Hi guys, I have a question about my glider, especially with recent events. I had two but one passed away from a friend's new cat they got while I was away. They never saw the cat around the cage and by the time it was caught it was too late. I'm still pretty sad about it as I feel like its my fault for not taking the extra step in asking them to isolate the cage in a separate room.

With that being said, my current glider Grey is healthy. I'm just conflicted because I feel like even the time i spend with him isn't enough and that he is getting depressed. He isn't over grooming and is pretty much still active at night. I'm worried bout less wheel use and sometimes he is up during the day, but usually to get water/food and go back to sleep. I heard him bark a few nights a couple of weeks after my other glider Guy passed which I used to hear them all the time and I miss it.

With this information given, what can I do to help my partner from getting depressed more effectively? Also, I just want to double check and see if eating/drinking during the day are okay which i'm pretty sure it is...

He is 6 years old and still has a good life left. I'm open to any and all advice as its been a long learning process with tons of research. Please teach me and help me learn more so I can help my partner to the optimal care. Thank you so much in advance!

Wow...I'm terribly sorry about the tragic loss of your glider. Don't feel like it is your fault because it isn't really.

The best thing to do would honestly to get another glider. Maybe one with a close age to yours so one of them wouldn't have to go through a(nother) loss. Look into how to introduce gliders to one another (which you can easily find on this forum).

Another idea is to bond twice as much with your remaining glider. I'm sure plenty of people have one glider and it is happy. You need to spend a lot of time (EVERYDAY) with this suggie or it will not be happy.

As for the morning water/food problem, that's fine. Gliders will get up in the morning sometimes if the are still hungry or need water. Yours might be sad over the loss and not eat all the time which results in having to wake up in the day to eat/drink.

I wish you best of luck.

Thank you. Also, I meant to ask... sometimes my glider sleeps outside its area (small towel in this case) so is that an issue or just glider comfort preference?

Sorry for your loss.

I also am in a situation having one surviving glider, although he is around 10 years old. His slightly younger (approx 8yrs old) cage mates passed just months apart, Lulu in October of last year and then skadoosh in March.

He gets up during daytime hours, but he did before they passed as well, though now he may more frequently, mostly to snack or drink. He did begin over grooming a little after Lulu passed and when Skadoosh got ill. He still does, but eats well and is as active as always.

I do try to spend as much extra time with him as possible. Every morning, after tray cleaning and cage spot cleaning, I give him two yogurt drops. If he's up, I'll sit him on my lap while he eats them, if he's in the pouch, I hold the pouch on my lap and feed them to him. I talk to him and pet him. At dinner time, after work, I try to sit and talk with him a bit, later in the evening spend some more time. Sometimes,if he's wanting to come out, 2-3x per week, occasionally more or less, depending on whether he's ready to come out before I go to bed (which is about the same frequency as before the girls passed, sometimes one or both would come out and he wouldn't). If he doesn't want to come out, and in the pouch, I hold pouch and cuddle him with my hand in pouch for a bit. If he's out and about the cage, but doesn't want out, I just visit at the cage for a bit. I leave it up to him, but he gets more time one way or another, like it or not, lol.

I have a fleece hedgehog, I can't remember where I ordered it, but it was in the cage with my trio. I never washed it, so it had their combined scent still on it. I tuck it in the pouch with him now, so he's got something to cuddle with. I'd like to get another, if I could remember who made them. I'd like to wash one and get my scent on it, then swap them out for cleaning.

I've noticed one of my gliders does that when I clean their cage tray (it freaks her out) but one of the other people on this forum said it was okay. It can be a glider preference. I recommend adding places (fleece tunnels, cubes, etc.) where they can sleep outside of their pouch or in your case, a towel and remain warm.

TJones just reminded me that there are things called fleece hedgehogs you can give to solo gliders. It lets them cuddle with something. If you don't want to buy one online, just make a larger ball of fleece (About the size of the glider I would say)and let your glider cuddle with it.

thank you everyone!

Created Moments make the fleece hedgies they are awesome especially for singles

https://www.facebook.com/CreatedMoments/

she is also on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreatedMoments?coupon=LIMITEDSALE&utm_medium=social_organic&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=scoupons_coupon


Her facebook page says shes having a 10% sale, use coupon code LIMITEDSALE

and you can make a fleece pompom as well both work the same the hedgies are adorable though and hold up very well for a long time.

https://www.joann.com/clover-pom-pom-maker-large-2-pkg-2-1-2in-and-3-3-8in/9742677.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAjwjZjZBRAZEiwAPeLSK4FF6COHKZ0nlGjUYEUykihyj0V8NnNKYfziKNwUyRJWJItIie0mQBoCZIIQAvD_BwE

pompom makers are cheap^^, and you can make as many as you want, just DON'T use yarn, cut strips of fleece instead or buy Flarn which is fleece yarn. I have a few sizes of pompom makers I like the extra large one and large one, the others are a little to small to make a nice full pompom with fleece

Oh my gosh, that is horrible, and something similar happened to my Katrina, two weeks ago A friend was keeping my female pair and forgot to cover the cage and that darn cat of his killed her through the cage. Now I am looking for another one for her sister. I am so sorry, I know it hurts, she was only 7.