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Sugar gliders are exotic animals, not domesticated. Sugar gliders are hand-tamed from a young age and neglect, or other mistreatment, can cause a sugar glider to revert back to a wild state. If a sugar glider is viewed with patience, showered with love, and treated with kindness, it will bond very tightly with its new owner. There are many strategies for successful bonding, such as taking advantage of your breeder’s scenting program or choosing to implement your own. Treats, trust, and positive reinforcement also play major roles throughout the bonding process. Scenting
Program One of the easiest and most beneficial ways to encourage bonding is by scenting. To implement a scenting program for a new or rescued sugar glider, find an old T-shirt and start at least 4 days prior to bringing the sugar glider home. The T-shirt should be worn for a minimum of 3-4 nights while sleeping, without washing it. Do not use cologne or other fragrances while wearing the shirt. This shirt should smell like the new owner, that is the goal. Do not use a good shirt, the T-shirt needs to be cut into small pieces about 4” x 4”. Once the sugar glider arrives, fresh pieces should be placed into the joey’s sleep sack on a daily basis and the remaining pieces should be kept in a Ziploc bag. This process aids the sugar glider by allowing it to become familiar with its new owner’s scent and reduces stress during the transition into its new home. Scenting programs also aid in the bonding process by causing sugar gliders to become more relaxed with their new owners. The now familiar scent of their new owner will be a comfort to the sugar glider in the strange surroundings of its new home and the sugar glider will tend to gravitate toward it. If the new owner responds slowly, in a patient and compassionate manner, the sugar glider’s trust will be gained over a much shorter time period. Treats, Trust, and Positive Reinforcement A
sugar glider will bond with its owner only after it has learned to trust
in that person. Depending
on the situation and the glider, building that trust can take as little as
a week for some joeys or become a lifelong process as in the case of some
abused and rescued gliders. The
key is not to lose faith; with both time and patience, most gliders’
fears can be overcome. After
your new glider has been brought home, an adjustment period of about two
days is generally recommended. This
time period allows the glider to familiarize itself with the new
surroundings and to adjust to its new home.
During this time, the glider should be fed and watered, but
otherwise left to explore its new enclosure uninterrupted.
It may be beneficial for the new owner to sit quietly in the dimly
lit room to observe the glider and allow the glider to become accustomed
to their presence. The owner
can also use this as an opportunity to get acquainted with the new
glider’s habits and behaviors. If
the glider attempts to make contact with the owner during this period, a
good choice for interaction would be running a feather wand playfully
along the sides of the enclosure. When
the adjustment period is complete, the real challenge can begin.
Most introductions should begin in a play tent or a glider proof
room. Again, start slowly by
sitting quietly in the area with the glider and allowing it to explore. The glider will eventually approach you and investigate you
head to toe. Permit the
glider to do so without attempting to interfere with it.
Try to engage the glider in play, but do not attempt to reach for
it or touch it until the glider is completely comfortable with your
presence. One
of the best ways to get your glider to come around is positive
reinforcement. If your glider
displays a behavior that you like, reward it as a form of encouragement.
Foods such as mealworms, dried papaya bits, and nectar in small
amounts make great tools for this shameless form of bribery.
Lickable treats are other tools that can be used to aid the bonding
process. These types of
treats work exceptionally well with gliders that are prone to biting, are
afraid to accept food directly from their owner’s hand, or are afraid of
hands in general. By smearing
food, such as honey, yogurt, or baby food, on a finger and offering it to
the glider, the glider is encouraged to lick the food directly from its
owner’s finger. Sweet, sticky foods like honey seem to be the most productive
when attempting to solve biting issues, since the honey coats the gliders
mouth and forces it to recognize the food when it attempts to bite. Some
gliders, particularly juveniles, rescued and unsocialized gliders, may go
through a biting stage. When
your new glider bites you, unless it is viciously attacking you, take the
bite without reacting. Most
times the glider will just be testing you.
If you withdraw when the glider bites, it teaches the glider that
if it bites you, it will get its way.
As soon as it realizes that biting has no effect on you, it will
give up this behavior. However,
if the glider is biting because it is seriously stressed and afraid, a
slower approach or more time to adjust may be required before attempting
again. Although
there are many ways to encourage bonding, there are also many ways to
discourage it as well. Do not
tease or taunt your glider even in play. Actions
such as these can teach your glider to become aggressive.
Pulling or tugging on a glider should be avoided, as injuries could
result. Instead, encourage
the glider to come to you with a favorite toy or tasty treat. Never
strike, poke, or yell at your glider. Reacting in this manner will
frighten your glider and cause it to withdraw from you or provoke a
defensive response, like biting. Some
owners advocate the use of bonding bags.
However, in our opinion, bonding bag experiences can often frighten
some gilders just as much as it can relax others.
Gliders crawl into their sleep sacks for the sense of security that
the sacks provide them. When
making that sack a constantly shifting environment, surrounded by strange
scents and sounds, the sense of security that it had originally offered
the glider is then destroyed. This
can create an incredibly stressful situation for many gliders,
particularly those that are already upset or afraid.
Some gliders will even become aggressive and defend their bag by
lunging and biting. It is
recommended that bonding bags only be used after careful consideration as
to how each individual glider may react. There
is a myth that a glider will bond more closely with an owner if taken from
its mother at an early age and hand-nursed.
This is untrue! However,
it is very probable that the glider in question will display problems
socializing with other gliders or fall ill due to an underdeveloped immune
system as a result of this practice.
Another myth implies that giving a gilder a companion will prevent
it from bonding to its owner. This is also untrue. Introductions Many
sugar glider owners choose to bond with a pair of gliders at the same
time. This seems be more time
consuming at the onset, but it saves an owner the challenge of introducing
a cage mate at a later date.
When bonding with pairs, an owner has the added advantage of being able to
bond with the most social glider first and actually using that glider’s
trust to aid them in bonding with their more skittish glider. As long as
the owner continues spending an equal amount of bonding time with both
gliders individually, as well as together, there shouldn't be an issue.
Sugar gliders are capable of bonding with their owners just as
closely as they would with their cage mates. Should
an owner need to make an introduction between gliders, introductions at a
young age are the easiest way to go.
However, mature gliders can successfully be introduced as well.
At a young age, same sex pairs, male-female pairs, trios (2
females, 1 male), and colonies can be successfully matched.
Near, approaching, or after maturity, a male-female pair, or female
same sex pair may be successfully matched.
It is not recommend that a joey, or very young glider, be paired
with a mature adult. Due to
the extreme size difference, conflict could result and the young glider
could be seriously injured.
After the new glider has been taken to the vet and is determined to
be healthy and free of parasites, a good start to introductions is as
follows: Place 2 big cages
about 4-6 in. apart. The 1st night, each glider should have its own cage. The 2nd night, switch their sleep sacks. The 3rd night,
switch cages leaving the sacks in place. The 4th night, attempt a
supervised playtime with both glider in a tent or small glider proof room.
Be sure to supply lots of toys and yummy treats, like live
mealworms. If the
introduction is successful, switch the cages back, place both sacks
inside, and continue to attempt a supervised playtime in the same cage the
new glider was placed in the first night. Playtime
may be a little slow, but if uneventful, when it comes time to sleep...
hopefully, they will both crawl into the same bag peacefully.
Should this occur, place the cage next to your bed in case there
are any disputes, if none occur during the following 24 hours, the
introduction process should be complete.
If any disputes beyond plain vocalization should occur, separate
the gliders and restart the process from the 1st night and
continue on until the gliders are successfully introduced.
Tip:
Non-toxic Glider Glo deodorizer and coat conditioner, when sprayed lightly
on a cloth and wiped onto both gliders, neutralizes the gliders’ scent
and helps to put them on a common ground if used just prior the playtime
period. If you have need more help or wish to share the bonding or introduction experiences of others, please visit the following links: http://www.pawprintonline.com/central-glider-lonely.html |
