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Bickering Fuzzbutts #1413068
11/21/17 09:00 PM
11/21/17 09:00 PM
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 212
South Dakota
sugarfluff Offline OP
Glider Explorer
sugarfluff  Offline OP
Glider Explorer

Joined: May 2016
Posts: 212
South Dakota
Hey fellow glider slaves I need some advice.

My Falcore and Smores have been going through a squabbling phase (I hope it's a phase). They are a retired breeding pair and are both between 5-6 years old. They have been together I believe for as long as they are old and I have had them for a little over a year now. For the last couple of months they have been bickering, crabbing, just down right squabbling when it use to hardly ever happen.

It started out when my husband would give them yoggie treats. He would give each one yoggie and once they finished, usually Falcore first, he would go over to Smores and try and take the rest of hers. Of course she isn't having any of that and would crab and hiss back at him. They never really did it when I gave them treats. This happened several times with my husband and then they started doing it when I gave them treats and it began to get more physical so we cut out treats unless we had one out of the cage and gave them separate. It worked for a while then they would start the same nonsense once we put whoever we had out back into the cage. Needless to say we pretty much have cut out treats.

Now it's gone to doing the same stuff when we put their food into the cage. They get Critterlove Complete with salad. We do feed the salad in 2 separate bowls but have the CLC in a single bowl. They as of now don't bicker over the CLC only the salad. One will be at the bowl and when another comes the hissing and crabbing begins. It's not every night but more frequently than ever, several times a week I'd say on average. It use to be so rare for this kind of thing to happen.

At times its just loud vocals, hissing, crabbing and everything in between, but more often now, they will swat and fight, they've even balled up a couple times. Luckily no one has been hurt.

So I get this is some food aggression that's goin on. It's usually Falcore trying to get Smores food but it happens the other way around too. Sometimes he's not trying to take hers but will just get up in her personal space sniffing and nudging while she tries to eat and she gets ticked (as I would too lol). Last night it happened but when I went to check on the crabbing Falcore was eating out of a salad bowl and Smores had her head in the CL bowl about 8" away and he wasn't doing anything but eating with his back to her and she was crabbing while she was drinking with her head in the bowl and all. They ate and went to separate pouches this time. Usually they always stay together.

I will add that we use to place their food in the cage around 8pm and up until the last couple months that was fine. But then they started acting starved and racing out to the food as soon as we placed it so we started putting it in earlier around 7... it still happens so we are now placing it between 6-7. They eat everything! Only crumbs left in the salad bowls. Which the eating everything has also only been happening for the last 3 months or so. They use to leave some of everything. We started adding a bit more salad and CL... about 3tbsp CL and 5tbsp salad for the two of them each night.

One last add on... Falcore has always been an over groomer on his forhead (or maybe Smores overgrooms him, I'm not sure) he will overgroom a bit and I will put some vetrycin on his head at night for about a week and it starts to get better. He's been doing it again lately and has a bit more missing hair this time. I'm going to start putting the vetrycin on him again tonight.

I know the seasons are changing so I originally attributed the eating more and food aggression to them needing/wanting to beef up for the cold approaching winter. But now the squabbles happen without food. Just tonight they began swatting and crabbing one another and there was no food in the cage yet.

Sorry this is sooo long, but I feel like we tried a lot and things aren't improving. I want you all to have as much info as possible and maybe someone can offer me some better things to try. I'm worried we will have to separate them.

All advice is greatly appreciated.

Last edited by sugarfluff; 11/21/17 09:51 PM. Reason: added info

Desiree

:grey: Buttercup :wfb: Smores

:rbridge:
My buddy Falcore
:leu:
11/18/11‐09/30/21
Current Research, Studies & Resources
Re: Bickering Fuzzbutts [Re: sugarfluff] #1413071
11/21/17 10:09 PM
11/21/17 10:09 PM
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5,389
Maryland
T
Terry Offline
Serious Glideritis
Terry  Offline
Serious Glideritis
T

Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5,389
Maryland
I had some food aggression begin within months after introducing a third glider. I tried all the recommended suggestions that I could possibly do. I tried monitoring the behavior and noticed several interesting "goings ons". Fortunately, I didn't witness nor see any signs of violence & injury, just fussing, crabbing and chasing. I never even witnessed a smack. I also had a glider that over groomed, she seemed to improve with a routine out of cage play, but much of the time, due to my situation wasn't consistent enough, (RIP Lulu). Anyway, though I've experiences some similar, though not exact things you're dealing with, I have some suggestions to try:

1. It sounds like this is going on long enough that it's not passing, but it's a change and I'd recommend a vet check up for both of them. Even if they're both eating well, it doesn't hurt to check them out.

2. It may not be a "food aggression" thing as much as a dominance thing. I recommend thorough research on that topic, to become more knowledgeable on what's normal or not normal.

3. It may not hurt to separate them for a few nights, then see how they do re-introduced. They may just be tired of each other.

Sorry if I can't offer much more than that. I do hope things improve. Good luck!


Lives with:
1 God
1 dog, (Willow)
1 Sugie, (Ollie)
R.I.P. Lulu (2/28/12-10/13/17)
R.I.P. Skadoosh (2/28/12-3/26/18)
Re: Bickering Fuzzbutts [Re: sugarfluff] #1413088
11/22/17 04:36 PM
11/22/17 04:36 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 4,305
SW Missouri USA
Ladymagyver Offline
Moderator
Ladymagyver  Offline
Moderator

Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 4,305
SW Missouri USA
I agree with Terry that it wouldn't hurt to have a vet visit. If nothing else, a vet visit may put a bit of spark back in their relationship, where they snuugle and comfort each other.

It worked for mine. They may be a little bored, and picking on each other...


Dawn

Be patient,
and
Trust your journey....

Grace :bb:

Ruby :grey:

Mom :grey:

Dad :grey:




Fiona, Dot and Stewie :rbridge: wish I could turn back time... Miss you

Re: Bickering Fuzzbutts [Re: sugarfluff] #1413091
11/22/17 06:35 PM
11/22/17 06:35 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,979
Wisconsin
Feather Offline
Administrator
Feather  Offline
Administrator

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,979
Wisconsin
I agree about the vet visit to rule out any health problems.

I would also make your feeding stations into 4 stations, split up the CLC also. Place the feeding stations in different locations and different levels in the cage.

Continue to offer multiple sleeping pouches. Try to get their food into the cage before they wake up.


Kimberley
Feathers-Sweetie, Mister Peanut & Big Mack
Fur-Guinan, Mr. Spock, T'Mir, Cho, Toothless, Maverick & Maharet :bb: T'Pol, Elizabeth & Curzon :wfb: TY, TJ, Light Fury, Madison & T'Pring :rtmo:
Forever in my heart, Gizmo, Tucker, Khayman and the rest of my babies over the :rbridge:

Re: Bickering Fuzzbutts [Re: sugarfluff] #1413149
11/29/17 05:21 PM
11/29/17 05:21 PM
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 212
South Dakota
sugarfluff Offline OP
Glider Explorer
sugarfluff  Offline OP
Glider Explorer

Joined: May 2016
Posts: 212
South Dakota
Thank you for the imput ladies.

I added an extra f/v dish so now they have 3 and added a 2nd CLC dish. I use the feeder doors on the cage for their dishes and have them at 3 different levels now. I also added an additional dish to keep some Happy Glider pellets in the cage as well. I use to only offer the pellets as treats but thought that maybe the fussing is because they are too hungry on some days by 6-7pm and therefore want to hoard the food for themselves. I do try to have the food in the cage before they wake, but that time doesn't seem constant. Sometimes they are still crashed at 7-8pm other days they are in full play mode at 4-5 and up and down for hours. I just aim for getting the food to them by 7 which is still earier than what I use to do.

So far the bickering I'd say is a bit less. I have witnessed it a couple times since changing things but definitely not as frequent, knock on wood.

I will try and get a vet appointment scheduled. There's only one vet in my area that will see them and he has no experience with gliders, but does with other small animals and some exotics as well as farm animals. The last time I took one in to see him, he had just seen a cow! Talk about goin from a super big animal to super tiny lol. He also has to send out all tests done (I don't know if that's typical) and suggested just treating for giardia once a year instead of testing for it because it would be more cost effective just to treat. I haven't done that yet. He also has no way to anesthetize them because of their size and I would have to take the urine and fecal samples to him. Any advise in this area would be appreciated as well.

Overall I will keep monitoring them. Neither has been hurt in their spats thank goodness and I'm not sure if they are trying to hurt each other or just get their way. What does that look like? Is that when they ball up?

If it gets any worse I will go ahead a separate them for a while. I have a spare cage but need to get an extra wheel for it. I do have a wheel and a treadmill in one cage so if need be I can just put the treadmill in the temp set up until I can make another wheel.


Desiree

:grey: Buttercup :wfb: Smores

:rbridge:
My buddy Falcore
:leu:
11/18/11‐09/30/21
Re: Bickering Fuzzbutts [Re: sugarfluff] #1413153
11/29/17 08:43 PM
11/29/17 08:43 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,979
Wisconsin
Feather Offline
Administrator
Feather  Offline
Administrator

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,979
Wisconsin
thumb


Kimberley
Feathers-Sweetie, Mister Peanut & Big Mack
Fur-Guinan, Mr. Spock, T'Mir, Cho, Toothless, Maverick & Maharet :bb: T'Pol, Elizabeth & Curzon :wfb: TY, TJ, Light Fury, Madison & T'Pring :rtmo:
Forever in my heart, Gizmo, Tucker, Khayman and the rest of my babies over the :rbridge:


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