All of you just shut up. If you have such a problem then stop leaving comments. Y'all are the ones who continue to make this an issue.

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Originally posted by suppressedtearz

Yes Winter, but there is a certain person who does it constantly on every single thread I've seen her post on. Not just when it's needed.

You've read some of my responses, you know I'm all for being rude and blunt when it's called for.

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If you're talking about me, that's fine... come out and say it please... I have no problem with you thinking I'm rude... It tends to either get my point across or peeve someone off... and I'm only rude where someone is acting like an idiot.

And even if you aren't I'll explain myself anyways...

Honestly I deal with it ALL day and I don't see why people need to post ridiculous questions like "Is cigarette smoke bad for gliders?" or "Do I need to get another glider (even though I'm going to get mad at the responses)."

Diplomacy was getting no where with this woman (obviously... see above^^) so tact and refinement went out the window....

And if it's me you are refering to; you aren't reading much of what I post then since I give a kind word or praise when needed and I try and post in all the birthday and get well threads...

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As for you, Chelsey,

We don't need to shut up.... you asked for answers, now you are getting them...

If you post asking "I Just Have One Sugar glider, Is That Bad?", there must be a problem or you wouldn't be asking. Right?

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Originally posted by chelsey

All of you just shut up. If you have such a problem then stop leaving comments. Y'all are the ones who continue to make this an issue.

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You're the one who came here looking for help. We offered you advice, and apparently the ugly truth you didn't want to hear about needing to have at least 2 gliders.

Once upon a time I thought my glider was happy by herself too, until she started doing repetitive flips in her cage, her tail was getting less and less fluffy, then all of a sudden she was sick and I almost lost her.

Now she's happily living with her sister Bella.

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You're the one who came here looking for help. We offered you advice, and apparently the ugly truth you didn't want to hear about needing to have at least 2 gliders.

Once upon a time I thought my glider was happy by herself too, until she started doing repetitive flips in her cage, her tail was getting less and less fluffy, then all of a sudden she was sick and I almost lost her.

Now she's happily living with her sister Bella.

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And trust us, there are plenty of stories just like this here...


You may want to see this thread http://www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24590 in particular....

I can't imagine having gone to get ONE suggie with all that I know. They're colony animals.
I think of humans to be very similar. Humans get depressed without human contact, regardless of how many pets they have.
Own 20 cats, dogs, and horses and as long as you don't have another HUMAN to interact with you're going to get bored, lonely, and depressed.

I myself have been in that spot, and I don't like how *I* felt, and I wouldn't never wish nor inflict it on anybody (or 'thing') if I can help it.

Because of this I got two. I have only had them for 5 days and have already wondered, 'wth would have happened if I were uneducated and got just ONE!?'. I'd imagine she would be depressed and overgrooming and/or self mutilating. If not now, eventually.

Why are you coming in here asking questions when you so clearly do not want to hear the response you already know we're going to give to you? Seems to me you may just be trying to pick a fight. If that's the case, please go somewhere where people enjoy the internet fighting.

We are not here for that. We are here to converse with fellow suggie parents and to learn more and seek/give advice. If we're wrong somewhere, we take it maturely and correct our actions where necessary.

I will shut up after I say one more thing...ignorance is bliss. You all know I love to back up my opinion with fact:

From dictionary.com:

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ignorant/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ig-ner-uhnt]
–adjective 1. lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned
2. lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.
3. uninformed; unaware.
4. due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.

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You aren't ignorant for asking..I thought you were asking out of true concern for your glider. You've been given the opportunity to learn and choose to ignore (hence the term, IGNORant) helpful, useful and healthy advice. That's a shame...and ignorant.

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Originally posted by chelsey

All of you just shut up. If you have such a problem then stop leaving comments. Y'all are the ones who continue to make this an issue.

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Okay everyone listen up! Clearly we shouldn't answer questions on a message board. Obviously she wants this to merely be a status page or a tweet instead of....I don't know....a message board? Chelsey I am sorry but what do you think a message board is? It is a place where you ask a question and it gets answered from various members. It is an open forum. You asked if haveing one sugar glider is bad. What did you expect us to say? Yes it is bad. It is not good. If you have been paying attention there was another thread the other day addressing just that. We have countless stories of self mutilation and death in the middle of the nigh from depression. So please clarify what you want us to tell you. We are not here to lie to you to make you feel better. We are here to discuss sugar gliders.

But clearly you feel as though you know better than all of us. Maybe you should go apply for a job working for a glider mill. They love to lie, and also have a clear disregard for sugar glider safety and happiness.

Thanks Cristyoo2. But what would I do with the other glider if by chance they don't get along? Just keep their cages still side by side? I just figured that would make him stressed and upset to have another glider that he hates in the same room with him.

some gliders love to just have them in the same room...but when face to face outside of cage they hate each other it just happens but its worth a try and if they dont like each other then they can at least talk to each other

So if they don't get along face to face it will be okay to just have them cage to cage? He didn't get along with this one female my friend had. They fought when put close together. And when we put their cages close he crabbed at her the ENTIRE time. Would it be better to get a joey and raise it around him or get a glider close to his age?

If they don't get along, you can keep trying the intro process.. Sometimes it takes a long time, other times it happens instantly. (FIRST YOU NEED TO DO A 30 DAY QUARANTINE.. I put that in caps because I see a lot of people saying screw the quarantine!)

It's not a good idea to just let him have "play dates" with your friends gliders. You put him close to the female, he crabbed.. Well yeah, he wasn't allowed to get to know her scent. She was new, and unfamiliar. If you put any two gliders together like that, chances are you're going to have problems.

I would get a glider that is closer to his age, or more importantly, one that is about the same size. If you get a joey, you'll have to wait until the joey gains some weight.

It's best to get a glider close/r to his age. If you and your friend were just placing them side by side yeah they aren't going to get along.
You have to go through the quarantine and introduction steps. From my understanding of you and your friend just placing the cages side by side, that's NOT the proper way, and their behavior is normal in that sort of case.

Chelsey, this is my story. In 2005 I was given a lone male glider, Shikoni. I was his third owner. He had always been alone. I got him neutered to help with the smell, and within two months his "bald" spot disappeared because he was no longer producing the oil from the scent gland that makes the spot appear bald. I had him, alone, for three years before I found a pair of brothers to adopt. They also got neutered the day after I brought them home, and again the bald spots disappeared completely. All three gliders were about five years old.

Shikoni always seemed to be happy and healthy. He was curious and adventurous, loved to come out of the cage and play; had a good appetite (though fussy about a new food) and slept well. He never showed any of the signs of depression.

After the thirty-day quarantine and vet checks, I started introductions with one of the brothers. They fought like tomcats! It was awful. I continued with the introduction sessions every other day. Over a period of about three weeks the fighting gradually diminished, and one night they started playing together. After they'd been playing for a week or so I brought the other brother into the mix, and they all played from the start; a few days later they were living together.

The change in Shikoni is remarkable. I thought he was happy, but now I know that he wasn't, not really. He's much more interested in everything around him; he's even sweeter; he's no longer a fussy eater.... The three gliders play and interact in ways I couldn't have imagined. I've heard more chatter and purring, and yes, fussing too; I had no idea how vocal these little guys can be. I can tell that now I have a truly happy glider -- actually, three of them. Their room is a joyful place.

I can only tell you from my own experience. Having companions of his own kind made a huge difference, even though I did not have a depressed, overgrooming, or otherwise unhappy boy. I highly recommend it.

I feel like I should chime in here...
I got my two boys a year ago, they were already cagemates for a long while before they came to me. I took my boys to the vet to get them checked up when I got them. Neither of my boys were neutered and the vet estimated Tigger to be about 10 years old and Roo 3-4 years. Tigger had an unusually big bald spot on his head and on his chest; the vet said this was probably due to his age. A couple of weeks later I had them neutered. Shortly after the neuter, Roo's bald spot disappeared, but Tigger's only shrunk slightly. Perhaps there are exceptions to this rule of disappearing bald spots...

I would like to see pictures of your lone glider for comparison.

My girl was alone for three years. When I bought her a friend she was so thrilled to have another glider to talk to that she was starting to over groom just knowing he was in the house and she couldn't see him only hear him.
Sugar gliders can start over grooming for other reasons as well as loneliness and depression, poor diet, toxins in or around their cage, low humidity, just to name a few.

But why would you keep a colony animal alone regardless to why they are over grooming?

Also, according to my vet and the experiences of others I have seen posting around, male gliders can retain their bald spot even after neutering. Although most often not, yes it does happen.

Chelsey, if you are still here,

If you get your glider a friend, do the quarantine, vet checks and proper intros, and it doesn't work out after giving it several tries? you could always re-home the new glider.

Of course what ever your course of action will be is your choice, but upon solid evidence, gliders do much better, have fewer health problems, and cost no more to feed and care for, if housed in pairs. Please if nothing more, continue to research this topic and make the right choice.

Do you know someone else with a glider maybe you could slowly start to introduce them an eventually they could have play dates that would allow you to see if you baby acts any differently around another glider. Just a thought

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Originally posted by sugarbear0

Do you know someone else with a glider maybe you could slowly start to introduce them an eventually they could have play dates that would allow you to see if you baby acts any differently around another glider. Just a thought

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Unfortunately play dates are never a good idea. You could be introducing parasites, disease, and illness to either glider. Also, this could even further depress your glider as you are giving her a friend and then taking it away again.