GliderCENTRAL

How much is enough?

Posted By: Anonymous

How much is enough? - 10/07/11 04:34 AM

How do you know if you're spending enough time with your babies? I've noticed that a lot of people seem to feel the need to rehome their suggies because of "lack of time" to spend with them..so how do you know when or if to make that decision?? I find it hard to believe that somebody can spend hours with their suggies every day, either with a bonding pouch or in a tent, because life happens and things change...people have babies, jobs change, responsibilities and circumstances change, etc. I know it's best for them to get as much time with you as possible, but sometimes it's really tough.

When I first got Eros and Echo (in August I think) things were pretty easy and I was able to carry them with me for hours nearly every day as well as have tent time 4-5 nights a week for an hour or so. However, my son started kindergarten last month, I've got more work to do so I'm having to get more work done at night (I work from home), I'm the new treasurer of the PTSO, and I'm taking an online class. So I haven't had nearly as much time to spend with them as I did before. Luckily, they warmed up to me pretty quickly, they really don't crab at me or bite anymore, but I wouldn't say that they've really "bonded" to me compared to some other people's experiences...and maybe that's because I can't devote tons of time to them every day. I'm lucky if I can do tent time 3 nights a week, and being able to carry them with me is sporadic at best.

I love them to death and rehoming them is not something I would ever want to do, but they deserve the best and I'm worried that maybe I'm not giving them enough...I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this issue! Any thoughts?? dunno
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: How much is enough? - 10/07/11 04:51 AM

I dont get ALOT of time persay . I work at 911 and we work 12 hour shifts 2 months on nights and 2 months on days . I believe my girls have gotten used to my schedule and have adjusted well . I can tell that my 3 day work weeknds are alot for them so by Monday they are definitely ready for some Mommy - Baby time .. I know that really didnt answer your question . But as long as you are consistent that is all that should matter .
Posted By: JillMarie

Re: How much is enough? - 10/07/11 07:19 AM

It is hard for me to give my opinion in situations like yours because you just cannot expect every glider to be the same, or for every human to view the situation the same.

Some gliders are ok with minimal time, some may get depressed. Take your cues from your gliders. do they seem happy? do they have an exercise wheel? are they active?

If you cant spend as much time interacting with them, can they still get some out of cage time for exercise and mental stimulation by being in a tent while you are doing other chores in the same room? Can you give up one hour, or even 1/2 hour of sleep every morning by getting up a wee bit earlier and play with them in a tent? A 1/2 hour every day is better than 1 or 2 hours once a week in my opinion.
be creative and find other ways to bond. While doing your online classes can they be in a bonding pouch on your lap? or if its at night, do you have a lap top to do the work and sit in the tent with them?

If they seem happy, and you can accept that they may not be as bonded as some other gliders, I would not stress over the situation. If you cannot accept it, and they seem unhappy, then you need to find a way to alter the situation so everyone is happy.
Posted By: yiyo

Re: How much is enough? - 10/07/11 12:23 PM

I found myself in this same predicament a short while back. My fiance and I have very hectic schedules. He's out the door at 3:45am for work and doesn't get home until 2:30pm. I'm up at 5:00am and get home at 5:30pm. We're both in bed by 8:00, which is before they get up. That leaves us asleep the entire time they're awake, except to say goodbye in the morning; and they're sleeping in the evening when we're home. I felt terrible because even though they were bonded, I knew they weren't getting enough time with me.

So here's what we do now: I get up at 4:00am for my playtime with them. They get between 30-45 minutes each weekday. My fiance takes them out of the cage in the afternoon when he gets home and we have them out in the pouch with one of us until 8:00 when we go to bed. They'll stir a little bit and we give them some sort of little licky treat and we have cuddle time then. On the weekends they get a little more playtime in the morning since I'm not rushing out. And they usually get a little playtime at night since we're up later as well.

So, ultimately it's really a personal decision. For ME, I felt it was my responsibility to sacrifice a little sleep to give them the attention that they need. I feel that it's a committment that I took on, and I need to stick to it. However, you're really the only one who knows if it's something that you're capable of and if the furrballs need more or not....
Posted By: Erica08

Re: How much is enough? - 10/07/11 12:35 PM

I guess if I were considering whether to rehome my babies or not I would first look at the very basic needs. Am I able to keep up with cleaning the cage, cleaning food bowls daily, are they being kept on a reasonable feeding schedule. Then I would look at bonding how much time can I reasonably spend with them, including tent time and time in the bonding pouch. Bonding pouch time is usually easier because you can pretty much have them with you anywhere. Tent time doesn't have to be long if you can get even 20 to 30 min in a couple times a week you should be fine. Also if you can't have them out as often maybe you can spoil them in other ways. Things like more toys especially foraging toys and anything that might make them think a little bit. Maybe you can do a bigger cage so that they can still get plenty of exercise even when they can't get out. There are a lot of options it's just a matter of trying and being creative. Also I don't think you necessarily have to have tent time at night if you can squeeze something in during the day that works to. I know there are quite a few owners who do some daytime bonding which is a great idea if you can stick to a schedule.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: How much is enough? - 10/07/11 04:33 PM

Thanks everyone, that helps a lot. smile I don't have any problem keeping up with their basic needs...I can't imagine NOT doing things like cleaning their cage and feeding them! I guess what I'll try to do is an hour or so each day of bonding pouch time, maybe 2 hours if it's not a tent day, and then 45 minutes or so of tent time three days a week. I should be able to stick with that schedule for them...at least right now. And I would LOVE to get them a bigger cage so I'll think about doing that too. And toys? roflmao LOL...I'm a sucker for buying them things! wink
Posted By: GliderGuy540

Re: How much is enough? - 10/07/11 05:21 PM

My fuzzies are not too crazy about being carried in a bonding pouch so I rarely carry them in a pouch. I do tent time at least once a week, but usually more like 2-3x a week; however, every evening I let them out of their cage and let them use me as their tree and let them climb on the outside of their cage. I get to pet them and love on them this way and I'll do this sometimes 3 or 4 times a night depending on who is awake and each time I spend anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes interacting with them each time. And then every morning I give them mealies and they each get some attention before I head off to work. And yes, of course there are times when I am exhausted or busy and they don't get a lot of attention, but I usually try to make up for those times when I do have time.

As the others have said, tent time every single night is not as important as the quality of time you spend with them.
And as JillMarie said, as long as they are healthy, happy and active you are likely doing fine by them.
Posted By: DCMuffin

Re: How much is enough? - 10/07/11 11:58 PM

Yep, I'm with Kevin. My monkeys get a LOT of time with me in the mornings and evenings. But during the day, I let them sleep. Every so often, one or more of them accompany me in my bra, but more often than not, they are sound asleep, in their pouch in the cage. I always try to put it into human terms. If you went to bed at 11 pm, all set to sleep for 8 hours, and someone was jostling your bed every few minutes or waking you up to have a treat, would YOU get a good night's sleep? Probably not. So...I let them have their sleep, which also contributes to good health, and enjoy the time I get with them when it's time for them to be awake.
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