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HELP!!!! food aggressive glider
#838830
09/16/09 01:19 AM
09/16/09 01:19 AM
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cinnamon_sweets
Unregistered
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cinnamon_sweets
Unregistered
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So I have a female glider that is being very very food aggressive. I think she might have a baby in her pouch so I was wondering if this could be the reason that she's being so aggressive. She's never been this mean about food. She bit me several times tonight when I was trying to get the food bowls out of their cage. She is in a cage with another female and a male, and she is fighting both of them for the food. Since she attacked me when I tried to get the food bowls out I put some fruit on the top of the cage hoping to distract her long enough to grab the bowls, and she started biting and crabbing at the other two. She has never been this aggressive so I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas why she is doing this and what I can do so she doesn't get in a bad fight with the other two gliders in the cage. Any help as soon as possible would be very very much appreciated.
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Re: HELP!!!! food aggressive glider
[Re: ]
#838837
09/16/09 01:54 AM
09/16/09 01:54 AM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749 80 acres of paradise in KS
Dancing
Glideritis Anonymous
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Glideritis Anonymous
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
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There could be any number of reason this is happening. I've had it happen several times with different cages of gliders. What I usually do is offer MORE food and put it on several different plates/dishes in different parts of the cage. With three gliders, make sure you have atleast 3 dishes right now. She can't guard all of them. Also, make sure you are basically over feeding them. Gliders will act this way if they are hungry or feel they might become hungry. And glider's dietary needs change throughout the year. Sometimes they just want more to eat, sometimes less.
Pregnant females need more food to support the growing/nursing joeys. When I have a pregnant female/male pair, I will feed enough food for 3 gliders. If I realize she has twins ip, I will up the amount to enough to feed 4 gliders. I often over feed and end up giving the left overs to my chickens but this way I know without a doubt that mom and joeys are getting what they need.
620-704-9109 Judge not until you have walked in their shoes and lived their lives. What you see online is only part of the story.
I could have missed the pain But I'd of had to miss the dance
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.
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Re: HELP!!!! food aggressive glider
[Re: Dancing]
#838877
09/16/09 08:18 AM
09/16/09 08:18 AM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,511 Texas
Jackie_Chans_Mom
Glider Addict
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Glider Addict
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,511
Texas
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Another way to cut down on food aggression is to have food in the cage BEFORE the gliders wake up. This means changing your schedule to feed earlier, but is well worth it for keeping the peace in the cage.
I have had two extreme food aggressive rescues come in. There are so many things you can try to decrease it. Try putting the food in earlier AND in many different dishes as Teresa suggested, and if that doesn't work, come back and we'll give you more suggestions. Most of the time, these two will do the trick.
Last edited by Jackie_Chans_Mom; 09/16/09 08:18 AM.
~~ Val B ~~ 806-803-0318 Daily giving the abused, unloved, unwanted and neglected SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR SUGAR GROUP SURVEYS!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: HELP!!!! food aggressive glider
[Re: Jackie_Chans_Mom]
#839056
09/16/09 02:42 PM
09/16/09 02:42 PM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19,742 in my happy place
sugarlope
Glideritis Anonymous
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Glideritis Anonymous
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19,742
in my happy place
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I agree with Teresa and Val. Food aggression often occurs at the changing of seasons with some gliders. Their amount of intake actually changes (whether due to change in temperature, lighting, or something else) and if they notice they have less food left over, or no food left over, they start trying to hoard. Make sure to have the food out every night before they get up. By not having to wait for food, they will learn food will always be there and they don't need to worry. Because you have a food aggressive glider now, feed more than they can possibly eat for a while until they settle down. Separate bowls in glider kitchens (and preferably at different heights in the cage as well) will make it more difficult to protect all the feeding stations and means the other gliders are more likely to get to eat. Realize that once a glider starts trying to hoard and protect, they are actually eating less because they are so busy fighting off the other gliders, they don't eat as much, so the cycle will continue for a while. The longer a glider has been food aggressive, the longer it tends to last, so don't worry about a shift in attitude for at least 1-2 weeks (potentially longer if the aggression has already been going on 2+ weeks). Now that you know you have a glider like this, pay attention to their eating habits on a daily basis. If you notice that they are eating more food than they have been lately (for 2+ days in a row) increase the amount of food you put in and it should keep this from happening. My kids shift their appetites 4 times a year, seasonally. Their appetites go up or down depending on the season, so I feed more or less food in reaction and have not had fights for a while now.
~Gretchen
If we never loved, then maybe we would never feel pain. Love anyway. It's worth it.
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Re: HELP!!!! food aggressive glider
[Re: sugarlope]
#839124
09/16/09 04:55 PM
09/16/09 04:55 PM
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cinnamon_sweets
Unregistered
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cinnamon_sweets
Unregistered
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Thank you all very much! I was having a panic attack last night! I have my battle wounds to show off today, but nothing to serious. Once I got the food in the cage she calmed down and shared the bowl with the other two gliders, thank goodness. I have more than one bowl in there but they all crowed around the same bowl and she was just fine sharing. I'll have to get more bowls to put in there and ones I can put in different levels of the cage. Thank you for your suggestions. My baby has never been so angry. I will watch her eating habbits more carefully and if I'm not home to feed them before they wake up I will have someone else at my house do it. Once again thank you all!
Last edited by cinnamon_sweets; 09/16/09 04:56 PM.
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Re: HELP!!!! food aggressive glider
[Re: sugarlope]
#839339
09/17/09 12:06 AM
09/17/09 12:06 AM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749 80 acres of paradise in KS
Dancing
Glideritis Anonymous
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Glideritis Anonymous
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
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Could she be pregnant? My Gianna gets like that but only when she has joeys (usually only when they are oop but still nursing). She is in a non breeding situation now and I never have any agression from her. She just got so protective of her joeys, she didn't want me or anything else invading her territory where it could be a threat to her babies.
620-704-9109 Judge not until you have walked in their shoes and lived their lives. What you see online is only part of the story.
I could have missed the pain But I'd of had to miss the dance
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.
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