I took in a rescue glider on the 27th last month. He is a very sweet boy and I'm hoping to get him healthy and eventually living with my other 2, both neutered males.

He was a single glider from the time he was 6 months old and he is 5 now. He was fed vitacraft pellets but is now on The Pet Glider (a.k.a. Priscilla Price's) diet and absolutely loves the fresh food and will eat 2 portions some days.

He came to me with an over groomed head and, more concerning, tail, especially the tip which is bald. He has not self-mutilated but I think he has thinned his head a bit more since I got him when I didn't take him with me in a bonding pouch, the poor guy is lonely and I try to spend as much time as possible with him. He is very sweet and wants to be held and petted all day.

I have him in a cage near the other 2 so they can interact which I know isn't proper quarantine, I live in an apartment that's once big open area so couldn't really keep him in a separate room anyway and he barked to them when he wasn't near so I wanted him to be able to be closer, they aren't able to touch for safety reasons but do look at each other and hiss in a way that I've read isn't aggressive. I won't start pouch swapping until he checks out clean with the vet, and probably won't do intros til his hormones have gone down.

He is getting a health check, including fecal, and laser pom off neuter tomorrow. I stopped putting the tpg vitamin in his food the day I started collecting feces for the exam.

He moves pretty well, eats sitting up. His nails are overgrown but I can only trim the tips, even though he is not getting quicked it hurts him to trim more than that.

I put him in a bigger cage than he came in. He doesn't really glide in it or when I give him playtime, though. He mostly just runs around on the floor and climbs obstacles, and climbs around the cage. He doesn't know how to climb up on me on command yet and seems very nervous and unsure about riding on me or being scooped up, I don't know if he's been interacted with like this before.

Is there anything else I can do for him or should have checked? I am keeping an eye on his tail for any sm or color change.

Does he have any toys?

Have you had any tent/bathroom time yet? Feathers will stimulate interactive play with you. I'd say he isn't used to playing with humans either.

Some reset toys may help too.
Do you have any plastic Easter eggs, an old tictac box, or a tooth rush cover to put a treat in?

He has some toys. He will play with a feather with me, either in the pouch or in the cage, he's just not used to being held without a pouch or riding on people. He does get some freetime in a glider-proofed room, he roams around it on the floor mostly. Eventually I scoop him up to put him away which he tolerates but is really not used to.

I've given him a honey straw before but he doesn't seem to get it yet, even though I opened it for him so he knew there was sweet stuff in it.

Mine only tolerate it briefly. Some gliders don't care for being held. It's part of their instinct to be able to flee if necessary. trust plays an important role too.

Here are some ideas and tips that help me:

Rule number 1: try not to flinch...They learn fast it makes you go away.

*Use a large piece of fleece size 14" x 14" when you have to catch him or take him out of the pouch.

*Place a treat in the palm of your hand and offer it to them.

*When giving a treat, while he is eating give him a scratch on his head and talk softly.

* Offer your hand to them palm down.

* Wear the same smelly shirt they have played on before.

* And last but not least, Fist time. For me this was the hardest to do. Basically find a time of day when you'll be sitting for awhile. Like watching a movie. Pull the sleeping pouch with them in it and get comfy. Slowly introduce your tight fist into the pouch.(if they bite, it won't hurt.) As they accept the fist, slowly open it up and tuck under him. Once he settles, you can scratch him here or there. Let him sleep with your hand.

I hope this is helpful. Please keep us posted on his progress.

Oh, he doesn't bite me. He tries to run a bit when he sees I'm going to pick him up but he doesn't crab or lunge. He just acts like he's never ridden on a human before. My other 2 are trained to climb aboard sort of like a parrot stepping up when I offer an outstretched wrist and ride on my back or shoulders and climb all over me. He clings on for dear life when I put him on me and gets off as soon as I offer him a surface to move to.

He loves to be pet and held in the pouch. He pops so loudly at first I was worried he had a respiratory infection or something. I can even grab him in the pouch if I need to and can turn him out pretty easily as well. As long as you don't startle him he doesn't crab or anything.

He's a very good boy and was almost immediately friendly to me when I got him. He gladly takes treats. He isn't bonded yet but he definitely craves and loves attention.

So how old are your other boys?

And how did his neuter and fecals go?

Since he is an adult, and possibly not human handled much, and in a strange place, he is still trying to soak it all in. He may have some anxiety over your boys too.

After reading through this thread again, it also sounds like he needs his confidence built up. Baby steps, encouragement and a little more time will help.

Once the boys are introduced, he may watch what and how your two interact, and the "monkey see monkey do" will kick in.

My boys are 1 and 3. New guy is 5. The neuter went well and he's recovering. Fecal came back clean.

Since he was a single glider he is very people-oriented and he does like interacting with me. He has a sweet disposition. It's just specifically that he's not used to being picked up or riding on me. I think the previous owner didn't do that.

He is very interested in my boys. He makes a sound like sucking air through a straw at them.

I think he will pick it up from them once introduced, but I was planning on waiting for his hormones to die down before doing bathtub intros so it may be a while.

Dawn has given you some very good information.