GliderCENTRAL

***Peeing where she sleeps?***

Posted By: BindiAndScrubbie

***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 11/28/08 11:31 AM

I have two suggies, the girl is younger, probably right at 8 weeks oop now, as we got her when she was pulled from her mother too soon, at the time she was probably 4 weeks I am guessing. (Didn't know that when we got her) Our boy is around 12 weeks. (Got him first) Out of the two...our little girl seems to pee pee her sleeping quarters still. She even just pee peed in my sports bra which prompted me to post this!
Will she ever stop doing this or is she just 'one of those suggies' who sleeps in her own pee??
I really do hope she stops, she's too sweet to smell like pee all the time!
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 11/28/08 01:05 PM

She's still pretty young, and didn't have the advantage of being taught by her parents-at 4 weeks OOP they didn't have time to teach her much. I'd give her some more time to outgrow it-and realize that it may take her a little longer than usual. In the meantime, try putting blankies under her to catch it that can be changed out if wet upon. I have a couple of light-sensitive rescues that will go in their pouch if they have to wait too long.
Posted By: BindiAndScrubbie

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 11/28/08 05:24 PM

Ok well at least that makes me hopeful that she will grow out of it!
Thanks!
Posted By: konotashi

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 11/29/08 02:21 AM

Also, you could take her out and put a paper towel or something on your arm and wait for her to go to the bathroom before putting her in your shirt or in her pouch. It's what I do, because sometimes my girls pee in my shirt, too. It's never someting you want to happen, but if you can get her to pee on the paper towel or just anywhere before she goes in your bra or her pouch, it's preventable.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 11/29/08 03:37 PM

My sugar gliders pee in their sleeping pouch too and they are 18 months old. I just recently got them, but I have to wash their pouch everyday or they stink so bad.
I thought that was normal. How can you teach them to not pee in their bed?
Posted By: BindiAndScrubbie

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 11/29/08 03:42 PM

Apparently it's not normal, I have always read that they don't urinate/deficate where they sleep.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 11/29/08 03:46 PM

well, I didnt know, I was asking to find out.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 11/29/08 04:29 PM

Also, if the problem persists you may want to have them seen by a vet for a UTI or something. Just another suggestion
Posted By: wildlifeangel

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 12/01/08 08:48 AM

It all depends on the glider. As a rule, gliders are clean. But there are always exceptions to the rule. I know of gliders that used their pouch as their bathroom, and they never went anywhere else. Those ones were just MESSY. It can be something that is normal for them, but if you are concerned, definitally take them in to see a vet. Better safe than sorry!
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 12/01/08 08:03 PM

You can train them out of it, but you have to be really vigilant and consistent (and they may relapse). It may have to do with how they were raised, if their parents went in the pouch, they think it is normal and it is just a behavior that you have to teach them they don't want to have. If you have another glider that dislikes a dirty pouch, that helps too (although it can backfire and they can both start going in their pouch shakehead ).

I have a boy that I got as a joey and he always wet his pouch, but his mate is crazy clean and HATES it when he goes in the pouch, I've heard her crab at him several times over it and have seen her smack and bite him a couple of times right after he did it too, so I decided to help her out.

Have several clean pouches ready, you may be changing them frequently for a while. Get them up a couple of times a day and stimulate them to go potty away from their pouch. (To stimulate them, get a moist q-tip and very gently blot or rub the cloaca until they go potty...do this every single time you get them up, for play time, during the day to bond, every time. They will get used to it and start going as soon as they get up, but if they don't, stimulate them to.)

Check their pouch several times a day. If it is soiled, change it immediately, every time. If they get used to sleeping in a clean pouch, they won't want to mess it up. It will take some time, but they will get the hint. None of my 6 soil their pouches. Every once in a while, something happens and one of them starts (it's almost always my boy that started out that way), so we go back to square one. But I check pouches every day anyway, so it never lasts long.

Several of my gliders will even chitter at me and pull at the zipper to let me know they have to go potty if they are in the bonding pouch, so I let them out and they will go in my hand on a kleenex then run back to the pouch. (They hate a dirty pouch THAT much).

They earlier you start, the better they are about it, but even older gliders can learn to love a clean pouch with time and patience. thumb
Posted By: BindiAndScrubbie

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 12/01/08 08:24 PM

Wow...I will definately try this. I know they are smart but chattering to be let out of the pouch? Going to have to buy or make new pouches.
Thanks a lot for your detailed instructions, will follow them.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 12/01/08 09:16 PM

Aww that's so cute. They'll pull on the zipper!
I'll have to keep that in mind in case something like that DOES happen. Thanks so much!
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 12/01/08 10:47 PM

One of my boys will crab if I don't notice the tug on the zipper quickly enough, because he has to go NOW! roflmao

He is my boy that will go in the toilet, I take him out and he balances on my hand over the toilet to do his business when we are out (he'll also go in a kleenex in my hand, if we don't have access to a toilet), then back to the pouch.

(He was born here, so he is my absolute baby, baby). smile

None of my others will go over the toilet, and they'll all do the tug at the zipper, but if I don't notice, they'll just soil the pouch and give me disapproving looks when I change their pouch. shakehead

Don't get discouraged, learned behaviors can be difficult to break, so keep working with them and BE CONSISTENT above all else! hug2
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 12/01/08 11:20 PM

I have this same problem with Wally actually, but I think I have some different factors at play. He is five years old and I dont know his history or how long he has been peeing in his pouch. I think the fact that he is not neutered is probably contributing to the fact that his pouch always smells like pee. Is he marking it when it is brand new out of the washer? Probably.

Is it possible to break an older glider of the habit once I have him neutered?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 12/02/08 12:12 AM

Aww that's so cute.
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: ***Peeing where she sleeps?*** - 12/02/08 12:35 AM

Originally Posted By: Sirius
Is it possible to break an older glider of the habit once I have him neutered?


I think it is, but I also believe that you can teach an old dog new tricks. roflmao

As I said, learned behaviors (in any animal) are difficult to break. You might try a non-scented detergent and see if that makes a difference with him, because it will still smell like him when it comes out of the wash. I know I have put a pouch in only to remove it again, as soon as they got in because someone peed in it.

The idea is (just like with training a dog) to never let them sit in a soiled area/pouch, so they get used to being and liking to sleep in a clean pouch. I never said it was easy. I know Kira (my oldest boy's mate) and I were both at our wits end a few times with Dakota because there were weeks that he seemed like he wasn't going to do it no matter what (he's more than a little stubborn). But now he almost never does, and when he does, I change it as soon as I find it. But it's what has worked for us. dunno
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