Hi everyone so I am a new sugar glider mom of about two weeks. My sugar glider is approx 11 weeks oop or so I was told. He's starting to warm up to me however when he smells my hand he also bites it very very hard. I haven't had a chance to get him in a bonding pouch yet as I'm still researching and learning as I go. I try not to pull away when he bites but he draws blood and it hurts so bad. I end up always pulling away. It doesn't seem like a threatening bite but it's like he thinks I'm food. What do I do?

Its hard but DONT pull away. You need to make a tssk sound when he bites. If you pull away he will bite everytime he doesnt like something. He may smell a lotion or soap or something on you that he either doesnt like, or wants to eat.

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You need to make a tssk sound when he bites.

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Watch your glider closely for signs that he is about to bite. If he always smells your finger first - then make the Psssstttt sound or say a firm (not loud) NO BEFORE he bites - as you move your hand away. You need to let him know biting is not OK but don't just sit there when you know the bite is coming.

Do check any soaps, detergents, shampoo or other scented products you regularly use. If any of them are flower or fruit scented - your glider may just be thinking your hands are something that might be yummy to eat so he just has to get a bite to see if it is.

I have 8 gliders. I for one dont let them bite me.
I pull away before they bite / I dont give them a chance to bite when very new and they are scared of me. / I use fleece to pick them up. Once they get used to you and they are less scared, the "bites" just become little nips that come if I need to pick them up or grab them, then they give me a small "I dont like this" nip. this is usually when playtime in 7 by 9 room is over and they won't get into pouch, or won't come out of cage for playtime. After awhile they pretty much stop biting all together even if you pick them up. I also use the scoop up move, two hands besides them then scoop under them and get them in ball before they can get away. Once they feel safe around you they will just jump on you most of the time.
I let my wife do the hand in pouch move, that comes with a few bites until they calm down, then they figure you are a pouch friend and stop biting.

Give your glider some time to get used to you while at the same time using the good bonding stuff on this website. I think I have gotten ONE blood bite but my wife has gotten a few, but they dont seem to bother her that much.

The biting is quite painful lol. I tried to cup him in pouch today and although he would let me pet him he Crabbed no stop then eventually kept biting me harder and harder. I'm so new to this. He does come up to me in the cage at night but if I move or talk or open the cage he runs to a corner and even back into his pouch. I have a hard time getting him into a bonding pouch from sleeping pouch as he crabs and lunges like crazy.

just keep taking it slow....

do you wear him in a bonding pouch during the day?

what diet is he currently eating?:)

I try to put him in a bonding pouch but he crabs and lunges and just seems really stressed out so I try not to do it too often. He is currently on the BML diet with veggies and fruits and about 2-3 mea lies a day

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Originally posted by Theidt87

I try to put him in a bonding pouch but he crabs and lunges and just seems really stressed out so I try not to do it too often. He is currently on the BML diet with veggies and fruits and about 2-3 mea lies a day

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I would suggest two things.

at night get a nice treat he likes. I would start with dried papaya as I believe its more healthy. other treats, yogurt drops or usually the MOST favorite for gliders dried or live mealworms. (I actually use peas as a treat to big mama cause she just loves them). ok so now ...sit next to cage, offer him the treat, make sure he takes the treat and not your finger. As you do this at night, watch at how he takes treat, he should start getting more and more gentle as the weeks go by. If he seems less scared of you, open cage door and make him take treat with door open. He should take the treat and run away. As the weeks go by he should stop running away all the time. I then put arm down low, and treat on other side of arm. Forcing him to walk on my arm to get the treat. This is best done at night when they are awake and out of pouch.
2. get a fleece, hand size towel, use that to grab him, you should do it fast so you don't stress him to much chasing him. If he is in pouch, you take pouch off the cage wall, and just dump him into bonding pouch. Or try to use a treat to get him in bonding pouch. there are several ways to do it, but just get him in bonding pouch with a apple slice in it for him to eat for hydration. I would also have a few mealworms. I would feed him the mealworm thru the net screen. keep him with you for a few hours, you can talk to him, let him crab if he must. also to get him in bonding pouch, take sleeping pouch out of cage after removing him from sleeping pouch. now he has no pouch to hide in, you offer him the bonding pouch he should go in it.

I'm new too, only have had mine less than a week.

To get mine into the bonding pouch I waited until they were asleep and then put the sleeping pouch upside down into the bonding pouch and kinda slid them/dumped them into the bonding pouch. After doing that for 2 days, I took their sleeping pouch out and hung up the bonding pouch. They slept in that and now even though their old sleeping pouch is back in there, they sleep in the bonding pouch instead.

For the bonding pouch I've found putting a treat they like in the bonding pouch then putting theme in there helps as it helps

I am a very new Mom. I have had brother & sister for about 3 weeks. From day one I started putting them in the bonding pouch. I didn't give them hanging pouches or anything like that for the first week. Just a few big pieces of fleece. When I got up I would remove the fleece and they were looking for something to go into so I put the bonding pouch in and they went in immediately. Other thing you can try is make the bonding pouch the sleeping pouch. As for the biting. Mine were always trying to bite but very hard. I carry them all day and I lay my hands on the screen in the bonding pouch. After a couple weeks I can now put my hand in the pouch and they rarely nip. Treats are always from my hand and if one goes to bite I blow very gently at them and they stop instantly. Hope this helps even though its from a newbie.