So I Have My New Glider - What Do I Do Now?

Written by: TMarie

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So, you just adopted a new sugar glider. May it is a joey, maybe it is an adult, and maybe it is not even your first sugar glider. There is a chance it may be lunging and crabbing at you or ignoring you completely and not coming out of its pouch until you are away from the room. You adopted this glider to be a companion and a cuddler, an animal you could spoil. What do you do now?

Step 1: Realize Your Sugar Glider’s Point of View

The first step in this process is to realize how your sugar glider is feeling at this point in time:

v You are not the owner they are used to

v The rooms and smells are unlike anything they have experienced in their life

v You are many times larger than they are which only intimidates them even more

v You might not have had much contact with the glider previous to this so to them, you are a stranger

Step 2: Allow the Glider Time to Adjust

Please give your sugar glider time to adjust to all the new things going on around him/her. Understand that this is a very stressful time period for your sugar glider, especially if they were not introduced to your scent enough beforehand and there was limited interaction with the new owner before the glider was adopted. I recommend giving the sugar glider two (2) to three (3) days by itself to adjust to its new surroundings before interaction begins. If you have not spent a fair amount of time visiting your new glider beforehand (Gliders Anonymous recommends at least one visit a week after the glider is 2 weeks out of pouch), this time may need to be extended.

Step 3: Scent Familiarization

It is not only new surroundings that will cause your sugar glider distress and alarm, but new scents as well. It is always recommended by Gliders Anonymous to do scent familiarization with your new glider before taking it home. However, if this cannot be done, or if this process needs to be continued, please follow these steps.

Take several items (usually old t-shirts or sweatshirts work the best) and wear them for several days (working out in them or doing physical work/labor is recommended) without washing. Some of these items should then be cut into “blankets” and put in all sleeping areas and any other area of the cage (line the floor, etc). The rest of them should be used to cover the cage and play areas.

This should be done for at least a week. When scent begins to wear off, wear the items again and take the “blankets” and put them in your shirt and/or waist band to re-scent. This step can also be done while you are giving the glider time to adjust.

Step 4: Carry That Pouch

If your new sugar glider is from Gliders Anonymous, the pouch in the starter kit will be perfect for this step. It will be a pouch that has clips to hang it as a sleeping pouch in the cage as well as a drawstring to carry it around during the day. This is a good idea for the bonding/introduction time period, because the stress is less on the glider due to not having to switch him/her to a new pouch during the day. If you do not have a pouch like this, it would be a good idea to invest in one.

Whenever you can during the day time (glider sleep time), carry that pouch with you. Chances are the glider will be frightened some and will crab at new noises. The glider might even be so terrified by the new surroundings that they will try to lunge and bite in the pouch. Do not let this scare you. Keep carrying that pouch (inside your shirt if possible) and petting the glider softly through the pouch. Let them know you are not scared of them and that you are not going to harm them. This step has varying lengths. Please remember every glider adapts and responds to new environments in different ways, despite how their temperament was with their breeder/rescuer.

When your glider becomes more accustomed to you, the sounds, and the surroundings, it is okay to open the pouch while you carry them and occasionally give treats. My favorite to give them are fruit and veggie puffs. These are made by Gerber and found in the baby food section of your store.

Step 5: Tent Time

I cannot stress the importance of tent time as part of the bonding/familiarization process. Every glider needs a place to play and run around outside of their cage. Normally, this would be a bathroom, or spare bedroom that has been glider proofed (please read our article on glider proofing). However, in open areas such as this, a glider is not likely to return to anyone unless they are bonded or hungry and take a treat. Also, there is not as much human interaction aside from the human being a launch pad as the glider has much to explore and already knows their human.

A bonding tent takes care of this issue and allows the glider playtime and bonding time at the same time. A bonding tent can be purchased at any store such as Kmart, Wal-Mart or Target for under $20.00. It is simply a small one person collapsible pup tent. To prepare your tent, once it is up, line the floor and possibly the walls with soft material such as fleece or a flannel blanket as this will eliminate the gliders being scared of the noise made when they walk on the tent material. Bring in treats as well as toys such as feather teasers and a wheel. Toys can be hung from the tent as well. Also bring in Kleenex or wash rags to clean up any mess while in the tent.

Tent time should be done in the evening/night when the sugar glider is awake. This is a great way to have your sugar glider interact with you while they get exercise and play time as well. It will be easy to put a non bonded glider back into their pouch as well in a confined space. Tent time should be done until you feel the glider is comfortable enough to come back to you in a bigger area. It can also be done if you feel you have gone “backwards” in the process. Please remember to wear long sleeved clothes and socks when in the tent to protect from any scratches.

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