Hi everyone. One week ago I got a 15 wk old female glider. I am sooo excited and I love her so much! But, being new to gliders, I've looked to the internet for tips. One piece of advice I saw a lot of is never to get just one. So I felt awful, I've been stay up all night talking to Zoey, she has a safe wheel, toys, hammocks, etc. I haven't put my hand in her cage, but have given her fruit and veg thru the bars and put my scent on lots of stuff in there.
Second mistake I think I made is putting a winter sock in there, I put it on the inside of a plastic hamster igloo, and she chose that as her nest. I've tried to get her out to put her in a bonding bag unsuccessfully, she crabbed the whole time. Now I've been told to get rid of the sock, since I have many other options for a nest, including the pouch that was in the box that we drove her home in. They told me she will always go to the sock bc it's the darkest place, and it'll hinder bonding. Please HELP! Any advice appreciated. Is a single glider ok when I'm there 24/7? Get rid of the sock/place she chose to sleep????
HELP!

Hello and !

So a sock isn't safe. Their nails can get trapped in the loose threads on the inside of the sock and can be very dangerous.

I would use the sleeping pouch she came with .

It is very important for her to have a friend. They are colony animals. Another female or neutered male about her age would be best. We recommend a quarantine time of 30 days if you find one from a different source. Both should have a well check and fecals now and again after 30 days.

As far as bonding with her, it's important to spend time with her. You can interact with her with a natural feather (not dyed, could be toxic) or a straw. kind of a tug of war type of play.

The internet has a lot of misinformation. Most of it is outdated. I'll need to ask a few questions:

What diet did you choose?

Is her pouch made of doubled fleece with stitches tight and no thread showing?

Do you have a glider safe wheel made specifically for sugar gliders? (It shouldn't have a center axle). Many places will advertise that they have safe wheels. At this point there are only 2 sources that have designed and built wheels specifically for gliders:


https://www.myfreerunner.com/

https://www.mygliderwheelsandmore.com/

Both are pricey, but they will last a very long time (Did you know glider lifespan is 10 - 15+ years?)

I'm going to stop there and let you catch up and give you a chance to answer and ask more questions.


Again, so glad you're here!

Welcome to GliderCentral!

Hi everyone. One week ago I got a 15 wk old female glider. I am sooo excited and I love her so much! But, being new to gliders, I've looked to the internet for tips. One piece of advice I saw a lot of is never to get just one. So I felt awful, I've been stay up all night talking to Zoey, she has a safe wheel, toys, hammocks, etc. I haven't put my hand in her cage, but have given her fruit and veg thru the bars and put my scent on lots of stuff in there.

Yes we do recommend getting two gliders. I have found they are easier to bond with when there are two, safety in numbers.

Second mistake I think I made is putting a winter sock in there, I put it on the inside of a plastic hamster igloo, and she chose that as her nest. I've tried to get her out to put her in a bonding bag unsuccessfully, she crabbed the whole time. Now I've been told to get rid of the sock, since I have many other options for a nest, including the pouch that was in the box that we drove her home in. They told me she will always go to the sock bc it's the darkest place, and it'll hinder bonding.

She needs to be in a fleece pouch, you can cut up 4v4 fleece squares for her to use as blankets. Socks are not recommended because they can get their toenails caught in the yarn.

Please HELP! Any advice appreciated. Is a single glider ok when I'm there 24/7? Get rid of the sock/place she chose to sleep????
HELP!

Which diet are you feeding?
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
I will be moving this post to the appropriate sub-forum in a couple days. Watch for a Private Message, it will be a flashing envelope icon.