I have an intact male that is almost 2 years old. I have had him for about a month and here is where we are so far and the questions I still have. Please offer any advice you can.

• I can pet him in cage or pouch without problem. He will also eat anything out of my hand with no problems.



• He does not ever like to be picked up. Using fleece is not as bad as my bare hands, but he still doesn't like it much. I can feel his heart beating faster, so I know he is worked up. This bothers me. What can I do to get to the point of being able to pick him up and/or hold him and it not be upsetting to him? I have read where it is best to let them come to you when they are ready. Would it be better if I just stop trying to touch him at all? I want to be available to him but I don't want to be too pushy and slow down the bonding process.



• When we are doing our bathroom time he jumps on and off of me. He will sit on my shoulder and back for good periods of time and be calm - as long as I leave him alone. He doesn't want to play. He just wants to sit there. If I take him out in my room it is the opposite. He only shows interest in me when I am giving him treats. He will jump right off my body and then be gone to explore the room. He doesn't come back, even when I take out treats. I wait about five minutes and then I am up trying to get him back because I can't trust him to come back to me. Should I just let him stay out as long as he wants until he has explored the whole room? In the bathroom there is not much for him to do so he stays on me. Give him any alternative to hanging out with me and he will take it. I feel like I am just being used for the treats I have.



• When he does get in the mood to play he doesn't pay much attention to me. He likes his wheel more.



• I give him lots of treats and spend lots of time with him. Some days he will be in the bonding pouch around my neck for most of the day. And almost every night we are in the bathroom together for 30 to 60 minutes.

Does anyone have any tips I should try now? I am using all the common things that are taught. My shirt on cage. Pieces of fleece that smell like me in his bed and pouches. Lots of treats. Lots of time together. I just feel like I am at a wall one month into the process.

Thanks, Death2Life

Well, they all have their own distinct personalities and ways of bonding. Some just don't every really bond in the way that you desire. Is he a lone glider? Some of your issues could stem from this. Often they will bond better when they have a glider friend that keeps them occupied in other ways and they may be able to both trust and bond to you taking ques from one another. Being alone may also lead to his desire to explore your room without coming back to check on you. That's no definite reason...just a thought. Some gliders, many, just have the exploring gene working very strong as they are foragers in the wild.

I don't know many gliders who like to be picked up. I either take mine out while they're still in their pouch and let them wake up in my glider safe room. It takes them awhile to get going, and I have some melon and treats since they wake up hungry and thirsty. After 15-30 minutes they're up and playing. They do like to check back in with me often though...sitting on the shoulder...gliding to my head (or face hug landing!) Picking them up is something I only do when there is a pressing need, medical or something. If I decide to take them out after they've woken up in the evening I wait for them to eat and drink a bit and take their 'morning' baths. Then I have a little treat and take their pouch out and they hop on for a ride to the room.

To sum it all up...it takes time and patience as every glider is different. During bonding pouch time...that's your time to love on them. During their play time...that's their time to explore and play and you do it more for their benefit. And, I think you're doing just fine!

To go along with what Blue said... most gliders do not like to be picked up. Also, they are the most curious animals I've ever come across. They want to explore. It doesn't mean he hates you or doesn't want anything to do with you. They are curious. They want to know what all is out there for them to see and play with. Still touch him. They love being pet. Ears. Top of the head. Belly (that is with some of them I have read and with the ones I have). They do not care to be held in your hands when they are fully awake and wanting to play. Sometimes, not at all. You could try cupping him in one hand. Joeys that I have seen like to be cupped with two hands when they are that young because they feel safe like in their mother's pouch. Only one of mine likes to be cradled in my hand. JUST ONE HAND. Not two. She is a joey. Both of them love being pet. Scratched on their ears.

By the way, him jumping on and off of you is good! Not bad! It has been a moth of bonding, and that is very good. Bonding can take months and years in some cases. Rare for years, but sometimes it happens. I don't feel like my glider that I've had for two years is fully bonding, but she might be as bonded as it gets. Just like Blue said... they are all different. You aren't being pushy about the bonding process. It sounds like you're doing fine. Just don't beat yourself up. It takes time with these little fellas. Maybe try licky treats like yogurt on your fingers or honey. So that way he will come to you and be bonding. They love their toys. Your glider loves his wheel. Mine love their everything else but me at times.

My biggest tip would be to carry him around with you as much as you can at home with him inside of his pouch. Let him get to know you better. Have toys like that have feathers to play with him outside of the cage in bonding time. Just make sure he doesn't ingest them!

You sound like you're doing great. Keep at it. It has only been a month or so.

Thanks for the encouragement, I needed it.

This morning I came up with a new plan that I think will help. I got rid of his hammock. Now I am going to hang his fleece bonding pouch from the door of the cage and let him sleep in it too. I was having to remove him from the cage by hand and even with a fleece over him it was stressful. He would hold onto the bars for dear life and by the time I got him loose and out of the cage he would be really worked up. Now I can remove him still in the pouch without any stress.

Thanks, Death2Life

Also, may I please introduce the one you have heard so much about over the last month? Community please meet my Gizmo!!!!

Death2Life

I have two girls that are 1.5 years and have been with me for 2 months. My girls are prime examples of different personalities and sometimes having two help them bond with you. Toodles and Jennie are night and day, one loves to explore the other not so much, Jennie is always the first out the pouch, to greet me, to play, would rather explore than anything. If it wasn't for Jennie's curious nature towards me who knows how long Toodles will take to bond because she takes her cues from Jennie and always waits until Jennie comes to me. Both girls do not like my hands, they will take food from them, allow me to pet them and will use them to climb on but pick up, heck no and I have never pushed the issue. I do everything I can to show them my hands are safe but I will not pick them up. Toodles shakes a bit and is still nervous of me but isn't so fearful she bites and she only crabs when first moving the pouch. Jennie doesn't shake, and is a little skittish but only when something startled her. During tent time I'm Jennie's tree, she runs and plays but periodically comes back and if scared comes back. Toodles would rather cuddle in a ball pit, groom herself than use me as a tree but every now and then plays on me, but again if she gets scared and is near me she uses me to hide. For me that shows something, they may still not fully trust me and maybe still nervous but they trust me enough to protect them and don't "hate" my presence. Also Jennie is almost immediately ready to play in tent time, Toodles grooms herself for at least an hour before she really plays. Make sure you provide different toys, my girls prefer to explore during tent time and only play with toys in the cage but I still give them some just in case..... BTW you are totally being used for treats but that's how they learn you = yummy goodness, which in turn will = trust :) but as with everything worth wild it takes work and dedication..... Good luck!

Forgot to add when in the cage my girls oddly don't like to sleep in there bonding pouch so they have two different cage pouches they sleep in. When it's bonding time I make my noise to let them know I'm opening the cage, and talk to them, I remove the pouch, take it to the bathroom and either roll it down or move them out like squeezing tooth paste (metaphorically speaking), then they get yummy treats and pets, offer them the bonding pouch and in they go, sometimes with another treat once in the bonding pouch. I still don't just reach my hand in any pouches until they know it's me and have had a treat.

My experiment is not working. He sleeps in his ball pit now. Lol

Death2Life

I just hand my cage pouches on the cage with the links you buy for babies and when I go to take them out, I just slide it right off the links and take them into the bathroom. Minimal stress for my girls. Now if I hang the bonding pouch in the cage, nope they will sleep anywhere else but there.