So is it possible that tent time can be unproductive and or detrimental? I have 2 adult caramels that have never done much in the tent. They will eat dried mealworms from me, sit on me or crawl into my shirt but never come out to play much and never have. They don't seem to even play with toys in their cage either other then their ball pit. I have 2 new babies and they don't do anything either. If they can find a place (usually under the fleece blanket) to hide that's where they go. The boy is sweet but all he does in the tent is sleep once he has his fill of live mealworms. The girl runs and hides and if I try to approach her with a treat she will sometimes grab my finger with her hands and nibble on the treat ( it's adorable) but most of the time she again tries to find a place to hide. She's a challenge to get back in her pouch and most times I have to catch her with fleece which I feel makes any progress I may have made with her is ruined. She and my two caramels can't seem to be "bribed" with treats. Only the boy who loves anything and chirps away. Anyway I'm just wondering if I'm better off just leaving them alone at night. I try to take them in right before they would typically wake up for the night. What am I doing wrong?

Try morning tent time. Just before they go to bed. Maybe they are just not awake. How long is tent time?

You can also try interactive toys, such as a safe feather (no catnip). Cat toys with no catnip are fun for gliders.

My schedule might not permit me to do morning tent time unless you feel that 10 am is not too late. I don't usually go to bed until 2 or 3am and i get up around 9. I know that consistency is what they need but even though i am retired i still do nails and watch my granddaughter 4 days a week. She doesnt like my gliders so i do carry them around in a pouch for at least a few hours during the day and go in to say hi and offer treats. She right now doesnt come till 11 so that is why i am suggesting maybe from 10-11 I am not usually able to actually spend time with them until after 4 or 5. They are usually up by 8pm or 9 and if i don't catch them before they come out then they are tough to transfer to the tent (at least the two new ones) I usually spend at least an hour in the tent with them and I have tried interacting with them with a feather, they have a wheel, other toys but none of them seem to be interested. I know Mea (the little scared girl) is just scared but the boy i don't think is but all he wants to do is sleep. My two adult caramels have never played in the tent other then to go on the wheel occasionally. They usually sit on my neck or back or crawl down my shirt. I am more then willing to spend the time in the tent with them but i just don't want it to be a bad experience for them and make bonding even harder then it already is.

What time do they wake up?

You could do tent time at 1am- 2am. They should wake up at dinner time, potty poo, eat , drink, check for snacks, new stuff, run on their wheel, hang out and chill, and then go back to bed maybe. Once they do this you can pull them out sleeping pouch and all and do tent time...

But, be aware where they are and close the top of the pouch while going to tent. The are awake and may decide to see what's going on.

They wake somewhere between 8 and 10. I never thought to do it at 1am. I figured anytime after 8pm was not a good idea. I will certainly try that. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I feel like I still don't know even the adult gliders. Actually thinking about getting a night vision camera so I can maybe learn more about all of them. Some day the lightbulb should hopefully come on. Lol.

Hubby and I work together and most of the time work over night. We discovered this when we got off work early. (This was back in the early glider slave days).


They will catch onto what you're doing, but maybe they will like to go. Take a bowl of their fruit veggies in or a few snacks.

For play, Ours liked feathers on a string , stick after a few visits. Like a cat toy (with no catnip) thing. They will basically use you as a tree and jump around.

Today, they are almost 3. We have had them both since they were joeys. Now when we come home early, they are hanging on the door. We still do tent time occasionally, but they are bonded with us and would rather hang out in the glider safe room. When Fiona gets tired, she crawls in my Hoodie or in the blanket I keep on my chair, and Dot wants to go back in her cage usually.