sugar gliding bond

Question
well i just got a 1 year old sugar glider from my cousin and he doesnt seem to want to bond with me at all....i am also afraid that if i do not use my leash he will get away from me and i will not beable to get him back...so my question is how do i bond with him and how do i train him not to run away from me.....another question will he bite

Answer
Dear Samantha:

First of all, throw the leash away!  Those leashes are made for ferrets and not sugar gliders.  They have been known to injure their very delicate gliding membrane.  Please don't use the leash.  

Secondly, if you just got the glider, then it is way too soon to determine if it is bonding with you.  I takes several months to a year to develop a good bond with an adult glider.  It is possible that your glider will get away from you.  I suggest that you use a tent (a small 2 person tent from Walmart costs about $25).  Do not use a tent that has been out camping.  This will help you contain her and allow her to come to you, rather than you chasing her and worrying about her getting away.  

I have written and posted bonding information many times, so if you don't mind, I won't type it all over again, but rather will cut and paste it here for you.  It may talk about a male glider, but all of the principles will apply to your case.  

1.  Sleep in an old T-shirt for a couple of days and put that inside his cage (you can put his pouch right inside of the shirt).  Sugar gliders bond by scent, so as much of your scent as he can get the better.

2.  Use a zipper or drawstring bonding pouch (during the day only) as much as possible.  Eventually he will begin to fall asleep in the pouch.  3 to 4 hours a day would be optimum.  An easy way to get the glider into the pouch with a minimal chance of getting bit is to open the bonding pouch, take his sleeping pouch (with the glider in it) and put the open end of his sleeping pouch into the bonding pouch as if you were pouring him in.  He will likely stay in the sleeping pouch until you sort of squeeze the from the bottom down (like a tube of toothpaste), the glider should then move down into the bonding pouch.  When he has, pull out the sleeping pouch and zip him up in the bonding pouch.  When you are done, you can just put the bonding pouch back in his cage and open it, he will come out and go back into his cage/sleeping pouch when he is ready.  

3.  Play time.  Your glider should have a couple of hours of play time each night.  For a biting, unfriendly glider, I would suggest a "bonding tent."  This is just a two person tent like the one you can find at Walmart for about $25.  Don't use an old camping tent.  Bring the glider (in his pouch) into the tent with you along with a toy and a treat.  You can unzip the windows so family members can watch and you can hear and see what's going on in the room around you.  The whole point of this is to let the glider come to you in his own time without you trying to "hold" him.  Right now he is frightened of your hands, but they are curious animals, so don't be surprised if after a few times, he runs and jumps on you.  The tent helps keep him contained while removing the distractions he would find otherwise in a room.

4.  Treats.  Whenever you approach this glider for any reason at all, come bearing gifts.  You want him to learn that only good things come from your hands and fingers.  So  offer him mealworms (usually their favorite) always by hand.  You can also give him dried papaya or mango and Yogurt drops.  Once you determine his favorite food, you can give that to him by hand as well.  He may be hesitant at first, but don't give up.  

5.  Licky treats.  After he is comfortable taking treats from your fingers, try coating your fingers with blueberry  yogurt or applesauce and let him lick it off your fingers.    Licky treats are a great way to begin to insert your hand into his pouch.  Don't try this for a few weeks, but once he seems to respond and trust you a little more, use licky treats to get close and then slowly slide your hand into his pouch.  Eventually, you should aim for sliding your hand in  during mid day while he is sleeping and groggy and see if you can't get your hand underneath him.  Then just leave it there so he can get used to your hand being there.  

This is a lot of work.  We aren't talking a few weeks.  We are talking months.  Don't measure your progress continually.  Just love him and work with him.  Eventually, you will look back and see how far he's come.  But if you are committed, eventually you will see progress.  Don't get discouraged.  He needs you.  Someone else might not take the time to even try to work with him.  So be happy with whatever he is willing to give and don't be surprised if you look back in 6 months or so and see a big difference.

Here is a link to check out and research:

http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/98

Best of luck to you and your new glider.

Laurie