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  |  ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
   USA
18 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 01:26:18 AM   |
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<b><font color="purple">Oh my goodness, where to start?
OK, so I have never had a Sugar Glider before. I've had/have many pets ranging from fish to dogs and rats. I had been thinking about getting sugar gliders for a while and read up on them a lot. This past weekend I somehow managed to purchase 3 sugar gliders and everything they need (cage, toys, pouches, the works) which was great. Except for the part where I never got to meet the owners nor the gliders before hand.
The previous owners were a young couple that claimed to be married and apparently were moving to California. Due to the laws there, they had to get rid of the gliders. The husband posted the add on craigslist and I started e-mailing him with questions about them and the amount of time they had left in the area. For 2-3 days I was unsure if I was going to get the gliders because of the money negotiation going on and I don't think they were communicating very well over the sale since he'd say one thing and she'd say another. And on top of that they said they also had another individual who was interested and was offering much more than I was for them. Just as I was thinking that I wasn't going to get them, they said they are mine. We agreed to meet on Wednesday since it was my day off. Unfortunately they decided that they had to do the exchange on Tuesday since they were leaving on Wednesday. Since I was at work and couldn't go meet them, my mother and sister went instead. I was informed that it was a sad departure and the husband had broken down when he gave them to my sister.
So now I have 3 sugar gliders, 1 male and 2 females. I was very overwhelmed the first night since I work late and get home at around 11:30 PM. The first night I came home to 3 new exotic animals and no food for them. The owners had apparently run out. The best I did was unsweetened applesauce and I couldn't feed them directly since they kept biting and hissing (which I thought meant they were angry). The next day I went grocery shopping and have now made fruit/veggie/protein batches but currently waiting for the hpw and pollen to come in the mail.
I've started to work on bonding with them. They seem to be a little more comfortable with me since one does approach me, and the other two aren't as nervous as they were on the first day. They still bite but I don't mind it. What would be great is if I can meet other owners, here or in person, who can possibly give me some advice and guidance. I am constantly online and looking up info on them in every category (diet, health, general info, etc.) to make sure that what I am doing is correct. </font id="purple"></b>
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 | ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 01:32:33 AM  |
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<b><font color="purple">They didn't really just drop them on my lap. They did refer me to a few websites, including this one, that can help me out with their diets and any possible questions/issues I may have. I still have the phone number and e-mail in case of anything. I do plan on contacting them in a bout a week or so. That way they have settled in their new place and hopefully provide them with great news on how they are doing.</font id="purple"></b>
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| ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 02:11:50 AM |
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<b><font color="purple">Also i realize this posting is in the wrong area but it's a little late for apologies now</font id="purple"></b>
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| dooney
Face Hugger
519 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 06:53:00 AM |
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ChibiSamuraiX</i>
<br /><b><font color="purple">Oh my goodness, where to start?
I am constantly online and looking up info on them in every category (diet, health, general info, etc.) to make sure that what I am doing is correct. </font id="purple"></b>
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
and you will be for months to years! lol. There is something every day to learn with these little fuzz butts.
Time and patients! it can take months to bond with them. Just go slow at their pace. Get them on a good diet (which sounds like you are). Remember their life as they knew it has been turned upside down. Let them get adjusted to the new smells, and sounds of their new home. There are TONS of people on here who can help you!
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| ResaJane
Face Hugger
409 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 07:42:36 AM |
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Dooney is right :-) You'll find a wealth of knowledge here!
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| JazzNZoeysmom
Zippy Glidershorts
USA
5349 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 07:56:46 AM |
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Well from your accounts I would guess these aren't joeys and have probably been handled by their previous owners & are used to human contact. In your situation I would give them a few days to acclimate. As you approach the cage start talking softly...if they are in the pouch and you happen to startle them and set off a crabbing session...when I do that I open the cage, still talking softly and I hold them/the pouch between my palms. You can put slight pressure so they feel it but don't hurt them. It usually ceases.
They just need time to get used to a new person/people in their little lives, and they will.
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| Omis n Kais g-ma
Pouch Protector
TX, USA
7282 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 08:58:27 AM |
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At the top of the page there is resources button. A drop down will show a nutrition tab. Click on that and you will find the diets we feed. No one is better than the other. Most of them include ingredients you need to order. I think BML is one you can find everything at the grocery store though. Just give them a few days to get used to their new surroundings,smells, noises and you. Did they say if the boy is neutered? It would have been nice for them to have told you beforehand they were out of food and you could have had some ready. I'm sure they are pretty hungry. You can also feed the fruits and veggies you have and some boiled or baked chicken. No seasoning. Oh, no onions or garlic. What f/v do you have for them? And..... Welcome!
Edited by - Omis n Kais g-ma on Jun 08 2012 08:58:49 AM
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| LHill
Super Glider
VA, USA
347 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 09:52:24 AM |
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I would also get some fleece cut it in 3x3 little squares and put it under you shirt sleeping with it. Then take the fleece and put it in their pouch so they get used to your smell. You should swap the fleece out every 2 days with fresh scented ones. Congrats and good luck!
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| TJones09
Fuzzy Wuzzy
1991 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 10:13:47 AM |
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Welcome, sounds like you have done all the right things so far. Sorry if this is long.
To help with bonding, try taking a spare pouch if you have one, wash it and then either keep it in your bed or in dirty clothes hamper for a couple of days at least and then swap it out for another pouch or item & do the same. You can also probably purchase about 1/2 yrd or maybe less of anti-pill or polar fleece or such as those, wash it, then place in bed or hamper for a few nights and then either make some items or just cut squares & strips to place in with them. Having your scent in their habitat helps them to acclimate to it and accept you a little easier.
I keep my cage in a corner, so I have 2 walls to protect from their messiness. Luckily they aren't too messy, but still a little is too much to have to clean even occasionally the walls that are hard to reach around the cage (mine can't be moved out too easily, because it's in a jam-packed room, lol). So I purchased a large enough piece of fleece to wrap around the one side, the back and it comes about 1/4 around the other, I hold it with wood clothes pins and plastic 3" butterfly clips. I had this wrap in my husbands & mine dirty clothes hamper for 3 nights so it wrapped our scent around them. I have since washed it and because I only have one I haven't been able to do that again, even though we've had them for just over 3 months I still want to get another piece to wrap and have our scent on it again.
Your diet sounds like is on the right track, did you find out what the previous owners had them on? Also for bonding with biters, you can try licky treats on a plastic spoon. I use fruit blended yogurt without aspartame and I started holding it outside the cage bars, they would lick it through the bars, after some time I started going inside, that's how I do it now. Just talk to them a while.
Also to cut down on messiness a lot of suggie owners use what's called a kitchen or dining room, not sure if you knew of them or already had one. They are fairly easy to make, I have smaller ones than most, but both my gliders can fit in there with the bowl of fruit & veggies. I also feed original HPW and place that in a cage mount feeder (like for birds, but now I have a kennel type, it's sturdier) I put the HPW feeder up higher on front of habitat and the dining room is on the floor, this gives them levels for eating, I also scatter some pellets they love (about 10 total) most mornings around the cage in their toys and hides for them to forage around for, they don't spoil. For 3 gliders you will need a larger dining room perhaps than mine, my girls don't seem to mind being in theirs at the same time though, Has long as it's tall enough, min 4" tall I believe, and can fit their food in it, that's the most important factors.
Photos, please, if you can. Photos speak a thousand words, I've learned a lot for setting up my girls a safe & happy habitat by posting photos of what I had, and then took the suggestions and recommendations to perfect it. I found it very enjoyable designing the habitat with the satisfaction that it was functional, safe, and fun for them, and easy to clean & appealing for me, lol. Prior to that and since, I look for photos of peoples habitat set ups for more creative ideas from time to time.
Here is a photo of my girls habitat that was perfected from advise during the process of designing from this website and partially from one other.
You can see the cage mount feeder is higher up on left front side (facing) above 1st water bottle and the dining room on same side in back corner. A 2nd water bottle is on the side on the left slightly higher than 1st bottle.
I wish you the best of luck and congratulate you on your new additions. It was lucky for you to have off the whole day after to make needed adjustments.
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| Omis n Kais g-ma
Pouch Protector
TX, USA
7282 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 11:02:08 AM |
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Why is the Wodent wheel on the floor? Just curious. I know when I got Gypsy, I put a piece of fleece in my bra and wore it all day and put it in her pouch at night and did it for a few days. Didn't help too much as she wasn't too socialized to begin with but now with the boys, she is calming down. Maybe cover their cage with a shirt or something that smells like you. We put a blanket over the cage to keep food in. They will smear poop and food on walls and throw food if you don't cover the cage. My daughter would get pelted with poop because she sleeps next to the cage.<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by TJones09</i>
<br />Welcome, sounds like you have done all the right things so far. Sorry if this is long.
To help with bonding, try taking a spare pouch if you have one, wash it and then either keep it in your bed or in dirty clothes hamper for a couple of days at least and then swap it out for another pouch or item & do the same. You can also probably purchase about 1/2 yrd or maybe less of anti-pill or polar fleece or such as those, wash it, then place in bed or hamper for a few nights and then either make some items or just cut squares & strips to place in with them. Having your scent in their habitat helps them to acclimate to it and accept you a little easier.
I keep my cage in a corner, so I have 2 walls to protect from their messiness. Luckily they aren't too messy, but still a little is too much to have to clean even occasionally the walls that are hard to reach around the cage (mine can't be moved out too easily, because it's in a jam-packed room, lol). So I purchased a large enough piece of fleece to wrap around the one side, the back and it comes about 1/4 around the other, I hold it with wood clothes pins and plastic 3" butterfly clips. I had this wrap in my husbands & mine dirty clothes hamper for 3 nights so it wrapped our scent around them. I have since washed it and because I only have one I haven't been able to do that again, even though we've had them for just over 3 months I still want to get another piece to wrap and have our scent on it again.
Your diet sounds like is on the right track, did you find out what the previous owners had them on? Also for bonding with biters, you can try licky treats on a plastic spoon. I use fruit blended yogurt without aspartame and I started holding it outside the cage bars, they would lick it through the bars, after some time I started going inside, that's how I do it now. Just talk to them a while.
Also to cut down on messiness a lot of suggie owners use what's called a kitchen or dining room, not sure if you knew of them or already had one. They are fairly easy to make, I have smaller ones than most, but both my gliders can fit in there with the bowl of fruit & veggies. I also feed original HPW and place that in a cage mount feeder (like for birds, but now I have a kennel type, it's sturdier) I put the HPW feeder up higher on front of habitat and the dining room is on the floor, this gives them levels for eating, I also scatter some pellets they love (about 10 total) most mornings around the cage in their toys and hides for them to forage around for, they don't spoil. For 3 gliders you will need a larger dining room perhaps than mine, my girls don't seem to mind being in theirs at the same time though, Has long as it's tall enough, min 4" tall I believe, and can fit their food in it, that's the most important factors.
Photos, please, if you can. Photos speak a thousand words, I've learned a lot for setting up my girls a safe & happy habitat by posting photos of what I had, and then took the suggestions and recommendations to perfect it. I found it very enjoyable designing the habitat with the satisfaction that it was functional, safe, and fun for them, and easy to clean & appealing for me, lol. Prior to that and since, I look for photos of peoples habitat set ups for more creative ideas from time to time.
Here is a photo of my girls habitat that was perfected from advise during the process of designing from this website and partially from one other.
You can see the cage mount feeder is higher up on left front side (facing) above 1st water bottle and the dining room on same side in back corner. A 2nd water bottle is on the side on the left slightly higher than 1st bottle.
I wish you the best of luck and congratulate you on your new additions. It was lucky for you to have off the whole day after to make needed adjustments.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
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| TJones09
Fuzzy Wuzzy
1991 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 11:51:35 AM |
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[quote]<i>Originally posted by Omis n Kais g-ma</i>
<br />Why is the Wodent wheel on the floor? Just curious.
I disabled it after reading a post where a gliders tail got caught in one that had a guard and tore tail off. I had just bought it so didn't want to throw it away & decided to use as a play box. I threw some fleece strips & blanket, small plastic eggs in there. I also toss a few pieces of pellets in usually in the morning, they love to go in there looking for their treats, they can go in & out through holes. It's easy to clean, I just wipe it down with vinegar/water solution when I do cage.
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| ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 11:52:29 AM |
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<b><font color="purple">Thank you all very much! I'm glad to know that so far I'm doing well. I have started putting articles of clothing over their cage. Sadly it's a massive cage and I'm not sure they're taking it in. I've now put some fleece material it my hamper and in my bed. Hopefully this will work. To answer some of your questions:</font id="purple"></b>
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Omis n Kais g-ma</i>
<br /> Did they say if the boy is neutered? What f/v do you have for them? And..... Welcome!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<b><font color="purple">The male is not neutered but it's definitely something I need to get done ASAP. The last thing I need to worry about now are joeys! F/v? What does that mean?</font id="purple"></b>
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by TJones09</i><br />
Your diet sounds like is on the right track, did you find out what the previous owners had them on?
Photos, please, if you can. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<b><font color="purple">The previous owners had them on the HPW diet with veggie and fruits. A 3 course meal a night. The male one has been eating just fine but the females are a little more reluctant to eat. They eat a bit more as each day goes by so I'm not terribly worried.
I will try and post photos of their set up soon. It's a massive homemade cage!</font id="purple"></b>
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| TJones09
Fuzzy Wuzzy
1991 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 12:19:32 PM |
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ChibiSamuraiX</i>
<br /><b><font color="purple">
I will try and post photos of their set up soon. It's a massive homemade cage!</font id="purple"></b>
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Great! Can't wait to see the photos, the cage sounds very interesting and massive is a good thing ;)
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| ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 12:39:58 PM |
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<b><font color="purple">This is their cage. I'm currently washing their pouches which is why there aren't any in there. And that is my shirt on top.</font id="purple"></b>
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| dooney
Face Hugger
519 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 12:42:31 PM |
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Nice big cage!
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| Omis n Kais g-ma
Pouch Protector
TX, USA
7282 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 12:50:35 PM |
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f/v is fruits and veggies.
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| valkyriemome
Goofy Gorillatoes
USA
3478 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 01:48:46 PM |
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They need toys! tons of toys!
That is a huge cage! But- not much to play with!
Congrats on your new babies, and you'll continue to learn more every day, I'm sure!
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| ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 01:57:25 PM |
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<b><font color="purple">Ah OK For fruits they have a blend of papaya, blueberries, and mango. They seem to love watermelon.
For veggies it's this: http://www.sugarglider.com/nutrition/viewrecipe.asp?item=...
They did come with a few more toys but they all hang which is a clutter. I do plan on getting them more to have on the sides or on the bottom of the cage and an exercise wheel. </font id="purple"></b>
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| TJones09
Fuzzy Wuzzy
1991 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 02:26:55 PM |
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Wow, that is a NICE cage!!! I love it & I bet they do or will also. So is that the cage they came with?
You might want to wrap or cover at least sides & back, I keep a little hand-held vacuum near by (under my cage shelf) plugged in, so it's good for quick clean ups on floor around unprotected areas, lol. Fortunately my girls aren't too terribly messy, only occasional quick clean ups are needed. I also use it when I change out drop tray, I use news paper so i take that out and put it in plastic grocery bag, then vacuum left over debris (paper absorbs urine), wipe tray with safe cleaner or vinegar/water and replace paper. I can empty my little vacuum in the bag with the dirty paper, tie it up & throw away.
When you create their habitat in there, just spread things out around & vertically giving them different rest/play levels.
For cleaning you can do sections at a time, it's best for discouraging over-scenting by the gliders (which will improve when male is neutered). I usually do right & left sides alternately, but my cage is smaller than yours, it may work better for you to alternate top/bottom levels with your large door set-ups, but that's up to how you prefer to. I do half a week, & along with half furnishings, everything doesn't go more than 2 weeks that way, with of coarse dining dishes are done daily, drop tray weekly, & I started doing wheel & floor toys each week now.
Your cage is huge, so maybe others who have one similar can help with cleaning suggestions, but I'm guessing you could use a vinegar/water solution in a spray bottle if you have a cover & then just wipe with sponge, cloth, or paper towels.
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| Omis n Kais g-ma
Pouch Protector
TX, USA
7282 Posts
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Jun 08 2012 : 06:07:45 PM |
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I agree! That cage is waaaay cool. You seem to be on the right track.
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| ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 09 2012 : 12:29:53 AM |
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<b><font color="purple">There's a panel underneath the cage that has the puppy pad on it. I simply need to pull it out and change it. The gliders don't touch it at all.
For cleaning the cage, will the scent-reducing spray that is sold in stores for pets such as ferrets and rabbits work?</font id="purple"></b>
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| StellaAnLuna
Fuzzy Wuzzy
1063 Posts
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Jun 09 2012 : 03:16:37 AM |
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For cleaning the cage you just use vinger and water and scrub it down. If you can get it outside you can hose it down.
Sounds like you are on the right track!!:) Congrats on the new babies!! Neat cage.
Welcome to Glider Gossip!
~Erica~
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| Skyfire
Face Hugger
AZ, USA
456 Posts
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Jun 09 2012 : 03:32:33 AM |
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Lol I will be making that cage soon! Well 2 of them anyways!
The puppy pads are expensive and wastefull. I just use Fleece at the bottom of the cages and every few days pull it out and throw it in the wash then I put another one in there.
I have used a spray like and have had no issues. I mainly use is on the fleece on the bottom of the cage to keep the scent down. I have one boy how way over scents everything even though he has scented it 5 times in the last hour.
Vinager and water will help clean it. But you might want to do that outside is you don't like the smell of it.
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| hypnotist321
Fuzzy Wuzzy
1630 Posts
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Jun 09 2012 : 09:23:01 AM |
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I use a puppy pad on the bottom of the cage pan, but also put a big square of fleece on the bottom of the cage where they walk and play and eat. Works well. I take out the fleece when I take out the dinner from the night before and put a new on in. I only have to change the puppy pad once ever week or so. And, as said above, it really cuts down on the smell. It must be the urine that smells so bad.
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| ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 09 2012 : 10:35:30 AM |
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<b><font color="purple">I use the spray on the puppy training pads not on the cage itself. Luckily they haven't been super smelly. I will definitely be cleaning the cage with vinegar and water.</font id="purple"></b>
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| sierranevadaK
Face Hugger
USA
796 Posts
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Jun 09 2012 : 01:26:53 PM |
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I am in LOVE with that cage!
I also use puppy pads. Every once in a while, Rue pulls it through the bottom and up into the cage. He doesn't eat it, just thinks it's fun to make a complete mess. :
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| ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 10 2012 : 11:10:18 AM |
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sierranevadaK</i>
<br />I am in LOVE with that cage!
I also use puppy pads. Every once in a while, Rue pulls it through the bottom and up into the cage. He doesn't eat it, just thinks it's fun to make a complete mess. :
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<b><font color="purple">That's what my gliders do as well. I discovered it yesterday morning  </font id="purple"></b>
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| TJones09
Fuzzy Wuzzy
1991 Posts
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Jun 10 2012 : 12:01:18 PM |
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ChibiSamuraiX</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sierranevadaK</i>
<br />I am in LOVE with that cage!
I also use puppy pads. Every once in a while, Rue pulls it through the bottom and up into the cage. He doesn't eat it, just thinks it's fun to make a complete mess. :
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<b><font color="purple">That's what my gliders do as well. I discovered it yesterday morning </font id="purple"></b>
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That's what the original owners of my gliders told me happened when they tried puppy pads, so she used nothing to line and cleaned pan daily. That's why I tried using newspaper, it works well and they don't mess with it. I may eventually make fleece liners that I can change out, wash, & reuse. I'm thinking of maybe 3 or 4 on hand would be good. I find the paper is easy enough for now though, it absorbs the fluids so no yukkie puddle messes to deal with.
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| ChibiSamuraiX
Joey
USA
18 Posts
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Jun 11 2012 : 12:38:57 AM |
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by TJones09</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ChibiSamuraiX</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sierranevadaK</i>
<br />I am in LOVE with that cage!
I also use puppy pads. Every once in a while, Rue pulls it through the bottom and up into the cage. He doesn't eat it, just thinks it's fun to make a complete mess. :
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<b><font color="purple">That's what my gliders do as well. I discovered it yesterday morning </font id="purple"></b>
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That's what the original owners of my gliders told me happened when they tried puppy pads, so she used nothing to line and cleaned pan daily. That's why I tried using newspaper, it works well and they don't mess with it. I may eventually make fleece liners that I can change out, wash, & reuse. I'm thinking of maybe 3 or 4 on hand would be good. I find the paper is easy enough for now though, it absorbs the fluids so no yukkie puddle messes to deal with.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<b><font color="purple">As long as I keep the pad flat they leave it alone. But with the occasional bumps the teenagers in the house give the cage, Kai and Ramona take advantage and pull it up between the net. Luckily it doesn't make a mess.</font id="purple"></b>
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