Bonding... help please!

Hello, we are a blended family of 6. We have kids 15, 14, 12, and 10. We got a sugar glider almost 2 weeks ago from Pocket Pets (I know, I did a lot of research before actually getting one, just could not find a breeder in our state and we really wanted one). We actually ended up naming her Joey (the kids thought it was great that she was a little "joey" and her name would be "Joey"). Anyway, I had done a lot of reading about bonding, and we let her be in the cage for the first few days before trying to take her out. We did remove her from the cage in the pouch, but did so by "capturing" her the first couple times until I read that this was NOT the way to do it. Since then, we have gone really slow with things. After that, we gave her another few days in the cage where we would only come up and talk to her and give her treats (apple slices). She is EXTREMELY crabby most of the time, we have been following all of the bonding advice from here (putting our shirts that we wore that day in the cage for overnight, we only take her out once she gets in the bonding pouch on her own, and wear her around for 5 hours at a time). I work from home (father) and am the one that has her around my neck most of the time. My wife has been reaching in with the apples daily, and just yesterday Joey finally ate the apple from her hand as she held it, and now today she stood on her hand while eating the apple and allowed her to pet her. The moment that I stick my hand in though, she smells my hand and goes a bit crazy running away. I do not know if this is because she recognizes that I am the one who pulls her out of her cage in her pouch and holds her like that all day and she doesnt like it or what.

But once we put her pouch back in her cage, she will crawl back into it, and if you get close to the pouch, she starts crabbing and trying to bite.

We are making sure that we are being very careful and slow in everything that we are doing, I know we may have done a couple things wrong here in the beginning trying to rush her, but we have backed off that and just want to know if there is anything else that we can do that we are not already doing, or if we just keep going as is? Should we keep pulling her out in her bonding pouch even when she gets really crabby when we do so? (She stops crabbing once she is around the neck and we apply pressure, but it just seems that it is something she is not enjoying).

We appreciate any help!

Thanks!

Have you considered getting another buddy for her? They are much happier with others.

Well, everything is new for her so she is going to be scared, that is why she bites and crabs. My advise would be to take it slower than you are already doing. Take it day by day, try to understand her personality and why she is getting scared. Speak softly to her so she know you mean no harm.

Also you should try different snacks, not apples, a lot of people like to give them yoggies. Something she will want to come to you for, let her take the snacks from you, this will help with her trusting you. Eventually she will wait for her snacks.

What diet are you feeding her? Why are you applying pressure when she's around your neck?

Yeah, we always speak softly and lovingly to her. I apply pressure when she is around my neck in the pouch by just placing my hand over her when she crabs, which she seems to like that feeling of pressure on her, is that not the right thing to do? The people we purchased from said to do that.

Where do I get these Yoggies from? We are doing the diet that the pocket pets company gave us, it has little grain type pellet things, and we have a vitamin mix that we turned into ice cubes and give to her with her pellets. We also give her a slice or two of apple a day and sometimes a grape which she really seems to like.

The "pelletss" are the "Glide-r-chow Complete".

In my opinion, and I'm sure some people will most likely agree, pellets aren't good for the sugar glider:) you should probably start a diet that other people use..

Thanks, I have read that as well. Think I am going to order the HPW, seems like it has had the most positive reviews.

Also, are the yogurt bites that are in the baby section safe, or shoudl I order some from a Sugar Glider site?

We want another one with her, but have already invested over $700 into our first here, and the wife is reluctant to spend any more until we have tried all bonding efforts.

HPW or LGRS?

I am using LGRS, it is just wonderful. I make it in HUGE batches so I don't have to make it for about a month or so. It keeps their coat nice and beautiful, it goes along with fruits/veggies/protein every night.

Its easy to make after the first time, and all the little ones lick up every last drop of it.

I used to use HPW... in comparison I would choose LGRS any day because I have seen how beautiful it keeps their coat, also I enjoy knowing everything that goes in their diet.

Personally my occasional treats are white chocolate chips, each of my littles only get one. BUT they LOVE them.

i use lgrs as well and the boys love it! [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] you should order you lgrs stuff from VE or buy a sample of it from her to see if your glider likes it. you can use the yogurt drops from the store but i buy them online to get the mini ones that are the perfect size for the boys.
bonding with the glider you have now should have nothing to do with getting him a friend. her having a friend(i suggest female) can help you bond with her and make her happy. its better than waiting to long and having her over groom then you have all those vet bills along with having to get her a friend ASAP.

shadow wrote:

her having a friend(i suggest female) can help you bond with her and make her happy.

Agreed.
Gliders are so much happier in pairs/groups, if anything adding a new member to your pack will help with the bonding. There is not a big difference for caring for either one or two or even three.

Also: I ordered my first sample from VE, I love this diet.

Heh, I'm just an odd ball and use the PML diet..

Sorry, who is VE? Would like to order a sample of it as well.

shadow wrote:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

^ There is VE's website.

Have you tried Bourbon's Bonding Method? If not, here is the link:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Just remember to go at her pace and not yours. One of my females, Ellie, was not quick to bonding. She finally came through with bathroom time and her favorite treat. For the first couple of months she would crab at me and wanted nothing to do with me. I would give her yogies/white chocolate morsels in her pouch until she finally stopped crabbing upon seeing my fingers. I clicked at her in the morrnings and she would peek her head out just enough to get the treat.

We went from there since she had calmed down. We spent a lot of time in the bathroom trying to accomplish a successful bond. The first few times, I could not get her to leave my body. She eventually ventured out with encouragement, still using me for landing.

I got my two male sugar gliders about two days ago and there doing really good, I'm getting used to them, everytime i get the pouch out the cage they come up and i hand them a grape but when i hand them a grade they put there paw on my hand and kinda bit me on the hand but not hard just a soft bite, but there doing really good, i love em to death