I'm just curious if anyone lets joeys from different cages play together? I've thought about doing this, but wasn't sure how the parents would react. I thought if they smelled another glider on them that they might attack them in confusion, but I guess I've never tried and never asked. Anybody have any experience good or bad?
Teri
Owner of lots of beautiful suggies!
My fabulous rescue Nanuk And Kiesha waiting in heaven
And two OCD and neurotic bulldogs Capone and Aspen!
I don't have any experience so I don't know the answer, but that's an interesting question and a definite possibility. How old are the joeys? Do the different sets of parents interact at all? And if so, are they friendly? Or are they in the same room and make friendly sounds to one another?
Forever owned in my heart by my "Eight is Enough" colony:
I'm just curious if anyone lets joeys from different cages play together? I've thought about doing this, but wasn't sure how the parents would react. I thought if they smelled another glider on them that they might attack them in confusion, but I guess I've never tried and never asked. Anybody have any experience good or bad?
I would not risk it UNLESS the parent gliders in each cage are already on friendly terms with one another and already have interaction time with each other. Otherwise, there is too high a risk of the parents rejected the joeys when they come back due to smelling like another colony
I have 2 females from different parents that were both oop on Vaelentines. They are both still in the cages of the parents, but eventually will be cage mates, so we have put them in our 260 rept that is all decked out like suggie disney land! They fussed at each other a little at first but then got along fine. Both parents accepted them back without incident. Only problem we had was making sure the right joey got to the right parents! They do look very much alike! These girls are older though, I don't think I would try it with very yong joeys
Last edited by gliderma; 05/21/0907:19 AM. Reason: added more info
Lynn Martel 616-272-4374 989-400-5686
Re: Joeys from different litters playing?
[Re: gliderma]
#782115 05/21/0901:40 PM05/21/0901:40 PM
Hum. Well the parents don't interact. I only considered doing this because I have two joeys form different litters that are gonig to the same home together and I was hoping that they could bond a little before they went to the new home. I have been switching out pouches and blankets in the cage so that they would know the smell and they would smell like it anyway so it would be a little less dramatic. I'm still a little scared though.
Teri
Owner of lots of beautiful suggies!
My fabulous rescue Nanuk And Kiesha waiting in heaven
And two OCD and neurotic bulldogs Capone and Aspen!
I'll be totally honest. I had two pairs produce single joeys at the same time. I used to get them out for playtime and bonding time together some days. They weren't together for hours a day or anything but I did let them play and cuddle together sometimes.
I never really thought about the fact that the parents could have issues with their baby coming back to them smelling like other gliders. I suppose I was lucky because I never had a problem. I'm glad that the topic was brought up for discussion though because it sheds light on the situation.
I had someone bring up the idea of letting them play and then holding them for a while afterwards so that they smell more like you and I thought that was a good idea. Also what about the baby wipes? I'm sure you could probably use those to take some of the smell off too. I don't know how I feel. I'm just such a worry wort about them. They are my little babies and I don't want to be the cause of them getting hurt!
Teri
Owner of lots of beautiful suggies!
My fabulous rescue Nanuk And Kiesha waiting in heaven
And two OCD and neurotic bulldogs Capone and Aspen!
How old are they now? You could always do an intro and have them together before they go to their new home. I wouldn't use the baby wipes on them. That would just cause more confusion to the parents, I would think.
Lynn Martel 616-272-4374 989-400-5686
Re: Joeys from different litters playing?
[Re: gliderma]
#782298 05/21/0907:55 PM05/21/0907:55 PM
Well I was scared for about a week, but I finally tried it out today and everything went great. I made sure everyone was sleepy so it would be a little easier. The parents were very accepting. The female's Dad rubbed his stink all over her when she came back, LOL! Just thought I'd share my experience.
Teri
Owner of lots of beautiful suggies!
My fabulous rescue Nanuk And Kiesha waiting in heaven
And two OCD and neurotic bulldogs Capone and Aspen!
When I had my first pairs of joeys OOP around the same time I raised them together. I'd have bra-time and playtime will all 4 together every day. I never had any problems.
I no longer do that any more. I only have joeys for playtime together once they're over 4 weeks old and only if they're the same size.
~Nicole~
Proudly enslaved by lots of silly suggies, 3 crazy kitties, a huffy hedgie, and a pretty puppy!
Re: Joeys from different litters playing?
[Re: Guerita135]
#787126 06/01/0912:20 AM06/01/0912:20 AM
I've never really thought of intos like this before, a new out look on it? But yes it seems its really up to the parents and how protective/used to the other joey's parents. Just my two'cents on this.
Re: Joeys from different litters playing?
[Re: ]
#787365 06/01/0903:46 PM06/01/0903:46 PM
I did this with my first set of baby gliders, I had twin girls and twin boys. Three of them were going to the same home, so when they were about 4 weeks I started letting them play together. This went great and the parents did not seem to mind, but two weeks after I started this one of the female joeys had a bite mark on her tail, I heard her making a horrible sound and rushed in to find her terrified, alone in the pouch and crabbing if any of ther others came near her. I do not know what happened, or who bit her. She was a little food agressive as well. She ended up having her tail amputated. The girls were removed from the parents at that point.
I think that it is a very big risk, gliders know each other by scent, if the joeys smells different they may reject it. I will never know if that is why this happened to my baby, but it is a possibility.
Thanks Erin for sharing your story. I was wondering if anyone had a story where things didn't go so well. I am sorry to hear that it happened to you. I am definately not going to make this a regular practice.
I also want everyone who might be reading this to know that I made a lot of precations. I had switched blankets between the cages for a couple of weeks so that everyone smelled like the other gliders. Then after I did let them play then I held each one afterwards so that they did smell like me more. Then I took each joey's parents pouch out and let them lay in there for a while so that they smelled like their parents again. I don't encourage others to try it, but I just wanted everyone to know that I didn't just let them play and then throw them back in.
Teri
Owner of lots of beautiful suggies!
My fabulous rescue Nanuk And Kiesha waiting in heaven
And two OCD and neurotic bulldogs Capone and Aspen!