My new little guy!

Question
I just bought my new little sugar glider Zeke! he is to cute. How long will it take for him to get used to me. everytime we try to pick him up he makes his scared noise and i dont want him to not like me later because i wouldn't leave him along but i want him to bond with me. What are some tips to help me with this process. I am scared to get him out of his cage, i dont want him to bit me or be scared of me.

Answer
Dear Ashley:

I hope you don't mind, I am cutting and pasting part of an earlier answer to a similar question.  

In order for the sugar glider to be your friend, you have to earn his/her trust.  Right now you are very, very scary to the glider.  You need to look at things from the glider's point of view.  She has been ripped away from his/her parents and taken to a strange place with strange smells.  And no matter how much you love this baby right now, you probably look like something that he thinks is going to eat him.  

To start with, I would just back off and slow way down.  This is (hopefully) going to be a long relationship.  If he is well taken care of and on a proper diet, he should live to 10-12 years so you have plenty of time to get to know each other.  The more time you spend with him, the better.  

But the first thing you have to do is make a commitment to love him unconditionally -- that means understanding that if he bites he is scared.  Usually, when you have spent lots of time with them and given them lots of treats, they come to realize that you are not going to hurt them, then after a little while longer, they come to love you and want to be with you always.  

The trick is to measure your progress in months not days or weeks.  Don't be discouraged if it seems you have taken a few steps backward.  Just keep loving the glider and eventually he will come along.  Please don't ever hit or drop him when he bites or crabs, just try to be calm.  If you let go of him every time he bites, he will learn that that works and will continue to bite to get you to let him go.  

I recommend you put him in a bonding pouch around your neck and under your shirt during the day every day for at least 2 hours.  

Then, feed him licky treats like non-fat blueberry yogurt or applesauce from your fingers and let him lick it off.  Any time you go near his pouch, come bearing treats!

Purchase a small 2 person tent (Walmart $25), put it up in the living room or den and get in the tent with the glider.  Let him play and approach you at his own pace.  Try to do this every night for at least 2 hours.  

Mealworms are usually their favorite food.  I always hand feed their favorite foods.  

Sleep in a T-shirt at night for a couple of nights and put that in his cage and put his sleeping pouch in in.  

Here are more links to research about bonding:

http://gliderconnection.com/glider/information.php?info_id=8&osCsid=626e5de56398...

http://worldwidesugarglidernetwork.com/board/index.php

I hope this helps.  You can contact me off my website at contact@affinitysugargliders.com and give me an update on how he's doing.  www.affinitysugargliders.com

Best of luck to you and your new little sugar glider.  Don't give up on him.  

Laurie