Sugar Glider Central

Posted: **Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:36 am**

This is my first sugar glider so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong here. I got this suggie from my best friend, who purchased him about 9 months ago. He was about a month or 2 along at that point so this little guy is around 10-12 months. My best friend was not too successful on the bonding process as this suggie seemed to resist most attempts to be friendly with him. He didn't bite or crab excessively except for a few times but he honestly seemed like he wanted to be left alone.

Well, in June, she gave me the sugar glider as a birthday present since she felt that she was making no progress. I managed to get the glider to play on me a few times when I took him out. He was still pretty anti-social, however, and prone to biting, even when I wasn't being threatening. The straight hand trick doesn't seem to work because he'll go after whatever loose flesh there is. He doesn't seem to want to come out of his cage, play on me, or do anything except eat and curl up in his pouch.

Now, he does have a relatively small cage. My best friend never picked up a big cage so his is pretty tiny but it is over a foot high, so he does get some exercise. He has strings and some toys in his cage so he shouldn't be completely bored. In addition, I feed him dry glider chow pellets (which he loves), water, and green apples. Even when he takes food from my hand, he will still treat me with disdain. As I said before, there is no crabbing, really, just lots of biting and ignoring me. In addition, he doesn't seem to enjoy leaving his tiny cage.

So, what can I do here? I love this little guy and I do plan on getting him a bigger cage but he doesn't even seem to trust me anymore and the biting is getting frustrating for me because he really digs his teeth into me. I've gotten a few deep bites that drew blood thus far. Every now and then he will calm down and hang out with me but it's so rare now that I feel like doing so may be pointless.

Please help me. I don't want to have to get rid of the little suggie.

Posted: **Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:00 am**

First off...the cage is WAY WAY WAY too small. You need something at least three foot tall and two foot by two foot. And that's too small for a permanent cage, however it will let him roam and allow you to catch him when you want him to come out and play. After you have bonded you can move him to a larger cage where he will be all over and will want to come out and see you.

Second...you must have a glider safe wheel in the cage. A Wodent wheel or one of the plastic ones with the open front and no rungs.

Third...Put him in a bonding pouch and carry him with you as much as possible.

Fourth...Get him a FRIEND. He needs social interaction ALL THE TIME. You aren't there enough no matter what. He really needs a buddy.

Is he neutered? If not that will help a small amount as well.

You also need to feed more than just the dry pellet. I feed boiled chicken and friut with calcium powder and vitamins sprinkled on it. Rep cal and I can't remember the vitamins at the moment...it's too late at night. Email me back and I will tell you what they are. I also feed mealworms to them. If you aren't feeding hte calcium supplement and fruit and chicken or following one of the other glider diets out there. They aren't getting a balanced diet. This can lead to paralasys in the rear legs, stress, and death.

Another thing you can do for the bonding is to get a mesh bonding tent and sit in it with the glider. Don't make him socialize with you...just let hyim run around and wait for him to come to you. It may take severl times and weeks or even a few months...but in the end it will help him bond to you and he WILL stop biting.

Also...when he bites. Don't pull away. IF you do he will realize very fast that you will and will continue the behavior. Instead waite a minute and then continue letting him play. Wash up after this. Make sure you are around him for at least a minute or two after the bite so there is no assossiation with you leaving.

Make sure the cage you get him is high quality. No galvanized metal. It must be pvc coated or powder coated or epoxy coated. It should have bars no more than 1/2" apart or he can get out. It should also have latching doors. Gliders have very adept little hands and will quickly learn that they can lift the doors to escape on normal bird cage style cages. Also, if you can find one...a cage with either horizontal bars or 1/2"x1" grid style bars is best. This gives him something to grasp and climb. Long vertical bars are harder to hold ontoand the glider will have trouble climbing...especially young gliders.

The FIRST THING AND MOST IMPORTANT IS GET HIM A BIGGER CAGE. Take these steps and he will come around.

Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Matt

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