Hi all! I was wondering if there anything I need to know when setting up a cage?

Should I put more of a certain thing (hammocks, pouches, tunnels, ropes, etc)? I'm ordering a cage set, and the set includes 1 cage pouch, 1 tunnel, 1 parachute, 2 corner hammocks, and 1 sway bridge. Is that enough? I'm going to buy two of the same sets, but I was curious as to how much I should actually have in the cage.

How many toys do you suggest? I also read that I shouldn't have too many toys in the beginning because it'll mess with the bonding process. Do you find that true, in your experience?

I am getting the Madagascar cage, so do you think I should get the X mount holder for the Stealth Wheel, or the regular standing mount?

Should I always have tree branches in the cage, and how many should I have if I do?

Thank you for any help you can give, and for your time!

You know...I don't know why people say don't offer too many toys or it will interfere with bonding. In the months of research I did before getting my girls, I never read that. I wouldn't worry about that at all. As for the cage set, it would depend on how big your cage is. In mine, I have 3 corner pieces, 1 pouch, 1 bridge and 1 hammock. I have one similar in size to the Brisbane.

You'll find how you set up your cage will depend on your gliders. Some gliders use things, others don't. Same goes for toys. If you have gliders that like to chew and fiddle, they might like lots of various types of toys. Whereas a food-motivated glider might ignore any toy that doesn't have a treat hidden in a treat cup somewhere :)

Same thing with tunnels, pouches...some gliders get crabby when they can't see out. For those gliders, you might prefer a more open style pouch and less tunnels. Some gliders love launching from platform to platform; you'd like to set up your cage so they can "circuit" around. My one girl likes to jump from the ceiling of the cage down, hopping and bouncing on each platform hammock as she goes :)

In any case, it's always better to have extra cage set pieces, even if they don't all fit in the cage. When you're cleaning your cage set pieces, you can wash half, and put in a new half from your stash. Rotate and laundry days are a lot easier.

Personally I like to use corner hammocks (2), a parachute pouch (1), then either fringed vines or braided ropes (2-3) per cage. Toys (including toys with sleeping areas) make up the rest. I also use branches to climb on.

I wouldn't hold back on the toys. I think that "rule" came about as it's easier to remove a glider from a near-empty cage as opposed to a cage cluttered with hiding spots. Or maybe it's so the glider gets bored and looks to you as the entertainment source? In any case, your gliders will forgive you for spoiling them with their toys.

One toy you should always keep in the cage is your wheel. Even the most spartan cages need a sleeping space and a wheel. You can add toys and bedding as you go... You'll be amazed how easy it is to find toys for them!

And as for the wheel... I prefer cage mount as to give more space for playing. But it does make it a tad more inconvenient to remove for cleaning. Floor mounts still need to be secured as they can "walk" when they really get going :)

Good advice given so far, I totally agree with.

Setting up your gliders cage is one of the fun parts in preparing to bring your babies home, or even when you're upgrading a cage.

The most important factor is furnishing with glider safe accessories, i.e. fleece fabric and glider safe wheel(s). Of course you'll want to make sure everything is safe and can feel free to ask about a particular something you have in mind here on the forum for a sounding board. I know I posted lots of photos of my set up, so I could have feedback on anything regarded as unsafe or anything that should be added or removed.

I do agree about the toys, gliders will get bored, if you're spending regular and consistent time with your gliders, they will bond with you.

I also agree on your gliders determining their set up, but you'll have to learn their preferences.

As for your wheel, I use both a cage mount and free standing wheel, when I'm offering two wheels, which I usually do since I now have three. One wheel is enough for two gliders though. I use wheels from spinzone global I get the ones where the wheels can be removed from the mounting which makes placing in and out of the cage easier as well as to clean the wheels (why I chose this brand). I have two regular and one travel size wheel, I alternate the one travel size wheel with second regular to offer them changes, the extra wheel then is sometimes used for "out of cage" play and of coarse the travel size is used on trips.

I also agree with at least two cage sets, one to use pieces from and another to alternate between washing. I feel the highly used fleece items should be changed out weekly, however some pieces not used as much can be left longer. Extra pouches, or whatever they prefer to sleep in is recommended. I also recommend offering at least two different sleeping options for two gliders, more if you you have more than two.

I recommend looking at photos of cage set ups, as I found them useful for when setting up my glider's cage. You can try searching on this forum for "cage setups" or try using your favored search engine.

Don't be afraid to try different items, see what they use and don't use. Additionally, even if you may notice they don't have much use for a particular item, don't discard it, you can offer it once in a while, for they may decide to use it eventually. Mine, like Glideit mentioned are very food oriented and don't bother much with other toys that don't contain food, except their wheels. But occasionally, they will play with something. My gliders also don't seem to be fond of fringy vines but like braided ones, they don't care for fleece tunnels, but will play with the mesh ones a bit. I still offer some of these things now and then, to give them something different.

Enjoy!

I started with a floor stand but soon realized that I had to wipe the stand down every day and it was hard to work around the tie wraps. The cage mount doesn't have that problem, but it was awkward to install without help.

Sorry for back to back posts, the first was so long already and I realized I haven't actually answered all your questions.

As for the amount of specific items, I've changed my gliders cage set up so much and find many different ways to arrange their furnishings and have used many different furnishings.

Generally I like to set up areas to allow them to utilize the entire space of the cage. I try to keep it interesting throughout the cage. Though I move things around and change things up quite a bit and am always coming up with new layouts, I try to keep some basics in the cage that I know are appreciated by my gliders. As mentioned a wheel or two, also I like to keep some items "floor toys" on the cage floor along with a feeding station of f/v combo at dinner time. The floor usually holds a fake branch, I switch it's orientation every few weeks about, and I alternate a large floor toy hide/climbing thing that is basically a toddler's toy, a modified tree house and a Noah's arc are the two I alternate. At times I use the wheel on floor stand here, but lately have been placing it or another floor toy on a shelf in the cage. I like to use at least one corner hammock and sometimes two or even a fleece bridge. I also often like to use a parachute pouch, which I basically use set up as a square hammock at the top of the cage, and have caught a glider there chilling some nights. I do like to have natural branches, but don't always have that luxury, I'm working on an idea that would use bark for them. I typically like to offer different types of landings/platforms to set up activities or just a place for them to rest their feet from the bars. I also like to leave areas they can jump and some climbing activities so there is always a variety of options for them, as some are climbers and some are jumpers (more frequently).

Toys, I like a good mix of things, mine don't bother too much with ball pits, but if I place a toy bin in there, or pom poms, they may toss some about and rarely I'll find a bracelet in their sleeping pouch. I like to offer at least two or more options of foraging toys, but usually alternate what I put treats in and only do so a few nights a week. But that's because I do like to offer one of their favorites by hand during cage visits. Reset toys, ones they can pull things off or apart and we get to put back together I like to have one or two of those, or string up some crazy straws or monkey/bunnies they can pull down. I also like to have something they can swing on in the cage.

As I mentioned, I change things so much, I really can't give more specifics, also you will learn what is favored over other items and will adapt the cage to your gliders as you begin to know them.

Oh my goodness, I guess I can never say enough about cage set up
I actually had the Madagascar cage, it's a nice size and sturdy. I recommend not using more than two shelves and none of the ladders in the cage. I used to use one of the wood perches (alternating them) occasionally with that cage, I had fleece pole covers and changed them out weekly. I don't use the ones with my current cage, I'm not even sure I still have them, lol. You will have fun setting up the cage.

As for food and water, if you have more than one glider, I would set up multiple feeding stations, at least two. And it's recommended to have two water bottles, but since I switched to using silos, I keep one in there, it's so easy to refill and clean, I can see how much water they have, but change the water before it's near empty anyway, and the silo will not fail like some water bottles can.

Hey! Thank you all so much for your replies!

TJones09 --> No problem at all! I appreciate all the detail you gave me! All the cage talk though really helped me get an idea of what I need and need to do.

jdching --> Yeah, I was concerned about that. I'll get the X Stand then. It seems like the easiest choice. Thank you for sharing your experience!

Ange1seyes --> I read it on an article, and a couple of times on this site. I thought it was kinda sketchy, since there is so much info otherwise, but I thought I should ask anyway to cover all my bases. Thank you for taking the time to answer and for your cage opinion.

GLIDEIT --> Thank you for taking the time to give a detailed response! It really helped!