GliderCENTRAL

should i get peter parker a friend?

Posted By: Anonymous

should i get peter parker a friend? - 03/05/05 10:03 PM

i'm still trying to tame and create a relationship with my sugar glider. he likes to come up to the cage, chitters, but as soon as i put my fingers near he want's to eat them up. not viciously though. if i take him out of the cage in his pouch, he's dying to get out.

anyways - my main question: would it be a good idea to find him a friend? would this make it more dificult to bond with him? and i've heard it's usually a good idea to bond male to male, female to female. is this correct? he's almost a year old now. thanks.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: should i get peter parker a friend? - 03/05/05 11:16 PM

Well there are plenty of lone gliders out there, but they are always happier with a friend and it won't interfere with your bonding. It doesn't matter what sex his cage mate is, just remember that if you get him an immature cagemate, you'll have to have him neutered so he doesn't try to rape his new buddy - doesn't matter if it's a boy or girl. Have you had him for a year or did you get him recently & are now trying to ond with him?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: should i get peter parker a friend? - 03/07/05 01:54 AM

i've had him this long. and i've still been unsucessful in bonding with him.
Posted By: StitchsMom

Re: should i get peter parker a friend? - 03/07/05 06:42 PM

I'll tackle this one piece at a time. Firstly, when considering a cagemate for a glider, it's no small decision. You have to consider things like breeding, territorial issues, etc. Do YOU think he needs a friend? As his caretaker, you know more about that fur-butt than anyone else. Do you think it would add to his quality of life? Would you be able to dedicate the time and money to a new glider? Do you want to have joeys?

If he is an intact mature male then be careful when choosing a buddy for him. In my experience, it's easiest to pair up a male and a female. Males (especially non-neutered) tend to fight over territory. Gizmo is the sweetest boy I've ever owned and even he cannot stand other males...period. So, I would suggest a female friend for your little guy.

So, let's say you decide to get a female. Now, you have to worry about health and age. I always quarantine any new gliders for 30 days. This just puts my mind at ease. I know I'm not introducing any sick gliders to my current healthy fur-kids that way. I also suggest not pairing up an male with a female any younger than six months (the closer to maturity, the better though). As mentioned above, you don't want him taking advantage of a female that is too young to protest. If you don't mind joeys, then you are all done. If breeding is not in your future, you will want to have your boy neutered. It's not that pricey and it can also curb his attitude a bit too. :-)

On to the next bit. You have had him for a year and still no bonding? It took me a full year to bond to my first glider. However, we took baby steps along the way. He slowly quit crabbing and he never bit. He enjoyed sleeping in my hands after a few months of working on it. Eventually, he grew into a big bra baby. So, there is still hope! If you don't mind my asking, what is his schedule like? How often does he get bonding time with you? Gliders really absorb a large amount of time and patience to get them to really bond to you. Spend as much time as you can with him. This should be a fun and relaxing time for both you and your sugar baby.

Best of luck to you and your little one! :-D
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: should i get peter parker a friend? - 03/10/05 01:39 AM

i think he'd love a friend. but i feel like i should get to know him best, before i add compition. haha. also, i'd like to have joeys in the future. but not right now. i'm still getting the hang of this one. i see him in the morning for an hour and he's awake. (approx. 8 am) mon-fri. and i get home at about 6:30 pm. and he gets up at about 8 pm. i'm not real sure how to take those little steps in bonding with him. this consists of taking him out of the cage. and i'm almost positive, one: he'll escape and run free in the apartment. and two: he'll attempt to eat my hand off. any tips on how to get this baby to sleep in MY hand? thanks.
Posted By: Srlb

Re: should i get peter parker a friend? - 03/10/05 03:20 PM

First of all, to increase your bonding please remember bonding time is during the day. The best way to get them to sleep in your hand is to be patient and form a good bond and trust factor with your glider, which will take some time to accomplish. So patience is truly a must.
For bonding during the day, I would suggest to get a Sissy Pouch and wear it during the day. Once that bond is made with him, during the day you can reach your hand inside the pouch and cup your hand under him. He will learn that your hand is a place of comfort and will sleep soundly. Once you are at that point you will slowly be able to remove your hand from his pouch with him on it and voila.
Now for playtime (night) I would recommend if you are afraid of him jumping down and running away, to purchase a dome tent from walmart. This not only reduces the space for him to roam but also increase the trust and bond issue and he will realize that you arent so bad afterall! After nightly play in there for a while, you can than advance to a glider proofed room such as a bathroom or your bedroom. Just be sure to proof it first to ensure the saftey of your furball.
I hope this has been of some help to you. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />
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