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I need some SERIOUS help!!! #46961
05/23/05 05:23 PM
05/23/05 05:23 PM

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I just got 2 gliders the other day (8 weeks old each). I think they are really cute.. but i am very discouraged. I thought i read everything on them. I got both of the males neutered to get rid of the smell. so far the smell is terrible, I have had a rabbit almost all my life, and I felt the rabbit smell was better than this <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />. I Read another post where someone said that the smell will get better a month after they are neutered. Is that true? I let them sit in there cage to get used to the cage for 2 days now. When I am trying to bond with them should i take them out during the day? or at night? (i am usually up to 2AM so the night doesn't bother) I was told during the day, but i feel bad reaching into there sleeping pouch and taking them out cause the one time i did do it they freaked out, and i felt really bad. My thinking was i should take them out at night when they are up so that they feel that there sleeping pouch is a safe place for them... that I won't pick them up while they are sleeping. I have had all sorts of animals and have NEVER been discouraged.. right now i am so discouraged and down on myself i have no idea what to do and feel i am running around in a circle. So my two major questions right now are:
Will the smell get better? and How should i go about the bonding process? thanks for ALL your help to whoever can answer my questions <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46962
05/23/05 05:31 PM
05/23/05 05:31 PM

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First off - welcome to GC, you've come to the right place for answers!

#1 - "Smell" - At 8 weeks, the "male" smell shouldn't even have had a chance to be an issue. Any smell you have is either from urine, feces, or poor diet. And, yes, the poop can have a serious odor to it, but not as you describe. First thing that comes to mind is the stench my rescues had when I brought them home. If it is a poor diet issue, the smell should go away within a couple weeks of having them on a proven diet. What are you feeding them?

#2 - You should take them out both day and night. During the day, they should be in a bonding pouch on you. This way they can get their sleep & catch your scent at the same time, it will help speed the bonding process. In the evening, have playtime. At first, you should have playtime in a small tent (you can get one at Walmart for under $20), thus will force them to interact with you instead of trying to get away.

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46963
05/23/05 05:33 PM
05/23/05 05:33 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,356
Austin, TX
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Austin, TX
You can put them in their pouch and carry them around during the day, so they get used to your smell, and you. Buy a tent, small jr dome tent at wal-mart and do tent time. There are tons of posts here on tent-time, the different problems people have, and solutions. That will help you bond, it has worked really well with me and my female, who has been terrified of everything from day one.

What diet are they on? Mine are on BML diet, and hardly smell at all. You will need to clean the cage pan everyday. When gliders eat, they don't really swallow much. They chew and suck all the moisture out of the food, then spit it out. Your smell might be the food in the bottom of the cage. Also, they throw it everywhere!

Welcome to GC! Let us know how it goes.


Shawna
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Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46964
05/23/05 05:44 PM
05/23/05 05:44 PM

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i got my gliders from www.sugar-gliders.com i have them eating the zookeepers secret along with a piece of apple everday. and i also have worms in the cage for them, but they haven't touched them yet. and with the smell, there pouch smells terrible during the day, and when they wake up, they stink up a big portion of the room. Thats what made me think it was them, and not there feces/urine. When i tried to take this one (stitch) out of his sleeping pouch, he first bit me when i put my hand in, made his noise (which i heard was normal) then got out of my hands, and glided to the ground.. i picked him up again, then he flew to my friend, then to the floor... He was very hard to get into his bonding pouch, and when he finally did... he just kept making his noise. I guess i have so much to write that i forgot to put a few things, with the "tent time" should i put them both in the tent? and just sit there? or just one at a time? and is it normal for them to make so much noise in there bonding pouch when you first get them? and also do you guys think what i am feeding them is good? or do you think there is better options out there? do they goto the bathroom in there sleeping pouch? maybe thats why they are smelling

Last edited by Evyllchyld; 05/23/05 05:54 PM.
Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46965
05/23/05 06:02 PM
05/23/05 06:02 PM

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If they are eight weeks they do not have the smell that neutering helps, if they are only eight weeks old thye smell like they would smell after they are neutered. Even females smell pretty bad and can make the room smell like them, but not near as bad as unneutered males. The smell in their pouch could be their pee, they sometimes pee in their pouches at night and it dries by the morning and stink really bad. IT is completely normall foe them to hate being handled and to not want to go into their bonding pouches, I got my female, Ponchess when she was eight weeks old and she attacked my hand when Iwas just putting her food in her cage, and she always crabbed in her bonding pouch. It took about a month for her to stop biting me and let me hold her, I held her in her bonding pouch for almost all day every day. At first it was hard to get her into her bonding pouch but after about a week she would just go right into her bonding pouch when I held it up to her.
When you play with them make sure it is in a tent or a small room like the bathroom so it is easy to catch them so they will not be so scared when you try to get them back into their cage.
Also, try feeding them other fruits besides just apples every night, they need a varity of different fruits and veggies. This will not help with the smell but it will make them happier and healthier.
Good luck!

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46966
05/23/05 06:05 PM
05/23/05 06:05 PM

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You got them from a reputable breeder, so nothing to worry about there. However, your diet seems to be lacking. Zookeepers Secret is great, but it is not a complete diet. You must add components to it to make it complete. A piece of apple is not sufficient. They need a variety of fruits and veggies and they need the vitamins recommended for the Suncoast diet. Without these components, it's very likely that diet is causing the smell. Also, I wouldn't keep the worms in the cage. Keep them in the fridge and take out a serving each night for them. Joeys this young may not even eat them yet. Some joeys want you to squeeze the guts out for them. Pretty gross!

The crabbing and running away is totally normal & will get better as they bond to you. The more you carry them in the bonding pouch and spend time with them in the tent, the faster this will happen. Take both in the tent at the same time so the more outgoing of the 2 can sorta encourage the shy guy, and don't force them to play. Being in there will you will be intimidating enough. Just let them explore you. Good luck!

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46967
05/23/05 06:07 PM
05/23/05 06:07 PM

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I Have the two things of vitamins that lise from sugar-gliders suggested, and i did what she suggested which was mix them both in applejuice and freeze them into ice cubes and give them a cube each night, i have done that both nights so far, ands its just melted and they haven't done anything with it. I bought a bunch of different fruits. Also, neither of them have come out once during the day yet is that normal? I was just worried, becase when i picked up stitch he flipped out and wouldn't stop and was shaking also. So do you think they are possibly peeing, and then its getting on them, and thats why they smell? I have 3 sleeping pouches, and could replace it everyother day and wash them two at the end of the week. How long should i handle each of them for during the day?

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46968
05/23/05 06:13 PM
05/23/05 06:13 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,356
Austin, TX
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Also, during tent time, wear long sleeves and pants. They will scratch you up climbing on you. Use dim lighting, then when play time is over turn the lights all the way up, they should, with-in a few minutes head for their pouch, cause they think it's daytime, time to sleep. Take a few snacks in with you, when they come to you, give 'em one.

Also, check out the diet section, that will give you more info on diets.


Shawna
Who are you networked with? Networking could save your gliders life. Create one now.

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46969
05/23/05 06:25 PM
05/23/05 06:25 PM

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Yes, it is normall for them not to come out at all during the day, my gliders never come out during the day unless something scares them. they will not even come out at night with the lights on. Maybe you should put the vitamins on something that they do eat.

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46970
05/23/05 06:40 PM
05/23/05 06:40 PM

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Thanks for all you help this far! you guys are great! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Any other comments/suggestions would be great!

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46971
05/23/05 07:30 PM
05/23/05 07:30 PM

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One quick question... can 2 people bond with the gliders at once?? like during tent time.. can two people be in there? And also, does anyone know where the original post for the tent time idea was? I have looked all over and wasn't able to locate the original post

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46972
05/23/05 09:28 PM
05/23/05 09:28 PM

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Yes, 2 people can be in the tent - and I don't know if you're going to find the answer to your second question - it's kinda like asking who invented the pouch, no one really knows - LOL

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46973
05/23/05 11:58 PM
05/23/05 11:58 PM

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word of warning about 2 people in the tent. They will jump back and forth when the open up. there is not much of a warning to this happening and half the time you may not know its happening until they land. Good luck its a lot of fun when they start to open up to you.

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46974
05/24/05 12:38 AM
05/24/05 12:38 AM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,968
Northeast Indiana
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Northeast Indiana
Welcome to GC!

As you can tell, there are a lot of us out here to help you with the sometimes-challenging things that gliders do. Way back in this forum (probably 3-4 months ago) is a series of threads on the subject of "tent time". It's a fun way for you & your suggies to interact with each other, play together, and just help them expend their energy outside their cage. Having the 2 of you & the 2 of them all inside the tent is a VERY GOOD thing---they'll learn to bond to BOTH of you which can be very beneficial if you can't be there every night. (I'm still trying to teach my husband how to tell who's who in each cage...he's totally LOST!)
Next time you're at the pet store, browse thru the "cat toys" section & see if they have peacock feathers--they're only $1.00 and are a DELIGHTFUL playtoy for your suggies! They'll divide their time between chasing the feather end & chewing on the quill end!

Gliders that are new to you will "crab" for any reason, every reason & no reason. That's just their way of saying "hello, who are you & what're you doing?" (Crabbing is defined as that "Wick-kee, wick-kee" sound you're probably hearing) With the passage of time, this noise will become less frequently directed at you (that's the good thing) & sometimes aimed at each other (like they're saying "STOP THAT!")

It's really a good thing that your babies are used to bonding pouches--the best thing to do is take them out during the day (while they ARE sleeping) & stick them under your shirt. After a short period of crabbing, they'll settle down again & fall back asleep. This will allow you to take them with you for "outings" in the future!

Half the fun (& frustration) with these fuzzy faces is trying to figure out their likes & dislikes with everything...including food! Try giving them small pieces of melon (watermelon, canteloupe, & honeydew) which you can get in the produce dept of your grocery. Start with the smaller "cups" for sampling around (unless you, too, have a liking for these fruits yourself). Expand out to veggies such as squash, sweet potatoes, peas, & mixed veggies. Keep the portions small when you're serving (no more than 1 tablespoon for the 2 of them)---remember, they can get just as "overwhelmed" by huge pieces & portions just like you. (Would you like someone to put a 20-pound turkey in front of you & say "eat it all up or I won't be happy"? Absolutely NOT!)

I think I've stuffed enough into 1 thread, so I'll shut up now. Just don't lose patience with your babies, they're still getting acquainted with you! Good luck & keep us updated!


Minkasmom (Papillon Kisses)
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25 gliders,4 cats,
and ONE husband (can't handle two, lol!)
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Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46975
05/25/05 04:38 PM
05/25/05 04:38 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,899
Jacksonville, FL
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A little other advice...try taking the vitamins and sprinkling it over their food, instead. If they still won't eat them, you may want to consider an alternate diet such as BML or Darcy's-Zookeepers (Suncoast diet) is a good diet, but no vitamin will help if they're not eating it, and it's important. Second, a frightened joey will sometimes "skunk" when scared or startled (and it does smell just like a little skunk!). A couple hours a day to start in the bonding pouch daytime..increase time daily, and about an hour tent time nightly should get things going. Young joeys do tend to pee in their pouch more often than when they get older, especially when they're new and insecure enough about their new environment to feel comfortable coming out to go. You may need to change the pouch daily for awhile. Also, don't do cage/toy/pouch cleaning all on the same day...they'll go into overdrive trying to make things smell like them again. Alternate days, so that there's always something in there with their scent on it. You can wipe down their cage frequently with a cloth with just water (which will leave their scent oils behind), but I don't do a thorough scrub down of the cages more often than once a week (if bad) or every two weeks, between surface cleanings. Also change the drop pan liner frequently..it does help cut down on the odor.


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Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46976
05/25/05 05:33 PM
05/25/05 05:33 PM

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thanks xfilefan, if that skunk thing is true, then that was the problem... the smell is not nearly as strong anymore. (barely there) Also, they may of just stopped peeing in there pouch. I'm going to start putting there vitamins on the fruit to see if they eat that, and if they don't i'll try there food <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> thanks all for your help

Re: I need some SERIOUS help!!! [Re: ] #46977
05/27/05 03:16 PM
05/27/05 03:16 PM

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I just passed the two week Suggie Momma mark. I know that my boys were handled very often by missbee who is an awesome breeder. Piper and Quigley were 9 weeks OOP when they came to me, so they are still gaining things like an apetite for new foods. I did notice some things the first week though. 1. The boys didn't eat much of the BML or their fruits/veggies. 2. I fed more licky treats during the day (as missbee recommended) to be sure that they were getting some good foods in those tiny bellies. 3. I noticed that they were very vocal and shook, but I knew they just needed time to adjust. 4. There are some things that they will not eat, sweet potatoes (baby food) and some things they love, yogurt (peach yoplait), and they needed help figuring out what meal worms were (but they caught on real quick). Now a week later, we are all pals. The full moon kind of changed things up a bit, as did a whopper of a thunder storm the other night, but they are finally eating all of the BML (I decreased it down a bit to see how much they were eating and I use vitamins that I sprinkle over all their food so that it is fresh). Give it time, be patient, don't feel like you are making a mistake, and give those babies licky treats through out the day. Also, call Lisa if you still have questions she is very caring and extremely helpful.


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