GliderCENTRAL

Ummm help?

Posted By: Anonymous

Ummm help? - 06/17/08 01:35 AM

Ok so I've had little Wynn for 5 days now and today I was going to bring out the bonding pouch that she has been sleeping in and start the bonding process. I can't get near the pouch. She will actually come out of the pouch and lunge at me. When she first got here she was VERY bonded with the breeder I got her from and that made me hesitate getting her. I'm curious on how I would go about getting the pouch out without risking her anger heh. I'm starting to think it might just be to soon. She is still running circles on the top of the cage at night and very crabby when we come near the cage. Am I moving waaay to fast for her?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 01:52 AM

Okay, nobody who knows more has posted yet - so you get me. smile

Apparently, you're moving faster than she would like. Do you talk to her a lot? Give her fleece that smells like you?

I assume so - so I'm thinking a little more along the lines of some basic trust exercises, maybe. Can you easily cover one side/corner of her cage so she doesn't feel so exposed? That worked very well for my Calliope. She could hide - or feel like she was hiding. She didin't feel so exposed.

Apparently she isn't gonna let you start with taking out her bonding pouch. You're gonna have to start by getting her to not hate your very presence. frown Talk a lot to her even as she crabs and start really slow when reaching into her cage. Don't reach in that far. Let her know that your hand isn't evil and you aren't gonna grab her or hurt her. If she won't come near for licky treats, or you might lose your fingers if she does, then just try to start by her getting used to your presence = food, even if she isn't taking it from your hands. Wear a cotton glove if you have to. smile

This may take a while, but if she's really that mad/afraid, then that's what I would do if I were in your shoes. I hope it helps, and I hope someoen who knows more comes along soon.
Posted By: USMom

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 01:53 AM

It sounds like she may need more time. Running circles on the top of the cage isn't good, though. Call the breeder and see what they suggest. That is a very stressed baby.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 02:05 AM

It does help Athena thank you very much she won't come near me without lunging or crabbing her head off. I tried yogurt as a licky treat last night she came up crabbing stopped long enough to sniff a little bit then ran off she wasn't even interested in the treat.

Shawana I am going to get in contact with her I'm extremely worried about her running circles as I know that's a big sign of stress. She finally ate a descent amount last night but not as much as I would've liked. I'm very concerned that she had such a strong bond with the breeder and still she gave her up with nothing to remind her of home. I would rather have her happy then stressed for months on end.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 02:38 AM

another thing that concerns me is that she makes this sounds between a hiss and a crab. I think that is her calling for other gliders but i'm not to sure and the breeder told me she did not socialize the glider with anyone but herself which was truly apparent when she brought her over a few days ago. I'm starting to wonder if the poor thing would've been better off just staying with the person I got her from.
Posted By: Ellen

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 04:17 AM

I have no doubt that you can win her over. She just needs her space.

Have you tried putting one of your shirts in the cage or something with scent on it. She just needs to get used to you in a calm way and on her time. Once she starts trusting you you will have a great baby. But this sometimes takes time.

Have you tried just sitting in the room and reading to her quietly? Anything that doesn't threaten her.

Treats and more treats. It just takes time. Time can be love that you never knew existed.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 04:28 AM

Thanks Ellen. Anytime we are near the cage she lunges at us (me and my fiance) we never are near the cage at the same time so she is not feeling crowded or "ganged" up on and we stay a distance away so she doesn't hopefully feel threatened but she still lunges. It's weird she come to the bar sniff and then crab and lunge. I gave her some applesauce tonight as a licky treat, not to much of course dont' want a fluffy baby ^_^, and she bit me heh. Not enough to draw blood but enough to say "thanks for the treat now back off!" there was still plenty of applesauce on my finger to protect my finger and I didn't flinch (thankfully lol) but yeah it kinda scares me. I didn't think about the shirt though thanks for the tip Ellen. I'll put one I've been wearing all day in there and see if that might be ok. I did put a scented blankie int here but she pulled it out and I found it at the bottom of the cage. Never heard of a glider doing that before heh.

Any other tips for dealing with an exceptionally scared and angry glider are very welcomed ^_^
Posted By: Ellen

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 04:35 AM

Try something you can feed through the bars for now. You can always put the pouch on the door so when you open it she knows it's you.

I had one of those LOL. They are just scared. Give her something that doesn't frighten her through the bars to start with. She will still lunge for awhile but then will start to know you are GOOD. I wouldn't push her too fast. Go at her pace. As Bourbon says we are 750 time bigger than there are. Just imagine that. It would scare me!!!

A LITTLE love goes a long way and alot of love goes even further. (Mama told me that)
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 04:40 AM

LOL I tell you if I scene a giant come near me I would cower under a rock and pray they wouldn't see me lol. I totally understand her fear and I'm totally willing to go at her pace. I just don't want her to hate me heh. I know that's true of everyone here for sure. Her previous owner did nothing to socialize her and she has never been around anyone but her previous owner who hand fed her since the father died. She wouldn't tell me how the father died which really concerns me because the gliders I got from her before also had their father die for some reason. I want to take her to a vet to get her checked out but now with the massive stress she is under now ya know. Slow and steady is the key to this but I'm hoping me going at her pace will not put her health in jeopardy. *hugs* thanks Ellen and to everyone helping with advice I really do appreciate it.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 05:13 AM

I waited nearly 2 weeks before I even took Bella out in her bonding pouch. She's very shy and skiddish. If I were you I'd try waiting a few days before trying to give her treats and then try it again. Just sit by her cage and talk to her.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 05:45 AM

We'll see thanks Kylie I'm talking to the breeder via email now and everything seems so odd. Her male gliders keep dying and frankly that makes me think that this poor little girl may be sick which is also adding to her stress and discomfort. I'm going to see what the breeder says I'm trying to find out if she got an autopsy to see why they died.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 05:51 AM

Aww. Hmm have you put any new toys or anything that could have maybe upset her?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 06:39 AM

nope i've made it a point not to change anything in her cage since she arrived. I didn't want anything knew introduced until she at least stopped running circles on the top of the cage.
Posted By: jkaradeema

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 07:16 AM

It just takes time with some gliders. Many are way more protective around their pouch and cage. If they are in the cage they feel safe and don't want to be taken out since they are nervous about the new surroundings.

Try a tent or gliderproof area in your home like the bathroom to just let her out and run around and explore with you in the area. Give treats and work on petting and being able to pick her up. This really helps the bonding process. The more time you have to spend the quicker she will start feeling more comfortable.

I don't know about the running around the top of the cage. Is it when you are trying to pet her or all the time? Does she have a wheel to run on?

If the previous owner has been having health issues with other gliders it would be wise to take her to the vet for a check up if you haven't already.
Posted By: hipbchik

Re: Ummm help? - 06/17/08 01:32 PM

Can you get her old pouch from the breeder? You mentioned that she was solely bonded to the breeder, and that "the breeder gave her up with nothing to remind her of home"... perhaps something from home may help ease the transition? On the dying male gliders...that's just odd...do you know anyone else that has dealt with this breeder? Are they getting the same story? It just rings odd to me...
Posted By: KattyM

Re: Ummm help? - 06/18/08 03:23 AM

Because of your concern (and I would be concerned as well) that the breeder's male gliders keep dying, I would take your little feisty girl in to a glider-knowledgeable vet for a wellness check. It's possible she has something physical that is causing her pain and distress. Only a vet can properly diagnose and treat, of course.

How large is her cage? Sometimes you'll see gliders running circles in a cage that is too small. It's a combination of stress and boredom. Here are some links that may help explain some of her behavior:

Some Stuff about Gliders and Biting
Do Sugar Gliders Bite?
Trust and Bonding Info: Biting
Stress in Sugar Gliders
Behavioral Disorders

Five days is not a lot of time, so hang in there. hug2 Here’s our page with bonding links, if you haven't found it yet. The key is to go at her pace, not yours. She needs to get used to you—your scent, your voice, your movements. Because she's already showing signs of fear and stress, it's best to start with the noninvasive techniques. Wear fleece scraps and then put the "blankies" in her pouch to sleep with. Sit by her cage and talk to her, or read a book out loud. After she's gotten used to your scent and voice and doesn't crab or try to lunge and bite when you approach her, then take her out during the day while she's sleeping and wear her in a bonding pouch. She first needs to learn to trust you, and associate you with good things. Be prepared to have lots of time, patience, and love (and treats) on hand to form a lasting bond with little Wynn. Tent time always helps with the bonding process. Here's a good link on that: Critter Hill tent time. You can pick up a nice tent at places like Wal-Mart or Target or a sporting goods store for around $20-$30.

Remember to let her set the pace. The good news is that she was once deeply bonded to a different human, so there's great hope that she can transfer that love and trust (once you earn it) over to you. heart
Posted By: pappy1264

Re: Ummm help? - 06/18/08 11:27 AM

If you can, get some long, bamboo tweezers (they sell them at Petco in the reptile dept). You can offer her mealies at at distance (and even if she does lunge, she gets something good). I have done this with all my gliders (esp. my more nervous ones) and it worked to get them used to me at a distance, so to speak. I agree, you may want to bring her in to a vet. For now, you have to build her trust and she is very scared.
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