How long does it take for a sugar glider to bond with you

Do Sugar Gliders Like to Be Held and How to Bond With Them

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Do sugar gliders like to be held and how to bond with them? What do they want and need? Most New Sugar Glider Owners

Its difficult to think whether our domesticated furry friends like to be held or not because of how they behave.

So, in this guide, Ill give you the information you need about caring, bonding, and maintaining them!

Lets get started!

Do Sugar Gliders Like to Be Held and Cuddle?

Do sugar gliders like to be held and how to bond with them. Yes, in fact, these creatures are clingy and always want attention, but you must bond with them first.

Individual sugar gliders express their thoughts and emotions differently, even if theyre living in the same habitat.

My beloved glider seeks attention by biting or nipping its cage constantly.

The other glider I own is one of the most curious animals in the world. It usually taps its food bowl or other food dishes inside the cage to let me know that I need to open it.

Signs Your Sugar Glider Wants Attention

Like my gliders, yours too will give you signs when they want your attention. Some of the most common ones are:

• They come closer instead of crabbing or shying away when you approach [1]
• Nipping or biting you playfully
• Chirping or making cute sounds

Social interaction is very important for sugar gliders mental health and they should not bekept alone!, says Amanda Zellar, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). [2]

Check this video out from Sugar Glider Diaries as she discusses the different ways you can bond with your gliders!

Do They Like to Cuddle?

Sugar gliders are social, clingy, and interactive creatures, and they wont appreciate it if you ignore their signs when they want you to take them out.

Theyre absolutely affectionate animals, so be sure to bond with them whenever they feel like doing so.

My personal routine for this is that when I take them out, I play and bond with them. I let other people in the house theyre comfortable with interact with them, too.

These times are what I consider perfect for removing rust from sugar glider cage bars, as well as spot cleaning all accessories inside the metal cage.

Theyre clean animals and ensuring their habitat is clean will get you a long way to winning them over.

How Can You Bond With Your Pet Sugar Gliders? How Long Does It Take?

Bonding with your gliders depends on their age in weeks and months. This means, there are things you can do with an adult male and female sugar gliders that you cant do with baby sugar gliders.

As sugar glider owners, you need to be well educated when it comes to your furry, loving, relatively low-maintenance pet.

So, heres a quick rundown of the activities I do (and suggest that you do too) to bond with your captive sugar gliders.

Baby Sugar Glider Bonding

Bonding with baby sugar gliders can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, so be patient. The best time for bonding with baby sugar gliders is when they are 8 to 12 weeks old.

This is the usual time when we purchase them from breeders or from pet stores or pet shops.

If its your first time bringing them home, do not try touching them for the first three (3) days. They need to settle into their new home.

I started holding and bonding with mine after a week of it staying inside its cage.

You can talk to them softly from time to time, while theyre trying to familiarize themselves with the new environment. For the first 2 days, your ONLY job is to give them food and water.

Start the process with these tips:

• Study and follow their lead.
• Give them snacks and treats frequently, but do not overdo it.
• Place the cage for sugar gliders inside a room where they wont be bothered, but accessible enough for them to see you.
• Talk softly, while facing them directly, but dont touch them dont even touch the cage.

I usually leave a new glider inside the cage at night so that it wont feel like Im forcing it to bond with me; this is where allowing them to take the lead comes into play.

Young Adult Sugar Glider Bonding

After about a month, try holding them while they are inside their habitats.

There are many cages for sugar gliders that have enough room for you to be able to hold and play with them while theyre inside.

Sugar gliders are social animals, and they love to hang out with both their fellow gliders and their human caretakers.

During their young adult period, their familiarity with you should already be above average. You can start holding and touching them for about 10 minutes per day, getting progressively longer.

Furthermore, you can also place your sugar glider in pouch if you want to bond with them without agitating them too much.

These are pouches you can purchase from pet stores and pet shops, as well as online stores dedicated to pets and domestic animals.

Adult Sugar Glider Bonding

When they start to grow older and become adults, then they should already be familiar with you. My pet glider already had its own daytime and nighttime routines when it was just 14 weeks old!

I did my best to get them comfortable with me and with other people inside the house by constantly engaging with them calmly and carefully.

Theyre nocturnal animals, so if you catch them sleeping during the day, dont sacrifice their sleep just so you can bond with them.

When you notice that theyre awake, be gentle and sweet just like how you please a 5-year-old child.

This is the time when you can use a bonding pouch, twice (2) a day for about ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes and play with them regularly.

Place Them in a Larger Cage With Another Sugar Glider

One thing that can increase the trust your sugar glider has in you is to add other healthy gliders inside the cage.

For this, youll need a larger cage than the one you already have (if its just for a single glider).

The habitat I used when I increased my gliders to two (2) and then three (3) is a 20 x 20 x 30 metal cage (20 inches deep), and it has since been effective in keeping my furry friends sane.

I was able to recycle an old one, and I maximized some of my used sugar glider cages and reassembled them. Which was a great way to keep costs down.

FUN FACT: Sugar gliders usually like balling up inside a shirt pocket because of their warmth, comfort, and coziness.

3 Tips to Get Your Gliders to Warm Up to You, Bond, and Trust you

While not all sugar gliders bond and interact the same way, here are three (3) helpful foolproof tips Ive picked up in my years of experience to let your gliders warm up and be comfortable with you.

1. Respect Their Actions

Do they shy and crab away from you when you approach? If they do, respect their actions. Refrain from forcing them to bond with you whenever they do not feel like it.

Wait for them to initiate the cuddling it shouldnt take them long anyways!

2. Spend Time Around Them

Even if they dont want to cuddle, you can make your presence known even while your gliders are inside the metal cage.

Make it a habit to treat them like a friend or a baby. Talk to them softly and be sure that theyre seeing you most hours of the day.

3. Always Offer Treats

Lastly, give them treats to let them know theyre doing a good job! When Im starting with a new addition, I always offer treats to my gliders when they:

• Dont shy away when I approach
• Do not bite or nip my finger when I try to interact with them
• Drink and eat their entire portions from their bowls

You can do the same thing or set up a different reward method. Regardless of what it is, make sure that theyre recognizing it as a reward.

Nothing Works, My Glider is Still Uncomfortable, What Should I Do?

As I mentioned above, not all sugar gliders are bred and nurtured the same way.

There are those that could just take a few days to be comfortable with their sugar glider owners, while there are gliders that can take weeks even months.

I was lucky to have playful, sweet, and charming gliders early in our relationship. They sent signs of warmth and comfort during the first two (2) days of living in their new home.

When they do progress, play with them, interact with them, place them inside a bonding pouch and carry them around treat them like a baby.

Dont worry, though, taming your sugar glider is a marathon, its not a sprint. The slower and more stable you go, the better and healthier your relationship will be.

Lianne McLeod, DVM, said that you need to be wary of your glider for the sounds it produces.

Theyll usually give audible warnings when theyre angry, agitated, or afraid. However, you should always refrain from waking them up during sleep. Editor note: source of this quote is not linked/cited and I cant find it

Heres a video from sugarglidervet explaining the best ways of handling sugar gliders.

ALSO READ: Removing Rust From Sugar Glider Cage Bars Tutorial

FAQs

Need more help with your furry friends? Here are some of the most asked questions about it.

Are Sugar Gliders Clingy?

Yes, they are. In fact, theyre one of the clingiest and neediest creatures Ive met and they rarely want to be alone.

This is why its important to keep them company by adding another glider inside their habitat.

Can You Carry Sugar Gliders Around With You?

Yes, you can do so if you curl them up and put them inside your pocket or if you use a bonding pouch.

Do Sugar Gliders Like to Be Held and How to Bond With Them?

Yes, gliders like to be held after youve bonded with them. Start the process slowly by talking to them gently without touching them. Then when they are comfortable increase the contact.

Conclusion

In case you want to know how to bond with them or if youre looking for an answer to the question do sugar gliders like to be held, then this guide was for you. Bonding is the key.

Ive included all the things you need to know to make sure that you keep your glider healthy, socially responsive, and psychologically engaged.

How do you bond with your glider?

How did you bond with your sugar glider? Let us know in the comment section below!

Resources

• Jess, Author Dr. What Is Sugar Glider Crabbing? Vet Explains Pets, 6 Oct. 2020, vetexplainspets.com/sugar-glider-crabbing/#:~:text=Crabbing%20is%20just%20a%20big. Accessed 3 Apr. 2022.
• Zellar, Amanda. Sugar Gliders Petaurus Breviceps. pinetreeveterinaryhospital.com

Alina Hartley

Alina Hartley is a small-town girl with a ginormous love of bearded dragons. It all started with Winchester, a baby bearded who was abandoned at the shelter by his former owners because of a birth defect that caused one front leg to be shorter than the other. Alina originally went to the shelter looking for a guinea pig, but one look at Winchester and it was love at first sight. From that day on, Alina has dedicated her life to learning everything she can about bearded dragons. She loves helping new beardie parents start their incredible journey with these magnificent reptiles.Follow her on:LINKEDINTWITTER.Read her latest articles HERELearn more about her HERE.

Sugar Glider Bonding: 5 Easy Steps To Form A Strong Bond

When you first get your sugar gliders and put them in their cage you might wonder: how do I bond with my sugar gliders?

This is a very normal question, after all, we all want to be friends with our pets. However, bonding with a pet sugar glider takes a bit more work than bonding with other animals. Especially if youre trying to form a friendship with an adult glider it can be a tricky process. After all, sugar gliders are different from most other animals people keep as pets.

In this post, Im going to give you 5 easy, actionable tips that will allow you to develop a bond with your suggies. If you follow these 5 steps youll be able to form a strong bond with your glider without rushing them. The most important things you need are patience, persistence, and love. Lets get started!

Bonding with your Sugar Glider in 5 Steps

1. Let them get used to their environment

When you bring your glider home and put them in their cage they might seem anxious, scared, and afraid.

Its very normal and natural for any animal to be scared and anxious when introduced to a new environment. After all, this is unfamiliar territory for them. For that reason, the first thing you should do in the bonding process is give them some time to get used to their new environment.

I know you might be eager to touch and snuggle with them immediately since theyre so adorable, but patience is key. Dont touch him much while he gets used to his environment so he can get familiar with all the new smells, objects, and their new living area. It also gives them some time to mark their cage as their own by using their scent glands. You will notice them exploring their new living area and smelling everything they can find. They have a very strong sense of smell so by smelling everything they can identify things theyre unfamiliar with.

It is also very possible that your glider will make noises during this phase when you get too close. You might hear him bark or crab occasionally but dont worry, this is normal behavior, he just doesnt know what to expect yet and if you are a friend or not.

2. Let them get used to you and your scent

The next step is letting them get used to you. You can start doing this when you notice that your sugar glider is not scared of you anymore. For instance, when he stops making noises when he sees you.

A good tip is to put a piece of your clothing that youve worn in their cage. It will contain your smell and because of that, your glider will get familiar with how you smell and be less frightened when he smells you in person. Sugar gliders use their strong sense of smell to recognize members of their colony and they also use smell as a bonding mechanism.

If your glider allows it, you can also move on to trying to softly pet them at this point. I wouldnt recommend picking them up just yet though. If you are going in for the pet, make sure to make your presence known first. You can do this by speaking to them softly. When theyre aware that youre around them they will be much less likely to be scared off.

Also, make sure to move slowly. Sudden and fast movements can scare them off. Dont rush it!

If they do not allow you to touch them yet, do not be discouraged. After all, youre an incredibly huge creature compared to them; youre literally a giant to this small creature that could easily crush them. Instinctively theyll be scared of large animals such as yourself and will need to learn that you mean them no harm. For some gliders, this might take longer than for others.

3. Positive reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a very powerful tool for training but it can also be used to bond. Positive reinforcement means that your sugar glider will associate your presence and touch with good feelings.

One of the most powerful feelings comes from the food they enjoy. When sugar gliders eat food they enjoy their brain releases a powerful chemical called dopamine which makes them feel happy.

A good idea is to feed them some treats such as almond or honey when youre planning on interacting with them. They will associate the good feeling the food releases in their brain with your presence and gradually learn that this huge human is nothing to be worried about, but rather something that brings joy and happiness!

If they still crab or hiss when you approach them do not scold or punish them; they will not understand. Be patient with them, after all, theyre wild animals that mostly act on instinct.

If you move too fast in the bonding process its also possible that your glider will bite you. Luckily, their bites do not hurt very much, and if you do get bitten just give them some space and try again later.

4. Get a room you two!

By now your sugar glider should be slightly bonded to you, but you still have to take care to not ruin it. If you make a mistake here you could set yourself back quite a bit.

The next step in the process is to spend some time with your glider in a confined space. A room where you can close the door (so your glider cant escape) is perfect, but a tent or a large closet can also work. In essence, what youre doing is creating a giant cage where you and your glider(s) can spend some time together.

Its essential here that you use a room that your glider cannot escape from. Sugar gliders are very nimble and fast creatures that can be extremely hard to catch if they escape. Also, if they escape and you have to start chasing them it will not bode well for your bonding process; they will obviously get frightened if a creature thats many times their size is chasing after them for reasons they do not understand. Make absolutely sure that the space youre using is one that they cannot escape from.

If youve selected the perfect room to spend some one-on-one time, put your hand in their cage and allow them to climb onto if they want. If they do not want to, do not grab or squeeze them. If you grab or squeeze them they can easily feel like youre trying to harm or threaten them; especially this early in the bonding process when theyre not fully familiar and trusting of you yet they can experience anxiety or stress from being grabbed.

Its very normal if your glider does not climb onto your hand the very first time. If they do not want to try again later until they do climb onto your hand.

Now that youve got them into a secluded space with you allow them the freedom to come to you when they want to. To encourage them to come to you, you can place some sweet treats in your hand that they can eat if they want to.

Do not spend huge amounts of time with them in a confined space at once. Its better to start slowly and only spend a few minutes with them and ramp it up gradually.

Also, since sugar gliders are quite habitual (they usually wake up at the same time every day, poop and pee at the same time of the day, and eat at the same time of the day) its best to do this process at similar times during the day.

5. Bonding pouch time

You might or might not have heard of these things called bonding pouches. Theyre similar to sleeping pouches for your glider and theyre among the most fun part of the bonding experience in my opinion.

In essence, what these bonding pouches are used for is to emulate their mothers pouch. Sugar glider joeys are carried in their mothers pouch for the first 80 days of their life: this is a place where they feel very secure and where they bond with their mother. We can simulate this experience for them by using a bonding pouch.

You can buy a bonding pouch online or make one yourself.

The best way to move your glider into the bonding pouch is to do it when theyre in their sleeping pouch. You can take the sleeping pouch out of their cage and roll it out so you can see your glider (this might also be a good time to give them a treat!). Then put the bonding pouch as close to the sleeping pouch as you can. Another useful tip is to put a blanket from their sleeping pouch into the bonding pouch. That way it will smell familiar to them and they wont be as frightened.

Now that the two pouches are close to one another, try to gently move your glider from the sleeping into the bonding pouch. Once theyre completely in the bonding pouch, zip it up carefully (make sure that hes or his tail not in the way of the zipper so you do not hurt him).

When hes securely in the pouch, put it around your neck, at around the height of your heart. Now youre ready to move around and talk to him so that he will get familiar with your presence and your scent!

Keep in mind that while you can move around when hes in the pouch that you should use common sense. Theyre small animals that can be easily frightened by loud noises or sudden movements. Dont go running around or make loud noises. Keep it calm and allow the glider to rest close to you in the pouch.

When you do this for the first time Id recommend doing it for about an hour, but once theyre more used to it you can do it for longer times if youd like to.

Make sure to not use the bonding pouch as a substitute for holding them in your hands. They have to get used to being touched by your skin just as much as they have to get used to your scent. Therefore, you must use the bonding pouch as a complement rather than a replacement for holding your gliders in your hand.

Frequently asked questions

Now that weve gone over the 5 steps of bonding with your glider lets go over some frequently asked questions that people have about bonding with sugar gliders.

What does bonding mean and why is it important?

Bonding basically means that you change your sugar glider from a wild state to a tame state. Of course, since its not a domesticated animal it will never be as tame as a dog, but the bonding process goal is to get us as close as possible.

Its important to bond with your glider because if you do not it will not be a good pet. If your glider is not bonded to you it will remain scared and anxious. This means that you will not be able to pick it up, play with it, and all the other activities I assume you have in mind when you decide to get one of these creatures as a pet.

Of course, the bonding process will take some time, but its very necessary and the end result is very rewarding.

How long does it take to bond with a sugar glider?

This depends on the glider; some are more affectionate than others and will bond to your quicker while others will take more time. In general, it will take around 2 weeks to complete the bonding process but it can be shorter or longer depending on the glider.

Of course, if you make mistakes during the bonding process it can also take longer. For instance, if your glider escapes and you have to chase him this can delay the bonding process.

How do I know my sugar gliders have bonded with me?

There are different stages of bonding. Its not a binary bonded or not bonded state but more of a spectrum. The first sign of your sugar glider forming a bond with you will be that it comes to greet you when you come towards his cage.

Once theyre fully bonded theyll want to be with you as much as possible. They will be excited when they see you and want to play a lot. Another sign that theyve bonded to you is when they start grooming you.

Can sugar gliders form a bond with multiple people?

Gliders are very social animals that live in colonies of up to 7 individuals. Therefore, they can bond with more than one person. This makes them excellent family pets. However, they will usually choose one person (often the person that spends the most time with them and feeds them the most) to form their primary bond with.

This also means that gliders can bond to a new owner if youve adopted one from a previous owner.

Can you bond with adult gliders?

It will take a bit longer to bond with an adult glider that youve adopted from someone but it is definitely very possible if you properly follow the steps laid out above.

Can you discipline a sugar glider?

Never physically discipline your sugar glider. There are reports of people doing this, but its unbelievably unfair to do so. These animals are literally 1% of your size so you may inflict way more harm than you mean to. They depend on you for love and protection. By physically disciplining them you will also harm the bonding process.

If you cannot control your temper, please do not get a sugar glider or any pet for that matter.

You have to remember that these exotic animals are in essence wild animals and that they behave mostly on instinct. They cant help it.

If your sugar gliders are doing something wrong, the only acceptable way to discipline them is to blow on their face lightly.

Can they learn their name?

They can! Sugar gliders are intelligent creatures (some people say theyre as smart as dogs). Because of this, theyre able to learn what their name is and respond to when its called.

The best way to teach them their name is to use them very frequently.

Can my glider ride on my shoulders?

Im sure youve seen videos or photos of gliders riding on their owners shoulders. Sugar gliders actually really enjoy this and its easier than you think to train them to do it.

First, hold out your arm and let your glider climb on top of your shoulder. The first couple of times he takes a ride on your shoulders you should make sure that they do not fall off by holding them down a little bit or petting them. Then walk around the room with your furry friend on your shoulder!

To get them off, stop in front of their cage with the door open so you can put them inside.