rescued abused sugar gliders

Question
I have two male sugar gliders ive had for about 3 months they are from the wildlife animal rescue in roanoke virginia.....my question is...one is older and less agressive because he is smaller and he came from a home where he was mistreated(his tail was broken and he is not friendly) i want to have the younger one nuetered so he will stop being agressive with him....when is a sugar glider too old to be nuetered and will the abused glider ever become friendly with me.....i love them both and want them to be happy...any suggestions.  Thanks ever so much Cathy, Booradley, and Dizzy

Answer
Hello Cathy,

Two unrelated males rarely get along together, so neutering the more aggressive one is a good idea. Gliders can be neutered at any age, and the procedure is quite simple.  

Yes, you can get them both to be friendly, it just takes time and patience. I will cut and paste my bonding procedure at the end of this message.  

It is good that you have two gliders, as they are very social creatures, and are not happy living alone.  Be sure they have enough space and are on an appropriate diet.  Let me know if you have any other questions.  I hope this helps.

Betty



Yes, your gliders can be tamed, but it will take a lot of time and patience. The objective is to convince them that you are not scary, and that having you around brings pleasure and nourishment.  For now, get a pouch/purse to put them in, and wear the pouch next to your skin during the day when they are sleeping.  You want to get them used to your scent.  Don't try to handle them yet.  Next, try holding them from OUTSIDE the pouch.  Just cup them in your hands.  They will probably fuss, but do not back down.  Continue doing this until they no longer fuss.  Get some licky treats such as applesauce or yogurt.  Put some on your finger and put it at the opening of he pouch to see if they will lick it off your finger. The idea is to get them to trust you.  When they are readily eating from your finger, start the next step:  While they are sleeping in the pouch, put your hand inside the pouch.  Cup them as you did from the outside.  At this point you may get some bites.  They don't trust you yet.  Don't back down.  You don't want them to think they can get you to go away by biting.   Keep doing this until they are comfortable with you holding them.  Get some treats such as fruit or yogurt.  While holding them, bring them part way out of the pouch to eat.  Keep doing this until you have them completely out of the pouch.  All this could take weeks or months.  It took me four months to tame my first one.  He was captive bred and still a baby.  Your adult wild-caught may take even longer.  

Note:  While you are taming your gliders, never chase them.  Either coax them with treats, or just leave them alone.  The best time to get them out of the cage is when they are sleeping in their pouch.  If one gets out, try using a butterfly net or toss a towel over it to catch it.  Again, don't chase.  If it runs away, make sure the room is safe, close the door, and just wait.  The glider will find a nice spot to sleep (usually up high).  You can look for its sleeping spot during the day, or listen for it running around at night.  Be patient.