous post
It helps to say their name over and over again softly. Don't imitate the buzzing or hissing sound they make as that is aggression they show to each other. It's a good thing you are trying to speak to them gently even when they are aggressive.
You could try a feather toy like the type you get for cats and have them chase it through the bars of the cage. So that they associate playing with you.
If you notice the female won't let you near her or her territory try offering her something she can't refuse when she does something good. So that she understands you are the person with the good stuff and not to be mean to you.
I usually hold the treats near the bars so they have to run up to me. She may try to swat the treat at first but hold it there until she realises its not dangerous.
Also the shhhh noise you make will upset them more as that is the noise they make when picking a fight. I learnt that the hard way. If you need them to back up without scaring them blow at them slowly.
If you have trouble getting her in a tent try some thick winter gloves. I know this seems strange but I find the gloves are good for new gliders so they don't associate hands with snatching them from their homes and dropping them in a tent. Eventually when they like you they will crawl out themselves and you won't need the gloves anymore.
Make sure the gloves are thick like ski gloves or thermal. This is so when they bite they won't draw blood. They are scared of you at the moment and if they end up biting you hard you're going to feel the same about them.
Another thing you can try is a large hamster ball so that they can roll around and see you while playing even if your busy. But remember put some tape to secure the balls as they can bash them open whilst knocking into things.
I hope all this helps. I'll let you know if I think of anything else. But don't give up as they all eventually bond. Each glider is individual our worst one is happy being picked up, jumping on us, playing but unfortunately won't stop pulling on my hair and digging into my scalp. It's a habit I've not yet been able to break. |
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