I work in retail. When I bring Delta in in the bonding pouch my work becomes gentle & calculated, carefully sliding products into bags, catching the register drawer when it pops open, but sometimes it's not enough & the crabbing starts.

Then I get the look.

I maintain eye contact, put pressure on my boy, & pretend nothing happened but it's never enough.

"What was that?"

Today I'm wearing the pouch outside my shirt in hopes of diffusing the confusion but before it was always under my shirt. I'd always go for the simplest answer first.

"I have a sugar glider."

Very very rarely do people know what that means. One person thought I was pregnant, another person thought I had an insulin pump, & one woman . . . I don't know what she thought but as she left she said, "I hope it doesn't hurt too much."

Then there's the, "What?"

I hate this part.

"It's a little marsupial with membranes from wrist to ankle, like a flying squirrel."

"So it's a rodent?"

*sigh* I hate that.

But once we get past that it's NOT A RODENT (and don't get me wrong, mice & rats & hamsters are cute & stuff, but it's like mispronouncing the word nuclear. Just bugs me) it's smooth sailing from there, right? Lol!!!

"What does it eat?"

Now, I love talking glider stuff, but the frustration here is that they're just trying to make small talk & they just accidentally asked a big question. They either get impatient with the long answer or feel unsatisfied with the short answer.

I can't wait until he's bonded, chilling out in a pocket, being quiet & sweet & the shock to the customer in not the sound of crabbing but the sight of him popping his head up. Teehee. That is, if he'll be that kind if glider. I've read on here about some gliders that aren't much for all-day outings & actually haven't heard much about them sleeping in a pocket or shirt instead of a pouch . . . Hmmmm . . . Off to the fact or fiction forum for some reading!

Glide proud everybody!

When I explain what a sugar glider is I use this phrase:

"do you know what a flying squirrel is? Well it is similar to a flying squirrel but it isn't a rodent it is a marsupial. They have their babies like a kangaroo."

That usually either placates them or they start asking more questions.

I was at the gas station last year before I lost my Tucker, he was on cleavage patrol, well I squished him a bit carrying my stuff to the check out. So by the time I got to the checkout he was hanging above my shirt trying to get back into the bra.

I thought the check out lady was going to lose it.

Hahaha! Awesome!!!

the wife will have gizmo in her bra sometimes ALL day. He will get a hold of the bra, curl up and sleep. Once in awhile he will explore under the shirt and on the back. but most of the time she has to take him out for anyone to see.

I rarely carry my babies with me, but I have had "the discussion" if they topic of pets come up. So, I'm very familiar with the typical Q&A.

Kimberley, I like your quick description. Here in MD, I normally describe them as being somewhat resembling a chipmunk in size, has membranes like a flying squirrel, but is a marsupial, like the kangaroo or koala. In AZ, instead of mentioning chipmunk, I used the ground squirrel in the description.

Lots of people here say he looks like a chipmunk. Should use that more often. I grew up here, but never seem to think of chipmunks.

The little southern flyers (squirrels) are about the same size as a glider. That is why I use that as a starting point.

Oh btw Feather, every time I see your avatar when it's tiny, it looks like a glider poking his head out of the drivers side window of a tiny car to yell, "It's called a turn signal, jerk!"

It makes me chuckle. Even after I discovered I was seeing it all wrong. Teehee

I try to keep my phone with me, but it never fails I'm asked a question about them when I left it in the car.

My typical conversation goes like this:

Them : "oh how cute! Are you buying this for a grandkid?"
Me: "No for my pets"
Them: " Really? What kind of pet?"
Me:" Ever heard of a sugar glider?"
Them:" No , What is it"
Me:" To make it simple, it's a flying possum."

Usually their eyes get big in morbid fear (I giggle to keep from going "bwah ha ha!") The next question they ask really takes me over the top...
Them:" Do they really fly?"
Me: "Yes....(long pause waiting for the look of horror)... Just like a flying squirrel"
Them: "Oh...( look of not so bad...)
Me:" They are a marsupial, carry their babies in a pouch like a kangaroo and are nocturnal."
Them: " Oh! How cute! How big are they...

And so on and so on...

Fiona stays on me all day usually 2-4 times a week in my old sweatshirt hoodie with the sleeves cut out. If I try to put her back, I get this sweet quiet crab and she digs herself in deeper. This was fine when I was recuperating, but now I'm outside


doing gardening, housework (can't run the vacuum ), and she insists. I take the hoodie off to shower, get dressed, and do a lot of bending over, and either set her in the middle of the bed, or if I'm done holding her, carefully fold up the hoodie and place in the bottom of the cage. She won't come out till dinner time. Right now it's too hot to take her bye, bye, but she does go shopping with me in coole weather.

Dot will tag along rarely, she is our pouch protector, but she won't sleep well, and willingly goes back in the cage after a few hours. If Fiona doesn't follow her, she will crawl in her sleeping pouch and bark for Fiona to join her... She barked for an hour in the middle of the day once. Fiona finally gave in and hopped in bed, grumbling...

Oh, and Feather, your pic does look like a glider is driving! Lol! Cute!