How long should I stay in the tent with my sugar gliders?



Thanks!

I just made a glider room. I have mostly bonded/friendly gliders, I had them out from 10pm to 1am running around room, then at 1am only one was still out so I called it a night. The next night I got them out at 10:30 and most were back in pouch at 12 midnight.
When the gliders were new, we would go 30 to 45 minutes, let them explore, get a few treats, maybe check us out, then before they got to stress put them back in cage. so i would start at 30 to 45 minutes then increase as they are more bonded with you.

Unlike Byk, I don't do tent time at night, If I do tent time it's during the day
and for how long depends on the gliders.

I don't do tent time at night because that is the gliders time to eat, get on the wheel, play or go back to bed. Once I put food in the cage I don't bother them unless I do feather play with them in the cage. All of their fav things are in the cage and many of mine would rather be in the cage rather than in the tent.

There isn't anything "wrong" with night time tent time, but I use my tent as a bonding tool rather than play area and it's just never been my habit to do it at night.

By bonding tool I mean, I generally only use the tent when I have new to me gliders. I don't bring toys in, or wheels, or anything else that would distract them to much. I do bring in my cell and usually my laptop for myself.

My goal is to give the gliders safe, contained freedom to explore me on their own terms. Some will go around in the tent but they are still observing me and coming back to me to check me out. I don't really pay attention to the time or how long were in there, I don't work, so it could be 20 min to half the day depending on the gliders.

I don't initiate contact with them in the tent UNLESS I trim their nails before I turn them out of their pouch. I don't try to pet them, or pick them up at all. I pretty much either take pics of them, or "ignore" them. By ignore I mean I focus on something else but still pay attention to their behavior and what they are doing without distracting them. Again my goal is for them to come to me, not me force myself onto them. If they jump on to me, I acknowledge them, talk to them and if they stay on me cool, if they jump off then I go back to "ignoring" them.

Because I'm working with gliders not so bonded to me in the tent I prefer the day time because they are more docile and it's easier to get them back in the pouch to go back to the cage by myself. Simply turn the light on and offer them a pouch they usuallllllly will voluntarily walk right into the pouch on their own because they prefer the dark pouch to the light.


When the gliders and I reach the point that they are primarily staying on my body in the tent ( usually in my sleeve or sweatshirt ) and not off exploring or avoiding me, I quite using the tent. At that point the tent served it's purpose for me. At that point I can either sit with them in my lap in the pouch during the day or they go in my shirt and I don't need the tent to confine them.

It's important for me to note that I do not have other pets, I do not have kids living here. 80% of the time it's me and the gliders here. If I had other pets I would probably use the tent more, and not just for the initial bonding stage.


There is no set amount of time you have to be in the tent, most people have jobs, kids, etc so the time they spend in the tent largely depends on their schedule.

If you have 15 min do 15 min if you have 2 hours do 2 hours, etc... If you can during the day do it in the day time, if you can't do it in the day time do it at night or early in the morning.

I do tent time right around sunset (7:00-7:30). Mine usually last anywhere from 20-60 minutes because they need to eat after that. Most people prefer 30 minutes to 2 hours.