BONDING TIPS

When you bring your sugar glider joey(s) home everything will be new and until he/she/they are comfortable with the new surroundings, he/she/they will continue to act strange toward you.  It is suggested to arrange the accessories with staple food, water, cage pouch, etc… in the new cage.  Then place the open bonding pouch with the joey(s) in it, in the cage.  When the joey(s) come out to explore the rest of the cage and their stuff, simply pull the bonding pouch back out of the cage so he/she/they sleep in the hanging cage pouch.  Your glider(s) will NOT be happy sleeping on the bottom of the cage even if there is a pillow/blanket to lie on.

Remember to use the accessories in the cage that have been included with the adoption fee to help him/her/them feel more comfortable with coming out to explore the new cage.  If possible make your own toys and accessories to include in the cage with your scent.  If you are unable to make your own accessories and decide to purchase premade stuff, be sure to wash the items when you get them and carry the items on you to scent them.  Placing new scented blankets with your scent on them in the cage daily/nightly is another way to get him/her/them use to your scent.  This will place a regular strong scent in the cage and is suggested to do the same when using the bonding pouch.

I would also suggest getting a metre of fleece, towel, old shirt or something else to sleep with for a couple nights prior to bringing your new joey(s) home.  Then after bring your new little one(s) home and safely in the new cage, place the piece of fabric scented by you over the top, back portion of the cage to help push your scent on him/her/them.  This fabric like everything else in the cage should only be touched by you to assure your glider(s) don’t get even more stressed out because of too many scents.

Hand feeding him/her/them different glider safe treats and snacks is another good way to get your joey(s) relating your scent to a positive thing.  I would suggest doing this all day/night long when possible and especially when in the bonding pouch.  However DO NOT let anybody else feed treats to your new little one(s) until he/she/they are bonded to you because it can mess with the bonding process.

When you have your sugar glider(s) out in the bonding pouch, it is extremely important to assure nobody/nothing presses against them because they can get hurt or die very easily.  Remember bonding is all about trust and your glider(s) trust you will not let anything happen to him/her/them while secured safely in the bonding pouch.  Therefor if something does happen to hurt or even scare the glider(s) it could interfere with your bonding and you may need to start right at the beginning again, if your glider(s) chooses to bond with you again at all.  Keep your glider(s) safely secure in the cage when they can’t be on you even if you are only in the shower, they are sleeping anyways or any other reasoning. 

During the day while in the bonding pouch you should also try to pet him/her/them, even while sleeping.  If your glider(s) wake up, be sure to say “Hi” and talk to him/her/them a bit to get him/her/them use to your voice.  At this time I would give a mealie or other form of treat to help relate your voice to a treat.  Singing/Talking to him/her/them while sleeping or awake is another good way to get him/her/then use to your voice as well.

Be sure there is as little light as possible when you have them out at night for their bonding play time.  I am suggesting this because they are nocturnal animals, prefer the dark and seem to be less stressed out.  It is also recommended you buy some glider safe toys and only use them during your bonding play time.  The dollar stores are great locations to find inexpensive toys gliders love.  You can also make little hiding games with hiding treats in, under and around the bonding toys.  Some baby toys like blocks, matts, etc.. are also recommended to use during bonding play time.

Remember try to be calm and relaxed as possible when bonding and you can never spend too much time bonding.  Be sure the glider(s) always has access to fresh water and staple food 24 hours a day, if in bonding pouch keep juicy fruits at hand to avoid dehydration.  He/She/They require their fresh diet nightly and a safe place to rest in case he/she/they get tired and need a break.  

Once your glider(s) is bonded to you and he/she/they are around other people, you may notice when you walk away if your glider(s) are out, he/she/they will probably glide over to you where they feel safe.  Be sure whatever room/area you have your glider(s) in is sugar glider safe and there are no open bodies of water (ie: toilet bowl, dog dish, cup, etc…) for your glider(s) to get into and possibly drowned.  Sugar glider CAN NOT swim, so will die if caught in water.

As a heads up, some gliders like to give “face hugs” once they have bonded with their owner(s).  This is when your glider sits on your shoulder or close to your face, placing their front paws on your face/cheek and hugging.  Some people do not like this because of the feeling of the claws on their face.

One of the most (if not the most) important thing to remember is you must bond with your glider(s) every night.  Missing even just one night could be critical to your bonding and you may be required to start the bonding process over again right from the start.  The more you play, hand feed, etc…. the more he/she/they will get to know and love you.

HANDLING TIPS

Sugar gliders are very fragile and need to be handled gentle and with care, especially joeys.  A simple what you believe to be, light squeeze can hurt or even kill a glider, so be extremely careful.  Improper handling can and most likely will result in issues with the bonding process and make this harder for not only you but also your glider(s).

Do not place your bare hand around your glider(s) because this could make him/her/them feel frightened and could trigger your glider(s) to bite.  If you have to pick them up similar to this way, use a piece of fleece to gently place on the glider.  Then pick him/her up in the piece of fleece so the glider doesn’t relate this action to your scent as much.

Under no circumstances should you ever yell or be aggressive towards your sugar glider(s) or any other animal.  This will scare your glider(s) and can even cause major health issues including stress that may result in death.

Due to sugar gliders being nocturnal animals, it is easiest to handle them first thing in the morning right before they go to sleep because they are more calm and tired.  Another good time to try handling them is about a half hour to an hour before they are due to get up at night, however they are more likely to urinate on you if pulled out prior to waking up. 

Handle them on a daily bases and be sure you always show your little one(s) your pocket or other areas to go and rest when out playing.  Always move slowly around him/her/them to avoid startling him/her/them.

BITING TIPS

Trust me, I am all too aware how hard it is to take bites at times, but you have to try hard not to pull away.  When you do pull away, you are teaching your joey(s) that all he/she/they have to do is bite you in order to get you to leave him/her/them alone.  Even if the bite breaks the skin, do not ever slap your glider(s) or be aggressive towards him/her/them because it will result in him/her/them not trusting you at all.

If possible keep detailed records of what you try, how it works, when he/she/they seem to be biting, etc….  By keeping these records, it allows you to see if there is a pattern behind the biting and anything you could change that may help the issue.  Also keep track of the soap, shampoo or anything else that gives you a different scent (including if laundry detergent changes).

Always wash your hands prior to touching your glider(s) or his/her/their stuff.  Try to use a non-scented soap because the different scents can trigger your glider(s) to bite and is more difficult for him/her/them to bond with you using your scent as a security.  It is also very important if you must use scented products, use light scents or try using the same scented laundry detergent, deodorant, etc…. until you are fully bonded with your glider(s).  Avoid using hair spray’s, gels, creams, powders, colognes, perfumes, etc…. when bonding with your glider(s).

When it came to biting in my household, I have and always will use the lickey treat method.  It is simple and yet seems to be very effective.  All you do is smear honey, apple sauce or some other form of glider safe treat on your finger or wherever your glider is biting.  You will notice they bites turn into licks, however this is the time if he/she/they decide to bite, simply pull the licky treat area away for a minute and then offer it again.  This will show your glider(s) if he/she/they bite then the treat will go away.  Also great way to get your glider(s) use to your scent.

Another suggestion is, if you notice your glider(s) enjoy the out of cage free play time, then when he/she/they bite, simply place him/her/them back in the cage for a couple minutes, just like you would with a child and then let him/her/them back out.  However a word to the wise some glider(s) start to prefer being in their cage without free play time or any human contact.

An improper or sudden change to your gliders diet and schedule can also be the case of biting or nipping.  Be sure to check all the information included with your joey(s) adoption fee to assure you are preparing the diet proper and not messing with their schedule much.

TENT TIME TIPS

Tent time is something that should be done for at least 2 hours nightly.  The more time you spend bonding in the tent with your sugar glider joey(s) the fast the bonding process will go.  If you have any concerns regarding transporting them from the cage to the tent or the other way around, simply use a mealie or other tasty treat to lure him/her/them into the bonding pouch and transport him/her/them safely that way.  Also until you feel your glider(s) are bonded with you, don’t let anybody else go in the tent unless bonding with a partner.  This will assure that every night when you go in the tent, the joey(s) don’t feel as if it is a new location with new people and get scared. 

When picking a tent assure the tent is big enough to secure closed comfortably with you and partner is applicable, in it for your tent time and check to assure there are no holes or any other escape routes in the tent because your little one(s) will try to find a way to get out on you.  You don’t want the tent too big though giving your glider(s) a lot of room to jump and play away from you, but never force him/her/them to come and play with you.  Instead try offering her/him/them different treats, toys, etc.. to encourage interaction with you.  Talk softly to your glider(s) while in the tent, even waiting for the joey(s) to come out because this is yet another way to help them get more familiar with your voice and can encourage him/her/them to come out and see you.  After the first night or 2, you should notice him/her/them taking to you and climbing all over you as if you are his/her/their personal tree.  Don’t forget to have some tent time bonding toys like small novelty plastic cups, baby blocks, baby rattles, etc.. for you and your little one(s) to play with.  Remember to try playing with the different tent toys to get the attention of your glider(s) and good possibility he/she/they will come to play with you and the new toys too.  Another good idea for toys is to have a lot of different fleece toys secured safely to the inside of the tent for your glider(s) to climb on.  The reason you use these fleece toys on the inside is because a lot of tents are made with a material that gliders have an issue climbing on.  Plus sugar gliders and other animals don’t get their nails caught on fleece as easily as they tend to with the other fabrics.

Sugar gliders will urinate on you and possibly anybody they go on because this is their way of scenting you as his/her/their property.  Even after having my little guys for years they still scent me when they have out of cage play time.  People suggest leaving glider(s) in their cage for about 15 minutes after they wake up before bringing them into the tent to void being scented, but mine still scent me even when this is done.  I do however suggest that anybody with long hair keep it up when in the tent.  If not once he/she/they start climbing on you, he/she/they could try to make a nesting area out of it, tangled in it or even use it like a toy pulling on it and stuff. 

When it comes to bonding, it is important to remember if you skip even just one single night of your tent time then when you go in the next night it will probably be just like starting over.  If there are two of you that go in for the tent time and one of you are in the tent more than the other, then the joey(s) will bond more to that one person.  This is mainly because the more time one person spends with the glider(s) the more bonded he/she/they will be to said person.