Tent time

[Lottie]

I bought a small tent for bonding when I got my gliders & I've tried using it as much as possible for a few hours at a time.
The little buggers seem to insist on using me as a toilet tho!  They always seem to have a ball in the tent, jumping around & playing, but they NEVER pee on anything in the tent except me! I can live with them peeing on my trakkies & tshirt climbing on me, but Pumpernickel has started being really cheeky! I have long hair & he likes to run up my back on to my head or land on it, but sometimes he pees on me  when he's up there! Not impressed when he pees on my head!

Is there anything I can do to dissuade Pumpernickel & Muffin from peeing on me?  I'm glad they are curious enough to crawl all over me & I know its good for the bonding process but I have to do alot more laundry now as every night I get peed on 

Any suggestions?

[Marie]

Unfortunately suggies don't actually have any control over when they pee, they need to go so they go!  Do you allow them a few minutes in the cage to wake up and toilet before putting them in the tent?  If not then maybe you shoudl consider allowing this few minutes first.  Alternatively, you could put aside a set of clothes for tent time bonding so they don't ruin your every day clothes.  As for your hair, I have long hair too, just wait until they start fluffing it up for you like they do their own tails!  Bless them they're only trying to help but that little section is a nightmare to comb out!!! 

[Lottie]

No, they don't go before tent time.  I think that would probably solve the problem but when I got them they weren't used to be taken out of the cage by hand, only while still in their pouch.  I'm not sure how to change that? We're still bonding & though they dont crab when I have my hands in the cage they do usually move away and carefully watch me & what I'm doing.

Any ideas how I move forward with the bonding?

[Marie]

Read the bonding thread I've JUST posted!  - I thought I'd posted it to be honest but obviously I didn't!!

[jungleflockmom]

Covering your hair while in the tent may be the easiest thing to do. They may also want to mark their new "best friend" as truly theirs and urine is such a good way to do that.

Sounds like your bonding is going great. Patience, time and repetition of activities will ultimately result in a suggie + human colony!!

We often think or hope that bonding w/exotics will be like bonding w/puppies or kittens, but it often takes several months to a year. Since they can live about 15 years, that first year of establishing a relationship is truly worth it.

Things are going well!