So, I have read on many websites that sugar gliders are not aggressive, they're scared. Well, I've had my boy for almost 4 weeks now, and I'm pretty sure he would be considered aggressive.
First of all, when it's tent time, he runs around and then lunges at me. Not like a playful lunge, like a crab and attack lunge. He will run up and down my back, biting me, and he will crawl into my shirt, and bite me all over. When he walks up onto my legs, he bites me through the fabric and when I try to pet him, he bites me then. He only really does this when he's awake because most of the time when he's half asleep hes sweet. Any suggestions? I got the bitter apple spray because I'm really out of ideas.

Four weeks is not long. I would carry him around in my pocket or shirt during the day when he wants to sleep, between two layers of shirts to minimize the bites. Also, anytime he lunges, have a finger full of yoguart for him to latch on to and you won't get bit. He will start licking and forget to bite. Gliders can only think of one thing at a time, so if it is food it won't be you. Lots of other things you can try, but you are going to have to win his trust and that can take months for some. Good luck.

Well, I carry him around in the pouch around 8 hours a day, sometimes a little less. I have to minimize the licky treats though, because he has begun to eat less of his food at night.

Grace, I can totally see how that would be frustrating. It sounds like you are trying so hard too. Don't give up on him, it will be worth it. Does your glider have a cagemate? I think they are more fearful when they are alone.

Hey Grace! I'm sorry your going through this as a new glider parent. I'm curious how you obtained this guy? How old is he, do you know about his history. All these previous posts are right on target.

I'm a research nerdo and need more information as behavior is unique to each animal and each pet family.

I bet the Tasmanian Devil is young, he's been on his own since birth and you got him from someone that didn't want him anymore?

Please tell me more?
Thanks, Snow*

<b>"well, my boy won't touch veggies. he lets them sit all night and waits until they dry up. Instead, I bought a pack of already dried veggies and he eats those. I'm not really worried about him becoming dehydrated because since he's currently on medication,"</b>

Hi Grace I found this on your other post... is this the same Tazzbo? If so what meds is he on and why?

he may also be in need of some solid undisturbed sleep.

Try cutting down the amount of time you carry him in a bonding pouch during the day to just a couple hours in the afternoon. Let him stay in his cage to sleep for most of the day before you take him out in the bonding pouch.

Gliders are nocturnal - day time hours are when they get a good night's sleep. If he is not yet used to you he may be startled awake every time you move or speak when he is in the bonding pouch. Imagine how you might feel in the morning if some one shook the bed and talked to you all night long.

After he is comfortable with you and has learned to trust you you can gradually carry him longer during the day as long as he is allowed to sleep as well.

Hi! I had the same problem with my male. He would bite horribly especially during tent time. I had to run out of there a couple of times because I was actually getting a little frightened. They were not little soft bites but aggressive, hanging on bites! They hurt! When I got him neutered, they stopped almost within a couple of days after the neutering. If he is not neutered, you might want to consider unless you are going to breed .Now he is very easy to handle and has never bitten like that again.

It was recently mentioned on another thread - I personally prefer to use tent time FIRST, and then use the bonding pouch once the glider is more used to me.

Tent time allows the glider to get used to me on his own terms. He can feel he is more in control of his own safety.

With my most wild glider, I used a minimum of 1 hour (but sometimes longer) of tent time Every Single Night for Six Weeks before he and I made a trust break-through. So, you can see, 4 weeks is really not long enough!

My first glider was super aggressive, he drew blood almost everyday. I thought he would never bond with me. it took months and dedication every day. we all do things differently. I started for a few weeks with a bonding pounch about an hour every day. let him get his sleep during the day. then after he calmed a bit i put him in a shirt that had a pocket. I would rub the pocket and talk to him, he loved it. We then moved to me holding him. this was super hard but after about a month he started falling asleep in my hands. Out of my four gliders he is the only one that likes to be held for a long period of time. the other ones were super calm so i started them on tent time first. Be patient, be very patient. So gliders bond in a few weeks others take months.

The best thing I did with my biter was use gloves. She was just terrified of hands, and though you mentioned he bites through fabric to get to you, maybe gloves could help? I used cotton gloves because she wouldn't bite fabric, but in your case maybe use a tougher gardening glove? It'll help you a little at least.

The thing to remember with biting or crabbing and lunging is to not reinforce the behavior. If he bites, let him finish. Don't remove your hand or jump away and leave him alone if he lunges or crabs. It'll just teach him that what he's doing is working. When my biter learned her bite didn't work, voila, no more biting.

I'm sure you're aware of the PSST sound you can make to startle them. Be sure to try it pre-bite, if you can see him winding up to bite you. Well, the PSST doesn't work for me, but a loud "STOP" seems to. Go figure.

Good luck! Keep your chin up, I've had my sugar gliders for almost five months and still don't feel like they fully trust me or are bonded to me. But we're working on it

Thin leather work gloves work well, I use those with my adult gliders who have not been handled and are strong biters when I get them. That way when they do bite, it wont hurt but you still have the dexterity to handle them as you normally would. Eventually they will learn to trust you and stop biting you and you can gradually stop using the gloves.

I just want to add that when I got my pair they were a year old. They were pretty good about biting in the very beginning. After a month, during playtime they would run around, run up and down my body and the male would just start biting me any place he could. He bit HARD!! I almost felt like he was getting comfortable, having a great time then...he still had to remind me and himself that he was the boss!! Almost like he scared himself lol. It did pass about 3 months in.

The same thing is happening to me right now. I just recently adopted two female gliders, approx. 2 years old. I already had two other gliders that I got when they were very young. Although I had read about "blood drawing" bites, I had never experienced it. By the time my two were old enough to bite really hard, they were over that stage.
These two girls though, they can really draw the blood. In the tent, they will run around, climb all over me, run in the wheel, and seem to be having a good time. Then, all of the sudden, I feel a sharp pain in my finger. They will just run up to my hand, take a chomp, and then run off just as quickly! I'm not even looking at them, or trying to touch them. (I have a tiny bite mark on the end of most of my fingers.)
I think part of the reason that they do this (other than to try and make me more scared of them than they are of me) is to test the waters. How am I going to react when they bite the !$&* out of me? Will I retreat? Will I try and hurt them back?
I try my best to either just ignore it the best I can, or, if they haven't already made their escape, and I can do it while they are in the act, I make the pssst sound.
It will get better, you just have to be persistent and patient.
Good Luck!

Well, I obtained him from someone who got him from a flea market breeder... sadly, due to his horrid breeding, he has some issues. He has had a UTI since I got him and a respiratory infection. He is alone currently, but I have been considering getting him a friend, however, due to his vet bills I cannot afford another one quite yet and I want to make sure he is okay before I introduce him to a new cage mate. I will definitely try to let him sleep more during the day though and see if that works. I fear I have spending too much time with him and perhaps the reason why his UTI isn't clearing up yet is because he is not getting enough sleep. As for the medication he is on, it is called Clavamox and I have to feed it to him twice a day, which requires him to be awake lol. I do not know much about where he has come from, except that it has bad reviews due to parasites and ect., so the reviews on Sugar Glider Alley isn't looking good...

Perhaps he's just grumpy. I'll let him sleep for a few days to catch up on it. Perhaps his appetite for veggies will also straighten up!

Grace, I got my first glider from them. She was sick from the beginning and had a parasite. I wasn't knowledgeable about gliders and kept calling them about the diarrhea. They said it was just diet related, not to give fruits and veggies, just their pellet food and apples. By the time I talked to Peggy at critter love and took her to the vet, it was too late and she died that night. Stay here and get the right advice.

Yea I have heard a similar story online when I was researching Sugar Glider Alley. I am very disappointed that they would sell horrible quality sugar gliders, and if I had known that he was from there, I never would have purchased him from the people that were selling him. I even thought to email the people of sugar glider alley to ask what food they were giving them, and the scams never even emailed me back. I used their food until my exotic nutrition HPW and pellets came in. And that calcium booster they use, what even is that stuff? I looks like ground up flax seeds or a graham cracker. When I heard about that place and the quality of their animals, I took Milo to the vet immediately. So far, he has a respiratory infection and a UTI, but they tested him for parasites and he was negative. There is one thing that I found weird though. He has black dots in the inside of his ears and the Vet couldn't figure out what it was because Milo threw a huge temper-tantrum and refused to let her get a good enough sample

<b>Grace Thanks for responding. Go back and read Charlie Bear’s post as the kindness, dedication and work ahead for you is evident in her posting. </b>

This behavior is caused by trauma and should never be seen as “normal adjustment or sleep deprivation” What you have described is not acceptable or inherent to a stable Glider. Your basically dealing with a wild animal that has had a lifetime of emotional abuse and psychical pain before you ever took him into your loving care. He doesn't know what to do with you or how to ease his panic when your interacting with him.

Your entering “Rescuer Role” which takes an experienced handler but its not something you can’t do, just know you shouldn’t expect a behavior change for quite some time if ever. Go by the good guidance given to you by everyone that chimed in. So many good and experienced methods offered.

<b>Cage-Mate:</b> Reserve getting him a cage-mate until his aggression has subsided. When you do, be selective of the age as younger gliders may pick up on his aggression or worse, be subjected to it.

<b>TEETH:</b> I noticed you didn't mention that he ever drew blood and as aggressive as he is, he not only can,... its a bad sign that he didn't because it's possible <u>he can't</u>. Have him checked by a vet to see if his teeth have been floated which is a common remedy for aggressive gliders sold in numbers BUT should <b>NEVER</b> be done.

If his lower teeth are not needle sharp, this constant nerve and sensitivity can drive them further into instability and aggression. It also inhibits their enjoyment and selection of foods due to the crippled tool.

Hang in there!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Grace</i>
<br /> There is one thing that I found weird though. He has black dots in the inside of his ears and the Vet couldn't figure out what it was because Milo threw a huge temper-tantrum and refused to let her get a good enough sample
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Sorry Grace, just remembered this. I know this might be a long shot because I'm sure your Vet would have recognized it but.... I have read so many other posts on other sites with your same concern and it turned out to be ear mites.

Maybe call your vet and see what She/He thinks?

<b>Also PocoBaby</b>,... I read your post also and feel for ya. Sorry you had to go through that.

Snow*

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Cage-Mate: Reserve getting him a cage-mate until his aggression has subsided. When you do, be selective of the age as younger gliders may pick up on his aggression or worse, be subjected to it. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't agree with this at all.
No glider should be forced to be alone until his owner deems his behavior appropriate for a friend. How a glider behaves toward you is not an indication of how they will behave toward a cage mate, and further, a cage mate may result in a positive change behavior wise.


I would be more than happy to talk with you by phone about your baby and some things you can try. The only thing I have to offer you is the benefit of my many years of experience as a rescue and rehabilitation home where I have worked with some of the most severe cases in terms of medical and behavioral issues. If you would like the benefit of my experience and/or advice, you are welcome to call.
806-274-9177

Ditto

<b>Something to Believe In, you are awesome!</b> I think it will serve best for you to actually hold a conversation with this person to help evaluate and prescribe your strong opinion. I like that about you!

<b>What I don't get:</b> (scratching noggin) I know you also monitor another site and I highly respect your experience yet it has been my experience for which I draw and from some of the posts archived on this and the other sites. Not only this but resources at my disposal that I took a good amount of time to read and access before I posted.

<b>Please know that I believe this to be a precautionary not a permanent solution as <b>I thought I indicated.</b> ? ?</b>


Although you may not agree, many others with similar situations and experience first hand would advise differently. What amazes me is I believe you have also attributed yourself on this and the other site you also moderate to also be cautious so I have to giggle a little because where is it that I affirmed this?

OOOps... unless you are not the same "Something to Believe In"

It seems to be inherent to err on the side of self gratification than the health and safety of both human and the innocent glider? Are we "Looking now for misspelled words and a hair to divide? I suppose other things await me.

I have learned "in all things,..it has never done a measure of harm to lean upon the side of caution" and this I have also seen commonly in many of your good advices.

I swear I love examining the human behavior here even more so than I do the Glider. (crabby sound) :)

Yet I can not ever find a fault in someone like you that is willing to give out her phone number to help. I truly respect that as you don't see many, surely NOT ME! willing to do so.

Snow*

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">yet it has been my experience for which I draw <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Would you be willing to share those experiences with us? It would be very helpful for one to hear your personal experiences rather than the "advice" you are known for posting. So, please, share your personal experiences on this matter.

And, no, you will never and have never seen ME post that a person should leave a glider alone for the benefit of the owner. I always do what is best for gliders, despite the inconvenience to my time or pocketbook. Always. But, if you have a link to any time I have suggested that one do otherwise, I welcome you to post it. I know you are very good at posting links.

Well, I cannot be quite sure what Milo went through before I got him, but he was 9 weeks old when he came to me, and he was with the other people for barely even a week. He was purchased at 8 weeks. Since his vet bills cost quite a bit for me, I cannot quite spend what it would take to get a new suggie. I have the plans drawn out to make him a PVC mesh cage so that he has a more comfortable/roomy cage, and hopefully then I will be able to find him another suggie to put in the other cage for a little while. Recently I have begun to hold him in his pouch while he sleeps and that has had a huge improvement on our bonding. Last night I had him in the pouch with me, on my bed, and he just sat there while I stroked him. When I put my face up to him... he sniffed my nose and swatted at my face with his claws a few times. He then proceeded to curl up in a ball in my shirt an nip at my skin. It feels like progress to me... kind of lol

Sounds good!! Progress is progress even when it seem slow:)
Keep in mind he will groom you. It feels like little nips, and/or them scraping their teeth on you. That would actually be a good sign that he's accepting you:)
4 weeks isn't very long, and he's just a baby - it really does sound like things are going fine:)

Good, I just hope his UTI and Respiratory infection clears up so that I can be sure he will live long enough to bond enough to me fully!

Snow has been more than willing to share her experiences with her rescues with us. Perhaps she has learned much more since her unfortunate incident which lead to her give up her rescue and stemmed her current crusade to push forward legislation regulating the ownership of sugar gliders so they will no longer be available to such ill prepared owners as most of us hobby owners and breeders.

To the OP, I've had a few that started out this way, and with the combination of patience, good husbandry (diet and housing and vet care which you seem to be on the right track with) and the occasional nip, you should see the light at the end of the tunnel before too long. It does often help considerably if you can find a nice suitable cagemate for the kiddo (once he's well of course). If he feels more secure in his surroundings, he'll more than likely calm down in general, and hopefully that will translate to his relationship with you. I would not personally worry about the dental issue simply because he is not drawing blood. An adult glider does not ALWAYS draw blood with a bite just because he can. Unless he is having problems eating, he's most likely just not biting as hard as he absolutely could. Which of course is a good thing :)