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  |  GliderMommy
Super Glider
 298 Posts
| Apr 14 2012 : 01:10:14 PM   |
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Aristotle has taken to only being super cuddly boy... especially since we brought Zeus home. (They have not been introduced yet mainly because Zeus is so much smaller than Aristotle and I realize that gives an unfair advantage when they decide dominance between them.) However, Ari shows no interest in exploring or playing when I take him out day/night. He will play in his cage when the door is closed, but as soon as I take him out he goes straight for my shirt, crawls in, and goes to sleep. He will let me pull him out, but as soon as he passed the line of my shirt top he is clearly trying to crawl back in.
At first I thought this was great because I love him so much and it just seemed adorable that all he wanted was to be close to me. But now... I am starting to worry that he doesn't seem to show interest in being out or exploring like he did when we got him, or even as he was a few weeks ago before we brought Zeus home.
I wanted a bra baby (before I even knew what a bra baby actually was... and boy, did I get one...) but I don't know to what point it is normal snuggly behavior and what may be a cause for concern.
He is still eating and drinking well, and voids like a champ. LOL So my concern isn't for his physical health... more for his emotional health. From being on here and reading posts I have been very careful to watch for any signs of distress such as depression, lethargy, or lack of interest in his food - of which he has none of these. So maybe I am over reacting but I still felt compelled to ask the community to see if anyone else has some insight on this.
Erin Stevens, the wonderful woman I got my babies from, explains in her care sheet that while no two gliders have the same temperament or personality, her babies all seem to fall into one of two categories: Snugglers and Jumpers. Obviously, Ari is a snuggler (FTR, Zeus is definitely a jumper. lol) but I just want to know what is normal snuggling, and what could be a sign of attention needed.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated. I feel silly for even asking this, but I have always been of the school of thought that it is 'Better to be safe than sorry'.
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|  | Helen88uk
Fuzzy Wuzzy
United Kingdom
1417 Posts
| Apr 14 2012 : 01:17:06 PM   |
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Before my two females were bonded, when I had playtimes with them they wanted to be anywhere but near me. Now, they can be running in their wheel or generally just being crazy in their cage but as soon as I go in they're straight down my hoody and stay there until I leave. They only wonder out for bits of food. My male will snuggle or go and play, depending on his mood lol.
Maybe he is just wary because he knows there is another glider, but cannot see it. Being wary isn't necessarily a bad thing, chances are once he gets to meet his new friend they'll be inseperable! I wouldn't worry about it at all.
Is Zeus quite abit younger then? When are you hoping to introduce them?x
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| GliderMommy
Super Glider
298 Posts
| Apr 14 2012 : 01:28:28 PM |
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They are about 8 weeks apart. Aristotle was OOP on 12/6/11, and Zeus was OOP on 2/8/12. They came from the same home (Different parents) and had their fecal tests done before I got them - so I'm not as worried about the quarantine period, even though they will end up having what is shaping up to be a 60 day quarantine either way. I want so badly to introduce them but I've read that you should never introduce 2 gliders (especially 2 un-neutered males) if one is less than 2/3 the size of the larger one. Aristotle has got some definite size advantage right now. So, it's going to be at least another month before he catches up... if he follows Ari's growth pattern.
My bf made the mistake of 'showing' the new baby to Aristotle soon after we got him, and Ari LUNGED at the baby... looked like he was aiming to take his head off! So... we have made sure not to have them out at the same time anymore. That is also about the time Ari went into full snuggle mode. He's incredibly smart, and doesn't even like sharing me with my BF... I'm thinking that the idea of sharing me with another glider is completely out of the question.
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| Helen88uk
Fuzzy Wuzzy
United Kingdom
1417 Posts
| Apr 14 2012 : 01:52:50 PM |
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Yeah I'd say a month is about right. Joeys grow pretty quick, but I'm guessing Ari is starting to bulk up abit now. Introducing 2 intact males isn't a good idea, but that normally goes for adults rather than joeys. Altho, Ari has probably hit 'puberty' now, but I'm unsure to whether he'd see Zeus as a threat yet. People have had success keeping intact males together that have always lived together (family groups) but as yours haven't grown up together as such it would be a little different.
As he is a single glider right now, he's probably more protective of you as you are his only companion, it's natural that he wouldn't want to 'lose' you to another glider. But he will quickly realise that sharing you doesn't mean losing you :)
Are you planning on neutering the two boys then? You could always begin by neutering Ari, and you could still introduce Zeus to him whilst Zeus is intact. With Zeus being younger, I doubt he would see Ari as a threat, especially if he's neutered. Intact males and neutered males can live happily together, as long as they're done early enough. Neutering does help with the smell tho lol, so neutering both is probably a good idea eventually :)
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| GliderMommy
Super Glider
298 Posts
| Apr 14 2012 : 02:20:29 PM |
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They came from the same house and their parents grew up together before either of them were even born. Zeus was 2 weeks OOP when we got Ari, so they have actually always been in the same house aside from the last month and a half we had Aristotle here as a solo glider waiting for his friend to come home. Aristotle came with us every time we went to visit Zeus too before his homecoming... so the sounds and smells should actually be familiar. (As familiar as they can be, with the knowledge that after a few days apart it becomes pretty irrelevant because it was not a constant.)
I was not planning on getting either of them neutered actually. Mostly because I don't ever plan on introducing a girl to them. As far as Aris maturing, well he *is* actually starting to lose a bit of fur on his head... so I think he's well on his way. His smell hasn't gotten any stronger, and he doesn't mark me even when he can hear the baby. He's pretty good about that. (Hmm.. or I am just that used to his scent. LOL) No one coming into the home can smell glider though, so I am assuming the smell is not overbearing just yet.
My hope is that since they are so close in age, and the fact that we only plan on ever having the 2 of them, and no more (unless something tragic and unforeseen happened)... that they would both be fine intact. I've never been a fan of neutering animals because domesticating them is unnatural enough... neutering is just more unnatural than I could handle. I also maintain this stance with the full knowledge that *I* alone am responsible for anything that happens as a result of my decision to not neuter them. (For instance if I had a cat that remained intact and she had kittens... it would be *my* responsibility to care for the litter and/or ensure they went to wonderful forever homes as opposed to 'dumping off the kittens to anyone that would take them to get them out of the house.)
I've always been this way, so I don't imagine I will change my mind about that any time soon.
If my logic here does not hold up though, and I have missed something that is detrimental to the well-being of my boys - then I welcome advice there too.
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