I dont know how to deal with this problem

Question
I have two female sugar gliders. My question is how much time do they need out of their cage? One is very shy and wont let me touch her unless I'm giving her treats the other is very mean and bites every I touch her, so how do I play with them? I have a ball I put them in about three to four times a week for about 30 to 40 minutes. I read that they are supposed to be able to roam around the house a little bit but that cant happen because I have a puppy and there are little kids living with me. I clean there cage every three days, its just I have no other ways of playing with them besides the ball. They bite hard and one is too scared to do any thing. Can you give me any ideas how to change the way they act or any other ways I can play with them. I there any way I can get them to trust me?

Answer
Sugar Gliders need minimal time out of their cage given their cage environment is large enough to sustain a healthy exercise level..
My sugars LOVE rodent wheels and will play on them for hours on end.... especially the larger mesh wheel kind which is commonly used for chinchillas.. those and the little plastic hamster wheels are my favorites to use as they are FUN and easily cleaned and replaced..

I am NOT a fan of the popular WONDENT WHEEL as I have owned and tried many of them and find them to be disgusting and unsanitary.. letting your sugars play in something soaked in urine is appalling to me and I have tried every which way to clean & sanitize them to no avail.. they will still reek no matter what..

I also have one 8 foot cages per every 2-3 gliders in my home so there is lots of room for jumping and playing about.. an environment should also contain many different toys and swings ropes which aid as mental stimulus.. if your cage is smaller you can try handling them more often than not.. I NEVER let my gliders have the full run of the house.. as I feel there are way to many hazards to them.. but making time to spend with them can be tough.. and with the smaller children you have a difficult environment in which to do this.. my recommendation is to quarantine yourself and your gliders to 1 room.. perhaps a large bathroom or small bedroom.. place a towel under the door so there is no accidental escape.. close all toilet lids and secure any obvious hazards and let them ROMP.. chances are they will jump onto you.. around you.. and have treats available for them when they do approach you.. associating you with a tasty treat is a very good start and it makes a gateway for better trust and many other training aids..

Another suggestion is to purchase a small tent where you can all play and bond together anywhere..!!

If your glider is biting when you grab her try letting her come to you without the physical force of grabbing her.. if you touch a gliders tail he will move forward.. and at first do not be afraid to wear thick gloves.. let her bit you.. let her see it wont get her way and it doesn't affect you negatively..  

When I handle my gliders I am sure to clip their nails prior.. this makes their landing a little less painful..lol

When my children or I are training a glider to STAY on your body we are very repetitive.. if they jump off.. go get them and put them back onto you.. a treat will help convince them to stay a while.. you see my method :)

With the right environment and proper socialization & nutrition you will be sure to have healthy and happy gliders :)

Hope this helps..

Best of Luck & Happy Holidays..!!


kaden O_o