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GlidersGonnaGlider Posted - Jul 01 2021 : 01:18:43 AM
So I recently bought myself a pair of sugar gliders, their names are Monte and Whiskers. They are brother and sister, I got them last Saturday and today is Wednesday. I work quite a bit, and I find it hard to spend time with them because they wake up late and I wake up so early. So I try to spend my time with them a little bit after they wake up. But they are so shy to me, it's impossible to get them to come to me at the cage, and when they are out and I come close to the cage the boy usually runs back into his pouch. I rarely ever see the girl out, and to be honest, I'm having a really really hard time distinguishing the two apart. The boy is fixed. I don't know what to do to bond, for one, I'm afraid to take them out of their pouch because if I even come near their pouch they both crab at me, and I'm not going to lie it scares me every time. I have bought a tent for me to spend time with them and bond with them but I just don't know how to get them in there without placing the whole cage inside the tent and then opening their cage door. I really want to bond with them they are just so shy, I bring them treats and try to talk to them calmly and soothingly but they are just not warming up to me. They are joeys and they have only been oop since march. I'm just lost and feeling kind of down about it, I just really have no idea how to get them into the tent to bond to them. I can't even put any fleece inside their pouch because they are always in it. I'm confused and really need help. Thanks! |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
gliderloverforever Posted - Jul 03 2021 : 10:27:54 AM
BYK_Chainsaw gave you some great advice. I'll add my five cents here, too.
First of all, bonding takes a lot of time. Don't get discouraged because it doesn't seem to be happening all at once. Little by little, your gliders WILL bond with you, if you put in the effort.
The crabbing is really intimidating, but don't let it bother you. If you're nervous, they're going to be more prone to bite and attack you.
I recently got an incredibly shy, terrified rehome. I've had him for about three months and the change that I have seen in him is amazing. I'm going to give you the method that I used when bonding. (Sorry if this gets long-winded, haha)
I started out by standing by the cage and talking to him through the bars. This got him used to my voice and my smell. I'd do this for ten minutes or so every night. Once he got settled into his home and more used to the sound of my voice, I opened the cage up and let him roam around while I was near (I have the cage in a glider safe room and had the doors closed so that he couldn't get out). He got used to seeing me. Gliders DO NOT like hands very much, so I put socks over them. This made him a lot more comfortable with me and protected them from being bit. I would stand very very still with my arm inside of the cage and let him sniff it. I did this every night for ten or fifteen minutes.
After a few weeks, he started to gingerly climb onto my arm. He'd stay there for maybe a few seconds and then jump back to his cage. But that was a huge improvement from before. I kept on hanging out with him every night for fifteen minutes and every night he was a little more curious and a little more trusting of me. He would stay on my arm for longer amounts of time. Slowly he began to climb around on my back and shoulders and chest. Now, after about three months of this, he is still very shy, but he comes to me every night and we hang out for a while.
Bonding is done in baby steps. Gliders need to learn that you're not going to hurt them and that they can trust you. This takes a lot of time, depending on the glider. Just stick with it. YOu'll do great.
Other things you can do to help with bonding is to carry them around in a bonding pouch during the day. And give them treats at night to let them know that good things come from you. 
I have a whole section of bonding tips on my blog here (aninkydream.com/category/bonding/)
If you have any other questions or just need to talk to someone, I am here! Don't hesitate to ask or to PM me. I love talking about gliders and helping new owners. :) |
BYK_Chainsaw Posted - Jul 01 2021 : 08:46:11 PM
ok, bonding can take a long time. a long long time. so you need to starting
thinking long term. the gliders are fine if fed well and have a good running
wheel. they dont even need you!! they have each other. so lets slow down.
I highly suggest LIVE mealworms from the petstore, mine love the timberline
brand. gliders will get a lot more willing to do things that will increase
bonding for a live mealworm. put the mealworm on a PLATE OR the container
LID hold it out for them. shake the container so they hear the sound of the
mealworms, they will learn this sound and come for it at a later time. after they
get to taste the worms a few times, they should be more willing to come to you.
dont let the crabbing bother you, that is what they do, but dont put hand in
pouch because they will bite you. I recommend not letting them bite you. just
give them the mealworms, one a night for training.
for the tent, I think you should wait 2 or 3 weeks and do the treats, THEN
after I would grab the sleeping pouch with them in it, closed tightly and carry
to the tent. Once in the tent, turn LIGHT LOW, and see if they come out in the
dark room. if not you can slowly push them out like toothpaste out of a
toothpaste tube. sit on pouch so they dont go back in pouch, then just sit and
let them explore, keep your hands to yourself, maybe they will explore you if
your not attacking them with your hands.
I work a slow system to get the gliders to step on my hand to get mealworm
treats, then I work at getting them to climb on my hand to get the treats. its
a long (3 months?) process. after they get used to you while eating treats you
can try to pet the back legs, just move hands slow and low with your hands.
using a bonding pouch is good to, but you need to listen to crabbing for
awhile. |
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