[:"red"]Here's a reminder to check your water bottles, and have multiple bottles in your cage.[/]

I went over to the cage just now to talk to my babies, and saw Hiroshi hanging upside down, near the larger of my two water bottles. I thought he was making his way toward it for a drink, but when I looked more closely, it was completely empty!

I just filled it yesterday, and earlier today it was still fine. But the top broke open where the tube connects to the screw-on cap. I was horrified! Thank goodness I checked, but I probably wouldn't have paid much attention unless Hiroshi had been right near it.

More so, thank goodness I have a second bottle in the cage.

[:"green"]Katty,
Thank goodness you discovered the broken bottle. You have pointed out a very valid & important thing. Gliders can dehydrate very easily & quickly... I have discovered leaky water bottles before. Now I try to check them at least twice a day...
So glad you shared your experience & that your gliders are okay!
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />

Very good point! These are the sort of things you do dilegently when you first get your gliders but then slack a little as time goes on. Thank you for reminding all of us!

Speaking of water bottles and dehydration, my gliders (two in each cage) don't hardly drink at all. I mean, if I fill their bottle at the end of the day, I don't even notice any missing, but they seem so healthy and active. They have no outward signs of dehydration or illness and they've done this in the year that I've owned them.....how much DO they drink normally and are they just getting moisture from their fresh fruit,etc.?

My guys won't drink out of a bottle. I suppose they would eventually if that's all I gave them, but they seem to prefer a bowl. Anyone else have picky suggies?

MrsSlag

be careful if you take away a bowl of water and just put in a bottle, they may not realize it's there and not drink from it.

try having both a bowl and a bottle and don't take out the bowl until you've seen them drink from the bottle a number of times and you're confident they're drinking from it.

maybe try placing the bottle right above their bowl of water? that way they know that's the "water spot" sort of thing.

maybe during play time try getting them to drink from the bottle? like "bottle feed" them? but don't force them either lol.. if they associate it with a negative thing you won't get them near the bottle..

good luck

Mine are picky. They don't like the bowl, even with gatorade/juice mixed in it. I've had the water bottle go dry all of a sudden. It is one of those things that you have to check regularly, like the pouch and other cloth-made toys.

Just as another little note... while I don't have my gliders yet, I do have gerbils, and whenever I feed them I always check to be sure that the water bottle is working properly. It doesn't matter if the water bottle is full if the spout isn't working!

One time I hung my water bottle too close above a pouch and noticed the next day that the bottle was empty and the pouch was soaked. The tip of the spout was touching the fleece of the pouch and it wicked out all the water. Just another way they can go dry.

I have 3 gliders in my home. My first 2 came from different states. They would not drink from a bowl at all. If you put a water bottle on the side of the cage they would fiddle with the clips till it fell. I found this way cool automatic water for birds. They had small ones and lager ones. I got one of each size. They love them. I think they like it because its kinda in a weird way like drinking sap. I know its a long shot.. lol

Yes, One night I kept hearing little DaLila licking her water bottle constantly and I couldn't imagine why she'd be so thirsty. On investigation I noticed that the water couldn't come out and half the night had gone by. When I brought a working bottle in she was so thirsty she really did drink for a long time!! Always make sure the water is coming out properly cause as said above, even though its full the spout may not be working!!

LOL, Kat

When we met with CDHanratty and his mom a month and a half ago, we stopped to get a new water bottle from WalMart for this glider that we got from him. We came home and set Sonny up in his cage and I put the new water bottle up in his cage. Much to my shock the next morning, the water bottle was empty! It leaked! My husband filled the bottle up with water and found that the water leaked through the plastic mouth where the metal spout went through. We took it back and got another one in exchange for the defective one.

My point is, check the water bottle for any leaks before giving it to the gliders.


Jen

http://www.agselect.com/ED/showprod.cfm?&DID=11&CATID=12&ObjectGroup_ID=41 Check out these bottles. I really like them...

Hey Princess...those are nice. I may order a couple of them because now I'm paranoid about the water bottles. I'm sure if my gliders weren't getting enough I would know it by now, but they don't drink much at all. Of course, they get fresh or frozen fruits/veggies every day along with their BML so I wonder if they're getting enough moisture from the fruits and don't require as much water. I dunno, but this weekend I"m going to make sure to watch them very closely.

Hmm i only have one water bottle.... Im getting another soon now!!! Lol well thanks for this reminder ive been slacking on the water bottle as well.

Thanks for the reminder! Glad eveything was ok!