Hello Parents,

I've been trying to use the bonding pouch every single day and still trying to get Chichi and Mungo out of this daytime schedule.

When I put them into the bonding pouch Chichi (the female) wakes up when I transfer her but them passes right back out when she gets into the pouch, or right after if I give her a treat or two.

Mungo goes into the pouch and moves around in there a bit (I see him looking out the mesh window and also looks like he's trying to get comfortable. But now most of the time he wants OUT! I see Mungo trying to find the exit hole and tries to escape and tries until I unzipper the pouch.

Usually Mungo will then pop his head out and then start crawling all over me and then wants to explore more and more. I let him for awhile and then go near the cage and he'll jump in and go on the wheel for a few and then hop back into the sleeping pouch in the cage.

I don't want to stress him out by pulling him out of the pouch again and trying it again the same day, but would really want him to stay in the pouch with his sister.

What do you think it could be? The sleeping pouch is a one layer fleece and pretty flimsy so I bought a another better quality one and just waiting to get the new smell off the bonding pouch to finally use it and see if that's the reason. The only other option I can think of is keep the pouch unzipped, because he made not like being trapped inside something.

Thanks for any help and advice anyone

he just may not like the idea of the zippered bonding pouch
I fought with my 2 for about a week and they won.
now I just use a sleeping pouch, and it was an instant change. they know they can just get up and go if they need to or if they are trapped



since you let him out anyway it might be worth a shot,
just get some of those plastic chain links to hang it around your neck

Two of my four are dislike zippered pouched... & a third considers them her arch-nemisis. I've been thier sleeping pouch for quite some time now. Side benefit is how much easier it is to slide my hand among them.

Thanks for advice, I think I may have to resort to putting a plastic chain hooked up to the sleeping pouch around my neck for Mungo. (the male)

Today I put woke them up from the sleeping pouch and transfered to the bonding pouch without zippering the pouch. I put them both in and pretty much instantly they both wanted out and to roam around. I let them both roam around trying to persuade them to goin into the bonding pouch ( I'm trying the new pouch today) and they would just go in it for a 30 seconds and then come back out.

After the adventure I guided them to the sleeping pouch in the cage and they passed out. I then tried to transfer ChiChi and Mungo inside the bonding pouch again but this time ChiChi passed out hard, but Mungo popped his head out and wanted to explore some more. I tried to persuade him to get into the new pouch and again it lasted 30 seconds and he wanted to get out.

I let him play another 10 minutes and gave him choices of grabbing the sleeping pouch or the bonding pouch and he always chooses sleeping pouch now.

Their schedules are not set yet and wake up at non consistent times still so i'm guessing that they are more wide awake when I tried to transfer them instead of the previous times when they were dead asleep and just wanted to keep sleeping.

I usually put them in the pouch around 5,6pm and they would usually wake up around 3,4am. But it looks like they are changing out of that schedule onto something different.

Anymore feedback and tips is appreciated.

Try leaving them in the sleeping pouch & just take the whole thing out.

These days, all I do is unclip the sleeping pouch from the cage & either set it in my lap to watch a movie or show, or I attach a 'necklace' I made running 12" of parachute cord between two c-clips that I just attach to the c-clips of the sleeping pouch.

When I do this, I'll usually get four sleepy, bleary-eyed faces looking up at me for a moment, then they roll back up in to a ball & return to dreams of mealworms & yoggies. Sometimes one will come to the opening for some head-scratching or pets... or to see if I have a treat... then go back to sleep.

Sometimes they'll actually drag my hand in to 'sleep' with them; is cute.

As far as the sleep schedule, mine will shift their pattern around for the weather, sunlight times, moon phase, to mess with me... you get the idea. I wouldn't count on them having a very set routine, but instead forming 'averages' or 'usually' schedules that slowly swing from one-time frame to another.

If you really want them to sleep while having pouch-time, a little earlier might be better; they'll be all the more tired. Being only a couple hours from when they'll normally wake is close enough they'll want to play & explore a little before going back to sleep. That time-frame is better for bathroom &/or tent time.

You can also try giving them little fleece blanket and when you put them in the bonding pouch put the stinky blanket in with them.

Updates I transferred Chichi & Mungo into the sleeping pouch a little bit earlier and this time I didn't zip up the pouch instantly and just put my hands over the top to stop the light from peering in. They both went to sleep for awhile and then Mungo woke up first and wanted to explore and pee on me while Chichi was still passed out.

I let Mungo explore and hang on me for a bit and returned him back to sleeping pouch, and waiting for Chichi to wake up but when she did I just opened the cage and pointed her towards the sleeping pouch and she went in there for a bit and then came out and they both were playing in the cage.

I found a little trick if I don't want Mungo to come out of the cage is to go into a room he's never been in before and he will just pop his head out and then go back in the pouch and go back to sleep instead of wanting to come out and explore. That's at least what info I gathered today while using the bonding pouch, so maybe they will act differently another day when I do this.



Thanks, yes I forgot to mention I have a bunch of cut of strips (with stank on it) of fleece as well as bonding potion that I always put in any pouch their in.