I was just wondering what all you have your sitters do. Let's say you are going on vacation for a week. Do you have them do tent time or bonding pouch time? How hard is it just to take them with you on vacation? Obviously they would have to deal with a smaller cage for a week. What do you tell the hotel? I'm just one that worries about the fuzzies while someone else looks after them. IIt's the whole no one can care for them as good as I do thing. Thanks for any info.

Hi! I have my friend live in my house while I'm gone...he doesn't do tent time but I make him do finger licking treat time, but it's only a person I can trust...as for hotels I never say I have them with me when I travel...lol

We usually take ours everywhere we go. Having said that we also have their God Mother as a back up babysitter if we don't feel we should bring them, she runs a glider rescue.

When ever this question comes up for travel it always made me wonder what people have set in place for if something happens to them.

So I also spoke to Sam the God Mother about being a Glider God Mother to our pair if anything should happen to Us. She happily agreed to take them and keep them as her own. My folks aren't into pets and are currently taking care of my 90 some yr old Gramma, My kids are busy with their own life in Nys, and Darrin's mom has cats and no patience at all lol Neither of us would be comfortable with her caring for them. So we were really hard pressed to think of someone able and willing to take them in an emergency like that.

I also plan on having an Emergency letter written up (soon!) to have in our truck and on top of the cage and with the office that runs the place that we live, with feeding and care instructions and Sam's name address and contact number in case anything should happen to us or our home if we are not home or have an accident with the gliders in the truck etc.. I know it's kind of morbid to think like that but I rather know they will be taken care and by whom.

when I am out of town my son feeds the gliders. I prepare all their plates (I have 3 cages) and put them in the freezer so all he needs to do is put the plate in each cage each night.

He does not take them out of the cage for play time like I do. They are fine for a week or so with out their usually out of cage time but the are happy when I come back.

I would not have someone that is not familiar with your gliders take them out of the cage. They will be fine for a week's vacation.

If you do take them with you, be sure the hotel allows pets. Some hotels do not allow them at all. Others charge a HUGE fee for pets in the room. Because they are in a good size cage, gliders are impossible to hide. I would not let gliders out of their cage in a hotel room. There are too many places to hide behind and under furniture that may not be movable. Gliders have also been known to slip under hotel doors and escape down the hall in the hotel.

Keep in mind that if you normally fly on your vacations that the gliders cannot be carried on the plane with you and not all airlines are equipped to carry pets in the cargo area. You will need a sitter if your trip involves a plane trip.

Thanks for the replies. Leela, I have made arrangements for my horse and my dog if something was to happen to my husband and myself so the gliders would be no exception but would require some thinking. Most likely they would go to my best friend who is a school teacher. She would be able to have them in her room at school and then bring them home in the summer.

We usually drive anyplace we go because the dog usually goes with us. So, that means we have to find pet friendly places anyway.

What about cages for the week of traveling? Obviously I couldn't take a Madagascar with me.

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She would be able to have them in her room at school and then bring them home in the summer.

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Actually, sugar gliders do not make good classroom pets because they are NOCTURNAL. The children would not see them because they should be allowed to sleep undisturbed during the day. Your friend would need TWO CAGES in order to bring the gliders home every night with her.

It would NOT be ideal to leave the gliders in the classroom over night - Evenings are the best time for gliders to benefit from human interation. They need to be fed fresh foods in the evening - not at 3:00 in the afternoon at the end of the school day. Most teachers would not have access to freezer space at school to store the glider's food including fruits and vegetables.

As for travel cages - many folks use sturdy screen mesh pop up dog carriers for travel.

You also need to think about how to transport and store food for your gliders since you may not have freezer or refrigerator space in a hotel room.

Thanks for the reply Candy. Since this is a hypothetical situation, 1. because I don't own gliders yet and 2. something has to happen to me first, I won't spend much time on it.

My best friend is a Science teacher. She has several pets in her classroom as well as keeping a Koi pond outside her room in the courtyard. She does all kinds of cool things to show the kids and keep them interested. She is at school well after 3pm so she would be able to feed them later and her class starts at 7 am so she gets to school well before the gliders went to sleep for the day to be able to take them out and play with them. She already has cages at home and at school and I see how she takes care of her other animals and they are completely pampered and spoiled. I would have no issues placing gliders with her in the even something awful happened to me but hopefully we won't have to cross that bridge. haha

Thanks for the replies. Most likely I will take them with me on vacation since we already take the dog.

Understanding this is hypothetical... And All that may be well and good.

However, if something happens to one of them during the night there will be no one to hear them and there to help them.

When I first joined this site there was a girl who had gliders in her class room, for some reason they didn't have access one weekend to feed or check on them.

One glider got it's foot snagged on some thread and was hanging from one toe for who knows how long before they found it monday morning. Then they didn't have funds to take it a vet for immediate care.

Was quite a sad thing to read, and while it's not a common thing for gliders to be kept at a school this is one good reason they really shouldn't be. Gliders are most active at night and I'd venture to say most accidents happen when they're active.

I know I have been woken up in the middle of the night when my male got snagged on a piece of fleece, they can and do let you know that they need help, but they need someone in the same building to be there to hear them.

It's great that your friend would pamper and spoil them but really they shouldn't be left over night in a school. They should be kept primarily at her home, and bring them to school in a bonding bag if she wants. The other thing I would worry about is janitors using cleaning products around or on the cage that could make them sick. Glider cages can have a smell to them and a well meaning janitor may want to help by using cleaning products unsafe for gliders.

Anyway just wanted to let you know there are some things to consider that you may not have thought of.

Good points Leela. Didn't really think of no one being there to help. Will tell her she would have to take them home at night. She has keys to the doors at her school so she would never not be able to get in. Since they would be personal pets and not school property funds for the vet wouldn't be an issue.

Poor baby. Yes would definitely tell her that they would have to go home at night.

Thanks for all the help everyone. So hard trying to think of everything while researching and convincing the hubby why we need to feed two little mouths. Haha

That's why were here, to help and point out things new owners don't think of.

I will say gliders are one of my fav pets I've ever had out of all the animals I've had. We have traveled with ours, mostly short weekend trips and it's really not that bad.

We have a small cage we bring and buckle in the back seat, but most of the time we travel during the day so their in the bonding bag on me. A couple times we were driving at night and just pulled over and put them in the cage when they woke up and they loved it.

Really the hardest part is keeping their staple from going bad while traveling but if it's already frozen you can pack it in a cooler with ice, it will keep pretty well this way. Fresh fruits and veg we buy when we get to where ever were going.

Mine don't care for being in the little cage at night much but they survive it, just make sure they have a wheel in there and some toys. And if you can glider proof the bathroom of where your staying or bring a small pop up tent for play time that helps considerably.

I had thought of taking a pop up tent. Would there be a reason that the pop up tent couldn't be their "cage" while vacationing? Obviously the sheet on the bottom would have to be changed regularly.

I'm thinking of using the Critter Love Complete formula and I could just make it up fresh while traveling (usually only one overnight) until we get to where we are staying. We usually get a room with a kitchen in it so would have access to a freezer. We always pack a cooler while driving so I could take frozen if need be.

Personally, I wouldn't trust a popup tent for living quarters.

My female would have that zipper unzipped in no time flat There are just to many ways she could and would get out of one.

My male, yeh he would be ok in a tent for a week he doesn't try to escape and even when Leela does get out of the cage he stays right in there barking at me to let me know she's out.

He literally paces back and forth at the front of the cage like an inmate scared to leave even though the door is wide open and barking like an alarm going off in a prison. I swear if I could teach him how to blow a whistle he would blow it when she gets out He won't stop until I get up and get her back in the cage, and reward him with a treat for being a good lil snitch and staying in his cage

So really I would guess it would depend on the gliders if it would work or not. For my own sanity I need to know they are secured in a cage lol.

Oh that's hysterical! Ok, won't plan on tent as cage. Smart little suckers!

They are incredibly smart, do not underestimate a glider They learn from us and from each other.

My female has taught my male a lot of skills, thankfully he only puts the good ones to use He has also started teaching her new things! Last night she voluntarily went back in the cage after play time, she never does that! but she followed him right down my arm and into the cage lol I was stunned!!

Gliders as classroom pets:
Not all gliders can be classroom pets, but mine seem to enjoy the experience. They should not be left in the classroom overnight. I did a lot of research and a plan to introduce my gliders to the classroom. My gliders are my pets first but they also go to the classroom with me. They live at home with me but travel to school with me each day. I have a cage in the classroom that has a wheel and toys. My kids love the gliders and the gliders seem to enjoy the classroom. They come to front of the cage to say "Hi" to the kids in the morning and then go to sleep. The kids love giving treats (veggies or fruits) to the gliders and it helps them learn the importance of caring for another living being. I incorporate them into my curriculum when we talk about the importance of nutrition and mammals. It also serves as a reminder of how important it is to use an inside voice because the gliders are sleeping. If the gliders seemed uncomfortable in the classroom, I would not continue to bring them. I also do not bring them when the weather is iffy. This is not something every glider is ready for and not for every person.

One of my gliders knows exactly where the tent zipper opens! I have watched her tear at that spot trying to make a hole!

Gracie that is so good to know. Had a discussion with my friend yesterday and she said she would absolutely take them home at night. I agree that teaching kids to be kind and caring for another living being is wonderful. Thanks so much for your input.

jdching - yikes! Well, I will get a travel cage and take a pop up tent with me. I have been researching best options for travel cages today. Love this forum...soooo much info on here.