Anyone heard about or using the bonding potion?



It's good or bad? Please advise! Thanks!

They say it works over at Sun Coast, but
I have never heard of it.

I'm sorry but bonding is about trust building, not working "magic" on them. I just don't see any potion or other type stuff being the answer. Time, Patience, Love and perhaps some bribery (favorite treat) wins out every time.

Wondering if any of you took the time to read the product description, which includes this couple of sentences:

Please understand this is not a miracle product or magic formula. Rather, it is designed to be an adjunct to the bonding process. You must remain consistent, patient and calm during each bonding session.

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The product is meant to be used in addition to established bonding techniques when those approaches are not working. Often, this is because the glider, the human, or both are too excited, nervous, or scared to allow bonding basics to proceed. The product tends to calm all the animals down.

Do you agree gliders are sensitive to smell? Hope so, that's one of the most popular explanations for lots of glider behavior on this board.

Have you heard of aromatherapy? Do you believe it's possible that certain scents tend to produce a calming effect?

That's the product. It's not magic, and we say exactly that in the product description.

Okay, so when I ordered some stuff with them, it came with the bonding potion. Let me clarify a bit if I recall what it does actually. It does not exactly strengthen or help bonding, but it stops biting more. It doesn't taste bad or anything, so it's not like that, but it has a neutral and muted smell that is used to cover up your scent for a minute or two when you pick them up in the beginning, so they don't freak out at something so strange. It encourages them to come over and smell you and get on you, then the smell slowly wears off, allowing them to start smelling you slowly and in small amounts as they're on you so it's not such a shock. So they do smell you and get used to you, but they're stepping on something they feel safe with.

Now, with that said, I don't believe it and I think it's a bit of a waste of time I simple did the fleece strips trick and just laying my hand in the cage, and within two weeks, my one glider was comfortable to stay on me (though they both really aren't that type of glider, they're movers and jumpers ) and my second glider with some determination on my part stopped biting and lunging within a month. It's really up to the glider and how you handle it, the potion really doesn't actually do anything. Hope that helps ^.^

Yes, gliders are scent oriented. They need to get used to YOUR smell, not something that is going to mask a smell or take that smell away for even a period of time.

As Dancing said, building a relationship with your glider takes time and it takes patience. It's building trust, not spraying a "potion". Gliders need to be gliders and they should be allowed to be who they are and acclimate to their surroundings and you when they are ready.

This is a typical email we get from people who purchase the bonding Potion:

I received my bonding potion day before yesterday and tried it yesterday and there was immediate success – my little girl did not run screaming from me when I put my hand in the cage with her…she did sit in the corner it seemed frozen but she did move and she let me pet her for the first time without running around the cage like a rabid beast! LOL – I rescued her about 6-8 months ago from a friend who had them in a room where she was not held or loved or even fed a proper diet.

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So, I'm wondering. If the traditional approach to bonding is not working for a particular human / animal pair, then should we tell them to just keep trying forever? Is 6 months long enough?

A lot of people out there are not "Glider Whisperers" and do not have the knowledge / experience of many on GC. And as we know, many do not get a lot of support from the people they get their gliders from.

When bonding is just not working for these people, seems like anything we can do to help makes the community better off.

Just like with anything, you have to earn their trust. If they get used to that smell of the potion being the safe thing, they'll always be used to that smell. And when you stop they won't trust you, you'll start from square one all over again. They won't bond with you really. If you want to get a glider, then you need to understand that some can take over a year to bond even. And if you can't accept that as a possibility, you shouldn't get one because it would just be unfair to the glider to have someone who isn't willing to work with it. I hope that doesn't sound harsh or anything, I don't mean it to be. But like with any animal, if you're looking at buying one, you need to be ready to accept the worst possibilities with it, such as taking months or a year to bond. bonding is a process where some, like my boys, bond in weeks and others in over a year like I've heard. Just like a person they have their own personalities and trust issues.

Where, yes, it is good if something can help the community, however, the bonding potion doesn't really help. As I mentioned, I had the potion. I even, out of curiosity, tried it for a week or two, and it does really what I said, just confuses or tricks the glider more so in a way. There are plenty of different techniques and strategies to help bond your sugar glider to you by just using your own body and regular items. If you really want to try it, no one will stop you, and if it does work for you, that's great! But in my opinion and from my experience, it really doesn't bond the sugar glide rto you any quicker or stronger.

Like I said, I hope none of that came off harsh, I never mean to be disrespectful or upset anyone, those are just my opinions and experiences.

Just to explain it again, the intent of the bonding potion is not to make bonding "quicker or stronger", it's to enable the bonding process to get **started** with animals that are rejecting human contact.

I'm not saying it won't help others with it, you've shown that it can help with some cases. When phrased that way, that it's helping it get started, I can see it as a possibility. I do believe that the fleece trick and having them get to know your scent is better and moving slowly, but every person is different. I guess the problem is like I phrased, a lot of people see it as making the bonding progress quicker or stronger instead of just helping to start it off as you stated. Thank you for clarifying that part

Or you could just wear fleece blankies in your bra or on your person for 3 days and give 1 to your glider everyday in sleeping pouch or bonding bag. This is will get your gliders used to your scent so you can be accepted into their colony. You still have to go slow but scent bonding helps.

I never say I have problem with bonding to my gliders, I can even kiss their heads. I was just interested to know if anyone heard and used that bonding spray, but I do believe it may good to use if any of my friends want to visit and handle my gliders. Thanks!

I agree, Cora. Letting them get used to your smell - doesn't get better than that.

I bought it because Button was pouch protective and would lunge and crab at my hand. I had saw a review for someone on GC or GG who had a pitbull biter and it helped her when getting into the pouch. It helped with me a little bit, and then I noticed she didnt go crazy when I used a certain body wash as well. Kinda wierd.

Anyways, to each there own. I did the blankies, and scent bonding on all my gliders, but Button was just not like my other gliders. I tried everything to help. Eventually, over time and trust building she is my baby.

This is SO, SO true!

[qoute]Do you agree gliders are sensitive to smell? Hope so, that's one of the most popular explanations for lots of glider behavior on this board.[/quote]


I personally believe the answer to many gliders behaviors are not just one thing, but to be honest Insecurity is the top on my list and you can believe that I work with a lot of people with gliders that SEEM to have serious behavioral issues.

99.99.99% of the time, if we change the behavior of the humans, we also see a major difference in the behavior of the gliders... imagine that concept.. we see that in kids too..

I haven't met a glider yet that can not be taught to trust, but I have seen owners that can't be taught.

far too many people say fix my glider, my glider needs fixed, my glider needs trained. but once we break through the barrier that the owners put up that causes the gliders to continue to feel insecure.. we see a mass amount of changes in a very short time..

I agree with the others, that scent although important, the natural scent of their human is FAR more important

I bought the bonding potion after reading about it on here to see if it would help with a rescue we had taken in who had been very badly abused and neglected. he was so terrified that he lunged and bit the minute my hand went in his cage to even feed him. The bonding potion worked amazing with him. It may have been as simple as making me not smell like anything he assocciated with a human smell and made him trust me a bit more. Within 2 weeks I was able to hold him and pet him. I was so impressed with it that I suggested it to someone else trying to earn a glider's and it did not do a bit ofm good for her, yet I took her glider to work with her and see if i would have any better luck earning her trust and without ever trying the bonding potion the little girl became my best buddy the 1st day with her. She now lives tucked in my bra being a happy friendly glider after only 2 weeks.
I have to say bourbon is very right about changing the owner's behaviour makes more of a change in a glider's behaviour than anything else does. Plus some gliders just connect beter with some people than others. Sassy seemed to know from the very start she could trust me. Maybe it was my sense of calm with her or maybe she just knew I loved her. My work with her and with pour other rescue Bow makes me see bonding in a whole new form.

maybe the spray made you feel calmer, more confidant that it would work.. who knows.. but either way congrats on the new outlook..

I am not saying it works or doesnt work, but expanding on what other experienced members here have said:
PERHAPS the potion makes the owner feel calmer thinking it will work, which the glider senses so they are calmer too?
PERHAPS the aromatherapy aspect of the potion does help to calm the glider?
PERHAPS the owner uses the potion every time and so really the regular bonding practices work but only because the owner smells the same every time, and before that they smelled different each time due to different personal products used such as soaps, lotions, dish detergents, shampoos, deodorants, etc.

Myself? I wouldnt use it, but only because thats just me. It has nothing to do with if i think it is "bad" or "good"

sorry.. had to smile with this one...

I tried the potion when I rescued a trio several years back. For me it didn't work. They bond to the smell of the potion not to u. If u want tbhe glider to be bonded to u use the fleece. To me its just a gimic to make money. Glider bonds to potion so u have to keep buyin potion to touch your glider NO THANK YOU

Didn't work for my gliders and the smell was very loud like cheap perfume. .just my opinion of course.

I had never heard of this before. Even though I haven't had gliders a super long time or have a huge amount of knowledge I would think the best "potion" would be your own scent. Getting your scent on their fleece pieces and them getting used to your scent that way would be the most logical to me. However I am open to ideas.

99.99.99% of the time, if we change the behavior of the humans, we also see a major difference in the behavior of the gliders... imagine that concept.. we see that in kids too..

I haven't met a glider yet that can not be taught to trust, but I have seen owners that can't be taught.

far too many people say fix my glider, my glider needs fixed, my glider needs trained. but once we break through the barrier that the owners put up that causes the gliders to continue to feel insecure.. we see a mass amount of changes in a very short time..

I agree with the others, that scent although important, the natural scent of their human is FAR more important [/quote]

Same with dogs too!!! A lot of people don't realize their own effect on the behavior of the animal.

HAHAHAHA! I have always been an animal kisser, and now with my gliders I am no different. I have had Naaya for 6 months now and she's just getting comfortable with being smooched. I try to kiss her nose, but she tucks her head away from me so I end up kissing her head and neck. Halo on the other hand is such a kissable glider, and I love it!!! I kiss her nose (probably stop his breathing here & there), his head, his closed eyes, his neck...he just takes it all like the love bug that he is. Oftentimes he'll squirm squirm squirm all over my clothes, but once I get him in my hands and start kissing him, he falls asleep...big baby!

Oopsy...Halo is my male and I've had him for 4 months. He was kissable since the day I brought him home.

Dancing stole my answer

With mine, I started bonding with them at the breeders, I would drive 1 1/2 hrs each week to see them and leave scented fleece for their pouch. Even so, it took about 2 weeks here of scented fleece pieces/blankies in their pouch, daily handling and tent time plus mealies to win them over. Just takes patience and consistency (and treats!).