Hello! I recently picked up two male neutered sugar gliders. I was told they are 2 years old. That seems at least somewhat accurate based on their temperament.
My husband and I are first time sugar glider owners.

We have only had them for four days as of today. (4/25) We have done plenty of research so of course we understand the general bonding process and don't expect them to be comfortable with us for a while.

I would, however, like some advice if possible about bonding with adult sugar gliders. Let me give you some context as to how things have been going so far and you can correct me if I'm doing something wrong. (I'm sure I am)

We mostly left them alone for the first couple of days. Didn't pick them up directly. Tried the bonding pouch a couple of times yesterday and today but didn't push it too far. I offer food to them by hand often and they seem to respond the best to that. I haven't spent more than a total of like an hour with them in a bonding pouch because I'm just not sure how ready they are for it. I talk to them through the cage often in a soft voice. If I see that they're awake, sometimes I just offer my hand near the cage so they can get my scent. I have not ever tried to pick them up yet. Not with my bare hands, not with an inside-out pouch, nothing. I only offer for them to crawl into a pouch (Kirby sometimes will) or I gently take the pouch they're sleeping in and transfer them into a zipper pouch without touching them directly.

Yoshi seems like the more timid one of the two. He tends to run away when we approach the cage sometimes. He will come up to me and take food directly out of my hands occasionally but for the most part, kind of avoids me. He's never gone out of his way to run up and bite me but if I get too close, he gets ready to. I've never been bitten by him yet.

Now, Kirby is my feisty one. If we're in front of the cage, he will charge at us and bite us. He will bite and bite and bite until we leave him alone. It's quite discouraging. He doesn't try to make himself look big or anything but he definitely tries really hard to intimidate me.(And I'll admit that it's working. I'm trying to stand my ground and not let him be a little bully but their teeth are like little daggers. lol)

The only time either of them crabs is when either me or my husband put one of our hands on a pouch they're sleeping in or accidentally startle them walking up to the cage. After they realize what's going on though, they stop. They don't crab when they're in a bonding pouch on our chest or anything like that.

Today, I had them both in a bonding pouch and I was hand feeding them apple. I kept breaking off little pieces and giving it to them while petting their head/neck area. This went on for a little over five minutes and I didn't get bitten once. They seemed to enjoy it. But THEN, later on, when it came to be the evening time and they were active, Kirby started acting all aggressive and charging at me again, biting me when I came up to the cage.

Any suggestions/opinions on how everything is going so far or how to prevent from getting bitten? I know a lot of people say to just take it but no matter what, I'm never gonna be able to not jerk away.
If you have any comments on what their behavior means in this early stage of bonding, please let me know that as well.
I'm being as patient as I can and know I won't see results overnight, especially with adult gliders.

Oh, also: Their previous owners had at least four kids, from I'm guessing around 6-12. They were very well taken care of from the looks of it but I'm thinking the kids might have something to do with the biting behavior????????? Correct me if I'm wrong. I know it's probably just that everything is new and scary for him right now.

I don't think the kids have anything to do with the biting behavior. I have a two biters myself. One is the mother who is overly protective and the other is her son who is just door/pouch protective.

Yours is probably just biting out of fear. When a glider is scared they can have either have a flight or fight response. Sounds like he has a fight response. He might stop when he starts to bond with you.

I know my gliders so I know how not to be bitten. One won't bite if I pet her head and keep my hand away from her mouth. The other will only nip if I'm going into the cage. I distract him with one hand and grab food with the other. He'll probably chill out with age.

Try holding them more while they are sleeping. They will start associating your scent to the safety of sleeping.

Also try having play time. You can use a tent, bathroom, or any other glider safe room. I recommend a small tent. Let them investigate you and get to know you. Show them you're not a threat.

So far you are doing a good job. Keep up the good work.

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Originally posted by lilsistar

I don't think the kids have anything to do with the biting behavior. I have a two biters myself. One is the mother who is overly protective and the other is her son who is just door/pouch protective.

Yours is probably just biting out of fear. When a glider is scared they can have either have a flight or fight response. Sounds like he has a fight response. He might stop when he starts to bond with you.

I know my gliders so I know how not to be bitten. One won't bite if I pet her head and keep my hand away from her mouth. The other will only nip if I'm going into the cage. I distract him with one hand and grab food with the other. He'll probably chill out with age.

Try holding them more while they are sleeping. They will start associating your scent to the safety of sleeping.

Also try having play time. You can use a tent, bathroom, or any other glider safe room. I recommend a small tent. Let them investigate you and get to know you. Show them you're not a threat.

So far you are doing a good job. Keep up the good work.

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Thank you so much! I actually do have a small tent as well. I will try it out soon!

I used to sleep with a tiny fleece square (or keep it tucked in my shirt all day or some other way of making it smell like me) and then put the fleece in my girls' sleeping pouch during the day. That way, even if your suggies aren't ready to be carried around in a bonding pouch, they are still smelling you and associating your scent with pouch and warmth and safety.

Another thing I did with Sydney, my timid girl, is I'd leave like a trail of her favorite treats on my hand and up my arm. I'd open the cage door and just kind of hover my hand near it. After a while, Syd would be so tempted/distracted by the food that she'd be out the door and clamoring all the way up my arm without even realizing that 'hey, this is a big scary human I'm crawling on'. The biggest struggle was making sure Addie, my adventurous one, didn't make a break for it and run off to explore while the cage door was open ha. (Syd is VERY food motivated though lol so I don't know if this would work as well for other suggies).

Neither of my girls are really biters so I don't have any personal experience tips for that, but I've heard from quite a few parents of nibbly gliders that making a sharp 'psst' sound when the sugar glider is trying to bite you helps to startle them out of that kind of behavior.

Good luck with your new gliders!! <3