Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 12:11 amHello everyone. I'm new to the forum and new to sugar parenthood. Thought I should stop by and introduce myself and my new sugar baby, perhaps ask a question or two.
My glider's name is Zachary Binks, we call him Bink Bink or just Binks. I only got him a few days ago. He came from two previous owners, as far as I know. He is about a year and half old. I was told that he had lost his bond buddy, then was given away. The new owners got two others for his companionship, but he didn't bond with them at all, they said he preferred to be alone. He came to me beautiful and scared. They told me that in order for them to handle him, they had to wear gloves. They had to get rid of him because they are expecting a new baby, and didn't feel like they would have time for him anymore. I already love him so much, and I empathize with him.
I refuse to wear gloves to handle him, because I know that it would cover my scent and I want him fully bonded to me. I know that it's going to take time, possibly tons of time because of his age, and his history of house jumping. I wear him around my neck in his bonding pouch as often as I possibly can. I rub him through the pouch and I talk to him a lot. He's still kind of afraid, but he's getting better about things. We go into our glider proof bathroom and I let the bonding commence. He started biting me right away. I expected that my fingers and hands would look like I"m some sort of junkie, and they do...LOL I have bite marks and and bruises, but I hope it will be worth it. But we're already improving in that area. I tell him "NO BITE!" and he stops to move on to something else. He climbs all over me and tries to nibble at ANY exposed flesh, under my arms behind my back hurts the most...LOL He's let us pet him while he's eating from day one. He takes food out of my hands. I'm still a bit scared to give him licky treats tho, because he has yet to bite my fingertips.
When he's out of his cage and we're bonding, he pays more attention to his surroundings and searching them, than he does me. The first couple of days he was very active. He would jump around in his cage and then come out and explore every nook and crannie he could find. He played ball with me and he has chased a feather toy I got him, so I know he can be playful. He is not neutered, I think I forgot to mention that. It seems like the longer he's outside of his cage, the more wild he gets. His tail will quiver and he skitters around everywhere, then he hides. He doesn't bite me as often and when he does, it isn't as hard as before, however, sometimes, he still latches on and gives me a good one. He tends to rub his body against my books and other things in the bathroom. I know he's marking, and it's so cute.
Starting yesterday, though, he started sleeping a lot. And he urinates in his bonding pouch, has since day one. I thought he would stop that, but he hasn't. I thought they didn't pee where they slept. I've washed the pouch twice already. I thought I would leave it stinky for him, but I can't leave it stinky for me, and it's wet, probably not a good idea for him to sleep in it. I don't know what to do about that. So he's sleeping a lot...a lot lot...he's not even up at nights, and I'm up till about 4 AM. He sleeps and hides more now than the first day we brought him home. I'm scared to death that he's sick or home sick or sad or depressed, and I can't help him overcome it. I did manage to hold him while he was sleeping. He passed out in the pouch and I turned it inside out while petting him and rubbing him all over. He liked that so much that he stretched out and exposed chin...I even got some belly rubbins.....and when he realized that he was in my hands, he was like "eh, whatever" and passed back out.
This is part of my confusion. On one hand, he's doing great and we're bonding, but on the other hand, he still shivers, still bites, still pees in his pouch, he's stopped playing with the ball and feather, he doesn't explore as much as he did and he's sleeping more and more. He doesn't bite as much or as hard.
We graduated from the bathroom to the bedroom for a little bit today. He crawled all over me, explored the room a bit, then went and hid far away from me. Kind of broke my heart some that he didn't run to me, but again, I know it will take time. Am I doing something wrong? Was the bedroom too soon? Why is he sleeping so much now, is that normal? How much do they sleep? I can count the times he's crabbed at me on one bruised hand. He seems so loving, but so distant and still untrusting. And another thing, his bald spot on his head seems rough, not scabbed but not smooth skin either. His previous owners had him to the vet in June, and he had a clean bill of health. I don't want to lose him, I've already bonded to him even if he hasn't quite bonded with me.
Anyway, that's our story...I know it is a long one and thank you for reading....any insight, comments or further questions would be welcome and appreciated.
~Neko~
My glider's name is Zachary Binks, we call him Bink Bink or just Binks. I only got him a few days ago. He came from two previous owners, as far as I know. He is about a year and half old. I was told that he had lost his bond buddy, then was given away. The new owners got two others for his companionship, but he didn't bond with them at all, they said he preferred to be alone. He came to me beautiful and scared. They told me that in order for them to handle him, they had to wear gloves. They had to get rid of him because they are expecting a new baby, and didn't feel like they would have time for him anymore. I already love him so much, and I empathize with him.
I refuse to wear gloves to handle him, because I know that it would cover my scent and I want him fully bonded to me. I know that it's going to take time, possibly tons of time because of his age, and his history of house jumping. I wear him around my neck in his bonding pouch as often as I possibly can. I rub him through the pouch and I talk to him a lot. He's still kind of afraid, but he's getting better about things. We go into our glider proof bathroom and I let the bonding commence. He started biting me right away. I expected that my fingers and hands would look like I"m some sort of junkie, and they do...LOL I have bite marks and and bruises, but I hope it will be worth it. But we're already improving in that area. I tell him "NO BITE!" and he stops to move on to something else. He climbs all over me and tries to nibble at ANY exposed flesh, under my arms behind my back hurts the most...LOL He's let us pet him while he's eating from day one. He takes food out of my hands. I'm still a bit scared to give him licky treats tho, because he has yet to bite my fingertips.
When he's out of his cage and we're bonding, he pays more attention to his surroundings and searching them, than he does me. The first couple of days he was very active. He would jump around in his cage and then come out and explore every nook and crannie he could find. He played ball with me and he has chased a feather toy I got him, so I know he can be playful. He is not neutered, I think I forgot to mention that. It seems like the longer he's outside of his cage, the more wild he gets. His tail will quiver and he skitters around everywhere, then he hides. He doesn't bite me as often and when he does, it isn't as hard as before, however, sometimes, he still latches on and gives me a good one. He tends to rub his body against my books and other things in the bathroom. I know he's marking, and it's so cute.
Starting yesterday, though, he started sleeping a lot. And he urinates in his bonding pouch, has since day one. I thought he would stop that, but he hasn't. I thought they didn't pee where they slept. I've washed the pouch twice already. I thought I would leave it stinky for him, but I can't leave it stinky for me, and it's wet, probably not a good idea for him to sleep in it. I don't know what to do about that. So he's sleeping a lot...a lot lot...he's not even up at nights, and I'm up till about 4 AM. He sleeps and hides more now than the first day we brought him home. I'm scared to death that he's sick or home sick or sad or depressed, and I can't help him overcome it. I did manage to hold him while he was sleeping. He passed out in the pouch and I turned it inside out while petting him and rubbing him all over. He liked that so much that he stretched out and exposed chin...I even got some belly rubbins.....and when he realized that he was in my hands, he was like "eh, whatever" and passed back out.
This is part of my confusion. On one hand, he's doing great and we're bonding, but on the other hand, he still shivers, still bites, still pees in his pouch, he's stopped playing with the ball and feather, he doesn't explore as much as he did and he's sleeping more and more. He doesn't bite as much or as hard.
We graduated from the bathroom to the bedroom for a little bit today. He crawled all over me, explored the room a bit, then went and hid far away from me. Kind of broke my heart some that he didn't run to me, but again, I know it will take time. Am I doing something wrong? Was the bedroom too soon? Why is he sleeping so much now, is that normal? How much do they sleep? I can count the times he's crabbed at me on one bruised hand. He seems so loving, but so distant and still untrusting. And another thing, his bald spot on his head seems rough, not scabbed but not smooth skin either. His previous owners had him to the vet in June, and he had a clean bill of health. I don't want to lose him, I've already bonded to him even if he hasn't quite bonded with me.
Anyway, that's our story...I know it is a long one and thank you for reading....any insight, comments or further questions would be welcome and appreciated.
~Neko~