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Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1096477
04/07/11 02:41 AM
04/07/11 02:41 AM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
angelic4296 Offline
Glider Addict
angelic4296  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
A bite-free night, that's great news! ::) Bourbon will definitely give you advice to get you through this, so keep workin hard with your babies and definitely thank you for the updates so other newer members can follow along if they're having the same issue....


Jess

2 spoiled gliders, Gizzy (6/05) and Ruthie (?/05) <3

Please consider rescuing first!

Please remember to complete your surveys at http://www.sugargroup.org/ - help better the lives of gliders everywhere smile
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1097320
04/08/11 09:00 PM
04/08/11 09:00 PM

N
NaeJ
Unregistered
NaeJ
Unregistered
N



Ok update #2:

Wednesday night I ended up having to work really late so I didn't end up getting home until around 2am. Luckily, I had remembered to feed them before I left for work that afternoon so their bellies were full by the time I came down there. I took some baby food peaches down into the glider room with me. They weren't crazy about them but licked at them a little bit. After they all greeted me, I sat down on the futon in there and read a book for a little bit. Everyone just kind of went about their business. Smith came over and sniffed at me once, but other than that everyone just kind of left me alone. The futon is located under a window and Wesson climbed up on the screen and pretty much kept an eye on me from there. I should also mention that I forgot to take a shower before going down there and I didn't really notice much of a difference in their behavior. After a while, I took my ("their") sweatshirt off and left to go to bed.

Thursday night I got out of work late, but not quite as late as Wednesday night. I hadn't fed them earlier that afternoon, so I had to grab their dishes, clean them and put their food out for them. I brought blueberry yogurt down with me and they loved it. I had all 4 of them on the front of my ("their") sweatshirt going to town licking the yogurt. After the feeding frenzy died down (haha) I went and sat on the futon again. I took the yogurt with me and was talking on my phone with Bourbon. Smith and Wesson played on the window screen for a while and I held some of the yogurt out to him (but much closer to me than to him). After a while, he started to timidly approach it and finally licked at it. But whenever another glider would make a noise, he'd jump away really quickly. I can see now how "apprehensive" (Bourbon's description) Wesson is around me. I can't believe I hadn't noticed it before and I felt really badly that he felt that way. So now I'm just taking it slowly and trying to teach them that I'm friendly and not going to eat them. :-) Wesson did start to crawl onto my shoulder and start sniffing my hair (again, I had forgotton to shower before going down there) but he did not bite! Also, everyone was in such a hurry to greet me when I came in there, I hadn't had a chance to put my ("their") sweatshirt on over my tank top before everyone started jumping on me. I thought for sure with all that exposed skin, Wesson would be chomping down, but he didn't bite at all. I was so proud of him!! So for a treat, when I was getting ready to leave and go to bed, I had cut some drinking straws (the ones from Arby's are clear, so those are the ones Bourbon recommends using)into about 3" sections and picked up some Hunt's snack pack vanilla pudding from the store. I sucked pudding up into each of the straws and gave each of them a straw as a treat after such good behavior. Bourbon said that they don't make the connection that since they were good, they got a treat. She said doing that is more for my sake and also reinforces the idea that Nae = yummy things. :-) She also said that if I hold the straw and let Wesson lick the pudding out of it, it's a trust-building thing because not only am I in close proximity to him, but as far as he's concerned, I have vanilla pudding coming out of my fingertip! And maybe he'll think that if he licks me (instead of biting) I'll taste like vanilla pudding. :-)

(So for those of you that are keeping track, that's 3 nights in a row without a single bite! Yippee!!)

Anyway, I'm going to keep taking things slowly until Smith and Wesson are more comfortable with me (when they can approach me without trepidation). Another thing Bourbon suggested was instead of leaving their cage open all the time, to close it after they've gone to bed so that *I* can be the one to let them out when they wake up each night. This establishes to them that the glider room is not their territory, that I am allowing them to have their freedom and use of the room.

I can definitely see progress with Wesson and I don't mind taking a step back and taking things slowly and getting to know my little guys better. I will continue to post updates and keep everyone informed as to progress, and, God forbid, setbacks. I hope someone else can learn from my experiences. I told Bourbon last night that when I got my girls, they were already sweet and outgoing from the beginning so it didn't take much to bond with them. So when I got the boys, I may have taken things too quickly with them. Bourbon actually said that when she rehomes rescues, she prefers to send them to homes with no previous glider experience for that reason (so people will have that fear of doing something wrong to hurt them, and will take things slowly to get to know them so they'll be more careful).

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1097334
04/08/11 09:40 PM
04/08/11 09:40 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 513
Vancouver, WA
GliderGuy540 Offline
Glider Lover
GliderGuy540  Offline
Glider Lover

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 513
Vancouver, WA
clap Great to hear things are going so well!


--==Kevin==--
Suggie-Daddy to Willow, Wicket, and Loki
:grey: :grey: :plat:

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1097335
04/08/11 09:40 PM
04/08/11 09:40 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
angelic4296 Offline
Glider Addict
angelic4296  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
I've been following along in this thread, and I am so happy that taking a step back has allowed more of a secure bond to start forming, that's such great progress! smile Definitely keep updating, it's super refrehsing to read about an owner really doing her best to have the best possible relatioship with her gliders, no matter what it takes! smile


Jess

2 spoiled gliders, Gizzy (6/05) and Ruthie (?/05) <3

Please consider rescuing first!

Please remember to complete your surveys at http://www.sugargroup.org/ - help better the lives of gliders everywhere smile
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1097353
04/08/11 09:59 PM
04/08/11 09:59 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,979
Wisconsin
Feather Offline
Administrator
Feather  Offline
Administrator

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,979
Wisconsin
Great News Lonea!


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: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1097454
04/09/11 01:05 AM
04/09/11 01:05 AM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 28,219
Washington D.C. Metro Area
DCMuffin Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
DCMuffin  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 28,219
Washington D.C. Metro Area
clap

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1098999
04/12/11 06:57 PM
04/12/11 06:57 PM

N
NaeJ
Unregistered
NaeJ
Unregistered
N



Alright, update #3:

Friday night was more of the same... came home after work, let them out of their cage, fed them and spent some time sitting on the futon reading. Everyone went about their business eating, playing and running around and didn't really take any notice of me, which was fine.

Saturday night, we were out late for a friend's birthday party. After we got home, I went down to feed them and let them out of their cage. Chloe was licking my hand (like she frequently does) and Wesson came over to investigate. Usually when he does this, he bites. But I held still and let him see what Chloe was doing. He then started licking my wrist!! I smiled and told him "Good boy!" He bit me once--really gently, not as hard as he had done in the past-- and I hissed at him and he stopped (hissing has never made him stop in the past). He licked a little bit more and I praised him and told him what a good boy he was and then he bit (gently) again. Again, I hissed at him and he stopped. After that, I kept a close eye on his mouth and when he opened it and looked like he was going to bite, I hissed and he stopped before he even got his teeth on me. These signs of progress are so exciting!!

Sunday, I spent the day cleaning the room and washing some of the fleece I had hanging on the walls and their cage set (except the pouch they were sleeping in) so I didn't let them out Sunday night. Call me selfish, but I wanted the room to stay clean for a little longer hehe.

Last night (Monday), I went down to feed them and let them out. I brought some blueberry yogurt in with me and talked with Bourbon (giving her an update on how the weekend went) while I sat on the futon and watched them play. Whenever Wesson would (timidly) approach, I would hold out some yogurt to him and he would come lick it and make those happy little contented sounds (I love those!!). He didn't even attempt to bite. I stayed down with them for about a half hour and made sure everyone got some yogurt and then gave them some straws filled with vanilla pudding. They seemed more excited about them this time than they were the first time I did this. Wesson wouldn't hold onto his straw so I held it for him as he licked the pudding out (which kept him in close proximity to me for an extended period of time).

This week, I'm just going to kind of observe their behavior and try to learn their body language. I'm going to continue to attempt to earn Smith and Wesson's trust and teach them that biting (even softly) is not okay. I find myself looking forward to our time together and I'm more relaxed now that I'm not constantly trying to defend myself from Wesson's teeth. I would love to someday have the kind of relationship with them that JillMarie has with Arwen or Liezl has with her gliders, but until that day comes, I'm going to delight in getting to know them and just take things at *their* pace.

I will continue to update as things progress. I'm sure I'm not the only one with apprehensive gliders and if this thread helps even just one person build a stronger friendship with their glider(s), then all the time I've spent writing updates is worth it! :-)

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1099024
04/12/11 07:59 PM
04/12/11 07:59 PM

L
lovely1inred
Unregistered
lovely1inred
Unregistered
L



Wonderful news!!!!

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1101313
04/17/11 01:14 PM
04/17/11 01:14 PM

N
NaeJ
Unregistered
NaeJ
Unregistered
N



Update:

I didn't spend a whole lot of time with them this last week. I had been working days so I was getting up at 4am and working 10+ hours/day. I was exhausted by the time I got home, so I would feed them and go to bed. The plan was to just continue observing them and getting to know them. Bourbon told me that I wasn't to give them any treats that they had to use their teeth for, but as they are on the Priscilla Price diet and it calls for daily mealies, I was worried that they weren't getting all of the nutrients they needed. So I put their mealies in their food dishes figuring that if I wasn't holding the dish or mealies, they wouldn't associate them with me. Well, I didn't wash my hands after putting the mealies in their dish, so I imagine my hands had a delicious smell prompting Wesson to take a chunk out of my thumb. In his defense, he has never been very careful about where he bites when mealies are involved. He would commonly miss the worm and bite my fingers when I would hold the mealies. So I think that's what happened. To test my theory, later in the week I put more mealies in their food dishes but washed my hands before going back into the room and I didn't get bitten, even though my hands were inspected thoroughly. All 4 of them tasted my hands but no one bit. Yay!

Wesson was really sweet one of the days... everyone was sleeping except him when I came in, so I had a little one-on-one time with him. He came over to me and let me pet him and give him kisses and scratch his back and he even gave me kisses. I think he's still a little apprehensive but I will continue to take things slowly and earn his trust.

Posting these updates really helps me to reflect on my experiences each night and examine my behavior as well as theirs. It would be easy to focus on getting bitten and think that I'm losing ground with them and forget about the progress that has been made. But it wouldn't be the truth. I have been letting Wesson near my skin and I haven't been wearing the hood on my hoodie sweatshirt and I haven't had my ears bitten in 2 weeks now. He got a little rough when licking/grooming me one night, but I watched his mouth and hissed before he bit and it reminded him that I wasn't going to stand for that behavior any more.

So there is definite progress being made, despite the fact that I haven't been spending a lot of time down there. I'll be working nights again this next week so I will be able to spend more time with them. My only worry is that this next weekend, we're going to MN to visit my husband's family for Easter. I don't really want to take them all with me, but I don't know who is going to feed them while I'm gone, or whether it would be a good idea to have a stranger come in and feed them. I will talk to Bourbon and see how best to handle the situation.

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1101316
04/17/11 01:19 PM
04/17/11 01:19 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 13,454
South Africa
G
Gizmogirl Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
Gizmogirl  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
G

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 13,454
South Africa
Thank you for the update, it's great to follow your progress. clap


Casper & Liezl
:grey:Gizzy, Boesman, Muchu, Kiamon, Sky & Boog:grey:
A glider's eyes have the power to speak a great language

RIP Sugar 2009 & Kaida 2013
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1101323
04/17/11 01:36 PM
04/17/11 01:36 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 316
southern Ct
Nora Offline
Glider Explorer
Nora  Offline
Glider Explorer

Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 316
southern Ct
Really enjoy reading your posts and seeing all of your great progress!


Sharon

Mom to:
Zeva :grey: & Zoey :grey:

Cooper- Our wonderful Bichon!


Daughters, Lauren & Jennifer(all grown up)
Hubby & best friend, Paul heart
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1101379
04/17/11 04:49 PM
04/17/11 04:49 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 513
Vancouver, WA
GliderGuy540 Offline
Glider Lover
GliderGuy540  Offline
Glider Lover

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 513
Vancouver, WA
I too enjoy reading your updates. Thanks for taking the time to do it!


--==Kevin==--
Suggie-Daddy to Willow, Wicket, and Loki
:grey: :grey: :plat:

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1102072
04/19/11 11:36 AM
04/19/11 11:36 AM

N
NaeJ
Unregistered
NaeJ
Unregistered
N



Had a bit of a setback this past weekend... I was going in to feed the critters and my husband wanted to come in with me. I told him I was working on trust issues with Wesson and didn't think it was a good idea but he came in anyway. He was quite nervous about Wesson so I made sure to coax Wesson to jump to me any time he jumped over to Nate. My first mistake was that I didn't bring any yogurt in with me to distract him. Also, Wesson is quite territorial and didn't like Nate coming into his territory. So he started biting me after Nate left. I ended up having to put my hood up to protect my ears and neck. At one point, Wesson jumped onto my head, came up over the top, reached down and bit the bridge of my nose and then just as quickly, ran away. I was afraid that I had done irreparable damage by letting my husband come in, but Bourbon assured me that I wasn't starting again at square one. She said that sometimes you don't know whether your gliders are ready for the next step until you try. I now know that mine are not ready to have others in the room with them yet (at least the boys). I also know the importance of consistency... I need to have the licky treats with me *every* time I come in and I need to continue taking things slowly and moving at their pace. Wesson approaches me with less trepidation now, but I still have not earned his trust, nor he mine. It's still going to take some work, but to see the progress we've made in such a short amount of time is encouraging. I'm enjoying getting to know my little fellas and I have high hopes that we will be good friends if I continue learning his body language, facial expressions and generally what makes him "tick". Bourbon has been a great resource for helping to explain the way gliders think and interpreting some of their behavior for me. She has been quite reassuring that even though it may have not been a great idea to have Nate come in with me the other day, I did not undo everything I worked so hard to accomplish these past couple of weeks.

I will continue to keep updating and will include the good and the bad. Bourbon thought it would be important to include this story to reassure people that may be following along that it's ok to make a mistake or two. Gliders are benevolent creatures that will forgive your mistakes and it's still possible to make progress with them despite slip-ups.

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1102134
04/19/11 02:03 PM
04/19/11 02:03 PM
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 5,336
Bee-Bopping round SnakePit USA
B
Bourbon Offline
Serious Glideritis
Bourbon  Offline
Serious Glideritis
B

Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 5,336
Bee-Bopping round SnakePit USA
let me add that last night they had a fairly good night which was good to show her that even though he had a bad night the night before, that with the consistency , he fell right back into the new routine.

when dealing with issues, every day will not always be a great day, not every day will be as expected.but we too must allow them the opportunity to have their little quirks, it is up to us, to learn how to deal with them.

I am very proud of her, she has done such a great job with Wesson, I told her to go back and read what she first posted.. look at the progress she has made, and remember that it will take consistency and time , but that she has done a great job, and so has he..

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1102140
04/19/11 02:20 PM
04/19/11 02:20 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 28,219
Washington D.C. Metro Area
DCMuffin Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
DCMuffin  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 28,219
Washington D.C. Metro Area
clap

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1102341
04/19/11 11:06 PM
04/19/11 11:06 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
angelic4296 Offline
Glider Addict
angelic4296  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
This has been really interesting to follow, and even though both my gliders are very bonded to me, it's been a great reminder on how to take things from their perspective and really watch their body language and their responses and behavior....congrats on all of your progress, you must feel so proud and thrilled! smile


Jess

2 spoiled gliders, Gizzy (6/05) and Ruthie (?/05) <3

Please consider rescuing first!

Please remember to complete your surveys at http://www.sugargroup.org/ - help better the lives of gliders everywhere smile
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1103410
04/22/11 10:59 AM
04/22/11 10:59 AM

N
NaeJ
Unregistered
NaeJ
Unregistered
N



Quick update:

Nothing has really changed much. Wesson seems to approach me with more confidence now, but is still apprehensive. The other day, Smith was standing on my hand and licking me. I praised him and told him what a good boy he was and then he'd bite. Not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough to make it hurt. Then he'd lick a little more and then bite again. I'd "hiss" at him every time he bit and would praise him when he would lick. I wanted to encourage the licking but not the biting. I eventually called Bourbon to ask her what his behavior meant and she asked how many times Smith would lick before he bit. I told her it varied. Between 20 or 30 times sometimes or 2 or 3 times others. She told me to let him lick 2 or 3 times and then move my hand and give him a treat. Then do it again and gradually increase the amount of times I allow him to lick before I give him a treat. This teaches him to lick when he wants a treat and not bite. It rewards him for the good behavior but stops him before he can exhibit the behavior we're trying to discourage. It really made sense. I haven't had the opportunity to practice this yet as Smith hasn't tried to lick me again. Last night I worked until almost 2am so I didn't spend much time with them as I was tired and wanted to go to bed. I put some mealies in their food bowls which kept them pretty distracted and I slipped out of the room.

It's pretty slow-going, but I'm looking forward to having some happy babies that trust and love me and I will do whatever it takes for however long it takes to achieve this.

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1105902
04/27/11 10:09 PM
04/27/11 10:09 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
angelic4296 Offline
Glider Addict
angelic4296  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
Very cool strategies from Bourbon, keep updating whenever you can, I know that I appreciate hearing this info alot smile


Jess

2 spoiled gliders, Gizzy (6/05) and Ruthie (?/05) <3

Please consider rescuing first!

Please remember to complete your surveys at http://www.sugargroup.org/ - help better the lives of gliders everywhere smile
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1106021
04/28/11 01:05 AM
04/28/11 01:05 AM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 513
Vancouver, WA
GliderGuy540 Offline
Glider Lover
GliderGuy540  Offline
Glider Lover

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 513
Vancouver, WA
I think Bourbon needs to write a book! read


--==Kevin==--
Suggie-Daddy to Willow, Wicket, and Loki
:grey: :grey: :plat:

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: GliderGuy540] #1106100
04/28/11 08:10 AM
04/28/11 08:10 AM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 773
usa
T
tournesoul Offline
Glider Guardian
tournesoul  Offline
Glider Guardian
T

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 773
usa
Originally Posted By: GliderGuy540
I think Bourbon needs to write a book! read


:gidea: Yea! Bourbon rocks!!! She has helped my boys and I, as well, tons!! thumb

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: tournesoul] #1106461
04/28/11 10:13 PM
04/28/11 10:13 PM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 539
Capital Region, NY USA
Gemini67 Offline
Glider Lover
Gemini67  Offline
Glider Lover

Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 539
Capital Region, NY USA
Nae - thanks SO much for taking the time to write this thread and continue to update it! I have learned a lot from reading this and I am sure others have also. It sounds like you and Wesson are going in the right direction! YEA! How wonderful that Bourbon has been such a great mentor!


Darby

~ Lucky to have rescued all of my :grey: "silly goosies" and my kitties Jani Rose and Artie-Choke
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1107809
05/02/11 11:14 AM
05/02/11 11:14 AM

N
NaeJ
Unregistered
NaeJ
Unregistered
N



Another quick update:

I've been having computer issues and I've been lacking the patience to deal with them so I haven't been updating. Bourbon called me last week to make sure everything was still ok since I hadn't posted. She's such a sweetie! I've been SO tired working first shift that by the time I get home from work and eat dinner, I'm ready to just collapse into bed. So needless to say, I haven't been spending the amount of time with them that I should be. I work second shift again this week so I'll be able to spend plenty of time with them. Next week, I need to be getting myself ready to work the graveyard shift (6pm - 6am) so I'll be spending all kinds of time with them in the glider room. :-)

So there hasn't been a whole lot of change in the situation. Things are pretty much status quo. Smith went to town grooming my hand the other night and it used to be that he would bite every so often after licking it. The other night, he didn't bite at all. I tried to do what Bourbon suggested, which was count the licks and offer a treat after 5 or 6 licks to catch him before he starts biting. This encourages the licking behavior and teaches him that he gets yummy things when he licks me, but when I offered him the yogurt after a few licks, he wanted nothing to do with it and kept licking my hand haha.

I took both Smith and Wesson (and the girls) with me to the Wisconsin Spring Social last weekend. They were so good and just slept in my shirt all day. Jasmine kept getting restless and wanting to crawl out of my shirt and find a place by herself between my shirt and my sweatshirt, but I was not sitting still and was afraid she'd fall out or get hurt, so I put her in a bonding pouch for a while. After she settled down, I would offer her the chance to go back into my shirt to snuggle with the others and she would do fine there. Smith and Wesson even got their nails trimmed and were very good about that too. They didn't crab, cry, or even stress-poo. After the nail trimming, they got a great big mealie and the whole experience was forgotten and everything was peachy haha.

Wesson is still apprehensive in his approach to me, but isn't biting. Smith has started biting my shirt a little bit, but doesn't bite my skin. He used to bite my hair, but since I switched shampoos, he hasn't done that. It may be coincidence, or it may be that he took offense to the smell of my other shampoo. Quite frankly, I wasn't nuts about the smell of the other shampoo, nor was I happy with my hair after using it hehe. So I will not go back to that shampoo again. :-)

So pretty much, things are staying pretty much the same. I'm sure I'll have more to write once I start spending more time with them.

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1108509
05/03/11 07:13 PM
05/03/11 07:13 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
angelic4296 Offline
Glider Addict
angelic4296  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
Congrats on continued progress, that's great smile


Jess

2 spoiled gliders, Gizzy (6/05) and Ruthie (?/05) <3

Please consider rescuing first!

Please remember to complete your surveys at http://www.sugargroup.org/ - help better the lives of gliders everywhere smile
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1111790
05/10/11 08:03 PM
05/10/11 08:03 PM

N
NaeJ
Unregistered
NaeJ
Unregistered
N



I think it's about time for another update...

When I work day shift, I am so exhausted when I get home that I don't spend much time with the gliders. I just go down, feed them, let them out of their cage and then slip out and go to bed. I feel bad about it, but I'm just so tired...

I worked night shift (2pm-10:30pm) so by the time I get home, they're up and about so I feed them, let them out of their cage and then I generally stay down there for an hour or two. When I'm standing, they all want to jump on me and interact. When I'm sitting on the futon, they're all apprehensive of me, and they rarely come over to me. I find that strange... even the girls, who are generally very friendly, don't ever come over to me when I'm sitting down, even when I have treats for them. Any ideas why this would be?

Also, one night (I don't remember what night it was), Wesson came over and bit my ear really hard. I had been giving them yogurt and Smith had been licking my hand so I was watching him to make sure he wasn't biting and Wesson ran over, bit my ear, and ran away so quickly I didn't even see it coming. I know Bourbon would tell me it's my own fault for not keeping an eye on Wesson at all times like she advised. But Smith still bites once in a while when he licks and I was focusing on him and trying to interrupt his licking with treats before he bites. The problem is, when he's licking my hand, he wants nothing to do with treats of any kind... even vanilla pudding! So it's hard to stop him before he bites.

And the bite from Wesson? I have no clue what provoked it. I was wearing the sweatshirt that stays in their room, I wasn't chasing him or anything, I had been giving him yogurt when he came over to me earlier. I'm stumped. We were doing so well!

I still don't trust him though. Smith was licking my hand last night and Wesson came over to investigate and bit my finger. It wasn't as hard as it had been before I started working with Bourbon, but it was still a bite. I don't know...maybe he was just trying to remind me that he can bite me if he really wanted to...

I'm also not sure Wesson exhibits "typical" alpha male qualities. For instance, the other night they were just waking up from a nap and were all still on their pouch. I held out a spoon with some yogurt and the girls (who were closer) started lapping it up. Then Smith came over and was licking at it and Wesson, who was more toward the bottom of the pile was trying to peek through Jasmine's legs to get some. He didn't hiss or bark or make her move or anything. Then at one point, Smith was literally standing on Wesson's head while he was licking the yogurt and again, Wesson made no move to get Smith's foot off of his head. In fact, I don't necessarily see any of them demonstrating what I would think of as dominant behavior... When I get a chance, I'll talk to Bourbon about this...

Starting this weekend, I will be working 6pm - 6am shifts temporarily. When I'm at work, obviously I won't be able to spend any time with my babies at all, but on my days off, as I need to kind of keep on the opposite sleep schedule, I'll be able to spend all night down there with them. I'll probably grab my laptop and watch movies or something... I'm not sure how much time I'll have to post updates, but I'll post when I can...

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1114935
05/17/11 01:29 AM
05/17/11 01:29 AM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
angelic4296 Offline
Glider Addict
angelic4296  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,264
Northeast U.S.
Thanks for the update smile

Sometimes I chalk up a random nip/bite to it being just that...random lol....


Jess

2 spoiled gliders, Gizzy (6/05) and Ruthie (?/05) <3

Please consider rescuing first!

Please remember to complete your surveys at http://www.sugargroup.org/ - help better the lives of gliders everywhere smile
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1115713
05/18/11 12:27 PM
05/18/11 12:27 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 571
Kenosha,WI
J
jen102375 Offline
Glider Lover
jen102375  Offline
Glider Lover
J

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 571
Kenosha,WI
I have some experience with biters not as much as Bourbon but I am in WI myself( Kenosha) if you need help or support just let me know my number is in my profile.


Slave 2
Hubby Jon
3 daughters Ellivia(13)Hanna(10)Alayna(6)
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4 wonderful Rescues

Jen
262 748-4128 24hr help
www.thegliderboutique.com

PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR SUGAR GROUP SURVEY'S (THANK YOU) smile


Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1120869
05/29/11 02:11 PM
05/29/11 02:11 PM

P
ParaPrincess904
Unregistered
ParaPrincess904
Unregistered
P



Any new updates? I've learned so much following your journey with your quad. Wishing you the best of luck!

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1121684
05/31/11 11:49 AM
05/31/11 11:49 AM

N
NaeJ
Unregistered
NaeJ
Unregistered
N



I didn't think anyone was interested in this anymore but evidently there are still a few followers so I'll post an update.

I went down to spend some time with them last Tuesday night (after 4 nights being away at work). While I'm not home, I keep them locked in their cage all night. They have toys and wheels in there to keep them occupied and it's a sufficiently large cage so I'm not too worried about it. I make sure they're fed before I leave in the evening.

I fully expected Wesson to be unhappy with me keeping him locked up for 4 days and not spending much time with them, but they were all very good. They wouldn't let me out of the room to get food for them! They kept jumping on me. Chloe and Jasmine were licking and licking and even Smith was licking and licking my hands (no biting). Wesson was on me and letting me pet him but he didn't show any affection (not that I expected him to). So I stayed in there and played with them all for quite a while. I didn't bring any yogurt in with me because I wanted to see how things would go. Since they were so good, I brought in some vanilla pudding-filled straws and they were all kinds of excited about them. Jasmine is very independent (she even likes to sleep by herself) and while the others would prefer to have me hold the straws for them, Jasmine takes hers and won't let me touch it. I tried to turn it around for her and she grabbed onto it with both hands and her mouth and wouldn't let me, so I let her be. The next night when I gave her another pudding straw, she grabbed it and ran up near the ceiling in case I tried to take it from her again. LOL They're way too cute!! I adore the cute little chirping noises they make when they're eating something yummy.

Even though I couldn't/can't spend time with them whem I'm on shift all night, I go in during the day while they're sleeping and peek in on them to make sure everyone's alright. I sometimes will give them a yoggie or a piece of dried fruit. I usually stroke them and give them kisses and tell them how much I love them.

So on my 4 days off, I spent time down in the room with them and on the 4th day, Wesson bit me (my ear and my arm), Smith bit me (while he was licking me) and actually drew blood, and Chloe bit my leg. It was like they knew I was going to lock them in their cage for the next 4 days. Chloe usually only bites when it's an accident (she's not careful when she's grabbing mealies from me) so I was surprised by this biting from them. I haven't given them mealies in a while because their bedding got moldy so I had to change out their bedding and keep them out of the fridge for 3 days so they could get the moldy stuff out of their system so they'd be safe to feed to the gliders again. I even had yogurt with me that night. I don't know what the biting was all about... maybe they were just crabby. I don't know, but I am not taking it personally.

I haven't been spending much time with them because my parents were visiting from Michigan and we were quite busy. So far, there hasn't been much of a change. I need to find time to get in touch with Bourbon so I can talk to her about the next step and actually try to build a relationship with them. Smith and Wesson are still quite apprehensive and I'm not seeing much progress. However, I've been SOOO busy, that I haven't been spending nearly as much time with them as I should, so I know it's going to take quite a bit longer than it normally would because of that.

I was surprised at work today that they changed my schedule, so I'll be working second shift for the next 2 weeks. When I get home tonight, I'll be able to spend some time with them. I was going to close them in their cage today while they're asleep (like I usually do) but they're not sleeping in their cage. They're hanging underneath some fleece I have hanging on the walls and I can't get them into their pouch (little stinkers). Bourbon thought that if I actually wait until they're awake and let them out at night, maybe Wesson wouldn't be so territorial. I honestly don't know if it's making that much of a difference. Wesson has still been biting (though not nearly as much as he used to, and not as hard).

I'll post another update after I talk to Bourbon. It's been a few weeks since I've talked to her and she's probably thinking I've given up haha.

Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1121700
05/31/11 12:28 PM
05/31/11 12:28 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,616
Texas, U.S. 76022
ssuver Offline
Glider Slave
ssuver  Offline
Glider Slave

Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,616
Texas, U.S. 76022
good luck! It sounds like you have your hands full.


~ Samantha ~

:grey: :wfb: :rtmo: :leu:
Re: Out for blood - PART ONE [Re: ] #1121763
05/31/11 02:45 PM
05/31/11 02:45 PM

M
meganelizabeth
Unregistered
meganelizabeth
Unregistered
M



Just keep working at it! You are doing the best you can for your babies and they will see that and love you for it, its just gonna take time but its worth it! Good job so far!

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