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 Introducing sugar gliders

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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Mareena25 Posted - Aug 08 2018 : 01:43:08 PM
So a couple months back I got two female sugar gliders, both adults, one the age of 4 and the other 6 years old. Unfortunately, the younger one passed only a couple weeks after bringing her home. I believe she had a respiratory infection. Luna was heartbroken, they were aunt and niece, and I brought home a new glider a couple weeks ago in an attempt to cheer her up. I’ve been keeping them in separate cages, they both had a vet appointment a week ago and they checked out healthy, so I’ve begun moving their cages closer and pouch swapping. My new girl, Nova, is 3 years old and came from a neglectful situation. Her and 2 others were kept in an aviary and were only looked at, not handled, so she is very fearful (crabs a lot and lunges at me). Nova seems very interested in Luna and will follow around the cage, and Luna seems to reciprocate.
I’m wondering how long I should continue pouch swapping before introducing them in a neutral space, they both prefer to sleep in a pouch the other has been in.
I’m also worried that Nova might pass her crabbing and lunging on to Luna. Luna bonded to me almost immediately after her cagemate passed and hasn’t crabbed at me, except maybe a few times when I first brought her home. Yet since bringing Nova home, she’s done it a few times. Or, it’ll help her open up to me, seeing how Luna interacts with me.

I’ve sone a lot of research, but have come to a dead end and hope someone with experience may have some advice and answers #128517;
5   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
BYK_Chainsaw Posted - Aug 10 2018 : 09:28:58 AM
sounds great

I would do the introductions without treats. gives them something to be jealous of and fight over.

If they are fine together without fighting, have a cage cleaned and put them in a clean (as much as possible scent free cage!!!) Maybe you can have someone clean the cage while you are sitting with them. Leela mentions NOT cleaning the cage, and that is fine if their is no territory fight, the idea being once you get out of clean tub and into scented territory the glider may decide its NOW time to defend their cage/territory and start attacking. so just watch MORE closely the first few hours in a scented cage, if the original cage occupant accepts the new glider totally you will be fine without cleaning the cage.

some of the instructions say it is best to keep them together after a successful introduction. Like giving a 2 years old a lollipop then taking it away, confusion, upset, anger.

If possible watch them in new cage for as long as possible or sleep near it.
Leela Posted - Aug 09 2018 : 10:21:17 AM
Ok so, you did an introduction, and it was successful.

Why did you separate them?

At that point they should have been put in the same cage unless they balled up.

You've done the leg work with scent swapping etc... they are ready, unless they fought and balled up.

Separating after successful uneventful introductions can stress the gliders, and potentially make the next intro not as successful. This is why once they meet and get along we don't separate. Sometimes it makes more work for ourselves that wasn't necessary.

Uninterested in each other isn't a bad thing, they are already used to the others smell from scent swapping.

Uneventful introductions are what we hope for

So if there was no fighting and balling up, and you introduce them again tonight if there is still no fighting or balling up.......offer them a clean sleep pouch and put them in the same cage, don't separate again.

IF they ball up in the cage, THEN it's ok and necessary to separate again, but only then.

light crabbing at each other together in the same cage, is normal in the first few days and doesn't usually warrant separating them, they are just working out whose in charge and that can take a few days to sort out.




You will still need to monitor them for a week or so once they are in the same cage to make sure they will live together well with no issues.

Offer two feeding stations instead of one to reduce the risk of food aggression.

I used to clean the cage and toys etc.. that newly introduced gliders would be living in together to make it as neutral as possible.

But unless there are some subtle signs that there could be an issue with the pairing, I don't do that anymore. I've found the gliders actually have less issues when I don't do that.

Personally I only allow one sleeping pouch for newly introduced gliders, I remove any toys that allows a single glider to hide out in, under, or behind. Once I know for sure that it's successful they get all their hidey toys back.

This way, if there is an issue and they aren't sleeping together regularly it's easier to spot. If one of the gliders is separating itself from the other/others it's a good indication that glider has not been fully accepted, even if there is no fighting or balling up.




Mareena25 Posted - Aug 09 2018 : 09:37:13 AM
Thanks for the advice Ally and BYK! They’ve been talking a lot to one another at night so I actually decided to test it out. I put Luna on top of Nova’s cage and they seemed really excited about one another, pressing noses together. After that I put up our tent and let them both in it. They were both curious at first and then Nova started sniffing and crawling over Luna. I gave them some mealworms and dried papaya. Then they seemed uninterested in each other and just kinda did their own thing. I’m going to try again tonight, but maybe on the bathroom floor, because Nova kept trying to climb and explore.

Overall, Nova was much friendlier with me too! She would take treats out of my hand very gently and even crawled on me. As of this morning, she didn’t crab when I took out her food dish from last night, which is a first.

BYK_Chainsaw Posted - Aug 09 2018 : 12:40:39 AM
sounds like you are on the right track.
I would say to pouch swap for about 3 weeks minimum. sleeping in the pouch with the others scent is a good sign.
I also think that Luna will continue to treat you the same, even if NOVA is crabby at you. I think Nova may get less crabby faster with Luna as a friend and to watch her interact with you, but mostly its up to YOU to show Nova you are a
friend not a foe.
The crabby exception could be in pouch, the outside noises will make Nova crab
a warning, and it maybe so LOUD that Luna feels the need to join in, but she should stop as soon as she sees you look in on her.

I have 6 in one cage, with one crabber and one part time crabber, if one gets really loud sometimes the other will join in to help scare away the danger.

Our other cage has 5 gliders and sometimes up to 3 will crab if I make to much noise, then only one crabs if I look in sleeping pouch.
Allyc1239 Posted - Aug 08 2018 : 08:57:55 PM
From all the research I’ve done, pouch swapping should be done for at least two weeks, if not three. If you’re worried about the glider being aggressive maybe place your girl on the potential aggressive gliders cage and see if she lunges or if she smells the glider out and seems interested. Are they communicating through the cages? A few websites I found said that if they are then it’s a good time to introduce.