GliderCENTRAL

I hope this experience helps someone!

Posted By: Anonymous

I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/21/05 05:07 PM

I'm new to GC but I was told that I need to share this story, no matter how hard to help others not make the same mistake. It's been over a year but I still ache inside. I had two cages, one cage had Athena and Zeuss, the other cage had Dobby, Cloey & Zoey. I had one other cage in the room with two adults, Sugar & T-Rex and their two brand new oop joeys. I purchased from a pet store a very cute springy toy that hung from the top of the cage that had material wrapped around the springs going down and at the end was a cushiony head that resembled a tiger. I put this toy in two of the cages as they only had two to sell. I found the same toy in a Wal-Mart but the cashier forgot to give us our bag of merchandise and so we never got the toy home (thank goodness). The toy was in the cage for about two days and I noticed one of my gliders was hanging at the side of the cage and then all of a sudden fell on her back, she then started to have seizures, it was so gross. We took her to a vet and the spasms she was having indicated she had been poisoned, when I got home two other gliders were having problems, the same symptoms. Within seven days and $600 in vet bills, I lost all five gliders, except T-Rex's cage of 4. We evaluated what food they had been given, the cages, the environment, we were baffled, I even had tissue samples sent back East from Dobby. There were so many tests performed on the gliders. A month after losing my five gliders I woke up one morning with a start and realized the only difference in the three cages was the springy toy. I told my friend and through talking to several other people I was told that catnip is toxic to gliders and the toy may have had catnip in it, maybe it was a cat toy. I had never heard of that, the contents of the toy did not state it had included catnip, but we checked the toy and the gliders had eaten through a little bit of the material, one of the ingredients inside was "catnip". It is toxic to gliders. Both vets we had gone to and my husband and I were all relieved to have found a reason for their deaths, but I felt so awful and so stupid for not knowing about this. My husband and I almost gave up breeding sugargliders, but my friends whom had bought sweet babies from us previously said that we had to keep going. We have, we have learned, I hope this prevents someone from making the same mistake. I emphasize to every person who comes into my home the importance of not getting anything cat related as far as toys go, you don't always know what is in them. Thanks for letting me share. I have eight breeding pair now and they are all doing really well, they have a smarter mom. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yelclap.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Dancing

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/21/05 05:21 PM

I am so sorry for your loss and I do thank you for sharing your story. There was just a thread about catnip and whether or not it was really a hazzard or not. I believe your story will help other clear up their confusion about catnip.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/21/05 06:28 PM

So sorry for your loss! Someone in the catnip thread mentioned a friend who that same experience had happened to, so i assume it was you sje may have been talking about.
Thank you so much for sharing!! I know how tough it can be to loose a companion-i can't imagine loosing 5 of them at once! God bless you for still being a great glider mom!!
Posted By: THECRAZYHATLADY

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/21/05 07:13 PM

Uh Oh. I think I have something similar, out in their room not in their cage. I believe I bought them at the Dollar Store. They have a cat head, a slinky like plastic body which is covered with material, ending in a tail with a piece of fluff. I had learned to avoid cat nip, and these did not mention any included. Shelia, you say that your toys didn't indicate any cat nip...think I better get rid of these.

Thanks for sharing with us.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/21/05 08:00 PM

Im soo sorry for your loss. Thankyou for sharing your experience with us. And welcome to GC!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/22/05 02:02 PM

OMG! I have the same exact toy. I don't keep it in the cage because I was afraid they might get tangled up in it, but I do use it during tent time, i hold it up and let them play with it....thank you so much for sharing this, that toy is going in the garbage right now.

Luckily, Furby was more interested in the tail than the head part....but I can't thank you enough for sharing this information....I am so sorry for your loss.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/22/05 02:31 PM

You could probably sue the company for your losses, or at least notifing the company, because they didn't indicate that the toys had catnip. It just like someone allergic to peanuts eating a candy bar that was manufactured at a place where they process nut and the person not knowing because the candy bar did not indicate this.
You might want to find out which company this is also because, look joanne also has the toy and so does heather! You guys had no idea!
>^.^<
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/22/05 03:13 PM

That's exactly what I was thinking.....that you should look into a law suit....I know for a fact I never would have bought the toy had I known there was catnip in it. (although I didn't know it was toxic, I still wouldn't have taken that chance). Unfortunately I no longer have the tags so I don't know who makes it. that is really scary that they didn't list it as containing catnip. It is the type of toy you might even buy for a child....catnip can't be good for human consumption either.

You might want to consider taking a trip to Wal-Mart to buy another (I know that's where I got mine). Sounds like a legitimate lawsuite to me.
Posted By: USMom

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/23/05 01:14 AM

I got two of those in a bag of toys for my gliders. They are now in the garbage, never used. Thank you so much for the warning. I am so sorry for the way you found out, but your experience did help several gliders, as you can see from these posts. I have 8, and they were to be tent toys, so everyone would have gotten them.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/23/05 02:51 AM

I went to the dollar store today and saw a cute toy as described above...I picked it up and took a look at the label and is said "CATNIP CAT TOY"...I remembered this thread and put it back right away. I am sure this is the toy everyone here says they have...Description exactly the same...must be from another company though. I didn't buy it of course...Stuck with doggie tug toys...I know there will be no catnip in there. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/23/05 11:14 AM

YIKES! two of my cages had them so I took them out after I read this and I cut open the head part mine was stuffed with white filler stuff I threw them out.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/24/05 03:16 AM

Maybe I'm wrong, but if you try a law suit they may be able to come back at you. After all the toy is labelled as a cat toy and yes, I know everyone buys cat toys for their gliders, but since it is not labelled as a glider toy it could cause problems with the suit. I don't kow if they'd even be smart enough to think of it this way, but be careful so that you don't end up the one losing money. Since it deals with several animals deaths you never know they might be the one to lose their money.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/26/05 09:52 PM

I have no intention of trying to sue anyone, I primarily wanted to share my story so that others wouldn't make the same mistake. I appreciate all of the words of comfort and sympathy. I just want to inform others so they don't have to go through the same grief and pain. Thanks <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/heartpump.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/26/05 10:41 PM

Fidget, I do appreciate that you shared your story, as I have posted before, your loss has indeed helped my gliders as I immediately threw that toy away. I am grateful to you for that.
Posted By: USMom

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 07/27/05 04:25 AM

Fidget, I ditto what joanne said. Thanks!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 09/05/05 08:49 AM

I just want to say that although I know the toy was intended for cat use, some cat owners do not want catnip for their felines either. So even if they come back at you by saying it is intended for cats, you still had a legititmate complaint that it was not listed on the toy. I'm so sorry for your loss.
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 09/05/05 01:29 PM

[:"green"]I guess I missed this thread when it was first posted. Now, I'm reading it and totally shocked. How horrible! Thank you for sharing your difficult story. My deepest sympathy is with you for such a terrible loss. God bless you for continuing to breed gliders & for sharing your story.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: I hope this experience helps someone! - 09/09/05 07:16 AM

Thank you for the info---have had gliders for over three years. (I have nine). Did NOT realize that catnip was deadly. I just found a little cat toy and didn't give it to them---didn't check into the sewn part to see if any catnip is in it. I will not loet them play with it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am truly sorry for your loss.
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