How to introduce Sugar Gliders

How to Introduce Sugar Gliders

Sugar Gliders are colony animals and need at least another friend to keep them company. Leaving a Sugar Glider alone for too long will often lead to depression and a shorter life span, no matter how much attention you give your glider. Therefore, The Pet Glider highly recommends that you keep gliders in at least pairs.

But what happens when you’ve suddenly lost a Sugar Glider and now need to find a new companion for your current glider? Or you’ve realized your lone glider needs a Sugar Glider friend?

How can I find the right friend for my glider? What is the safest and most effective way to introduce my Sugar Gliders? Will my current Sugar Glider accept this new friend?

Introducing Sugar Gliders can be very simple, but if not done correctly could lead to a stressful situation.

Here are a few things to consider when introducing gliders:

• Unneutered males will usually not get along unless raised together. Males are territorial and will fight for dominance. If you have an unneutered male then we recommend that he gets neutered. Male siblings who grew up together do not have this problem.

• Age and size could make this easier. We recommend getting a friend of around the same age and size as your glider, you can find the perfect friend with a little help.

• While it is possible to introduce a new glider to an established “colony”, this will require more time and patience.

• The best time for introductions is during the day and early afternoon. Never in the evening or night when Sugar Gliders are most active.

• Always use a neutral territory. That means a counter top.

• After introductions, they should be placed in a neutral cage where there is no scent of any glider.

First Time Home

When you first bring your new Sugar Glider home, you should put him or her in their own cage to minimize stress. You can place both cages side by side with a 6-inch spacing between them to prevent tail grabbing or injuries. This way your gliders can get used to the scent of one another.

Over a series of a few days, swap out their toys and pouches with one another. After a week of doing this, you can start the physical introductions. Always do this on neutral territory. This can be a counter, a glider proof room or a tent. We also recommend that you have treats on hand and nearby.

Physical Introductions

• Start off by placing both gliders (already inside their respective pouches) on the neutral surface.

• If your gliders have their own blankets, then swap their blankets with one another. You can also rub the blankets over them to put the other’s scent on each glider.

First rule, do not let the gliders go face to face, they might scare each other and will make the process become more stressful.

• Let one glider smell the other gliders back or tail. If there’s no grabbing or biting, then you can proceed to let the other glider smell the others back or tail.

• If the gliders are not grabbing or being aggressive, then feed them treats to get their minds on something else, then you can let them face each other and meet.

Treats encourage introductions as a positive experience. Both gliders will get curious and begin to sniff one another. When it’s time to place them back in their unscented clean cage, always hang up two sleeping pouches. You can monitor them at night to make sure they are adjusting well.

If you have any questions about this process or need help, please feel free to call us @ 713-446-4415 or Priscilla @ 713-213-2020. We are always here to help with advice!

Sincerely,

The Pet Glider aka Glider World