Cats & suggies

[Rawrkitty]

When i've got 10points and i can talk to mark, im hopefully going to get my gliders but on this website, someone said they can bond with household pets like cats and dogs, would you trust this?

[Marie]

I would never risk my suggies by introducing them to other pets.  A cat is a predator so the suggie would be looked upon as a prey item, and dogs can be a bit boisterous and could hurt them by their sheer size, and depending on the dog - one snap and suggie would be severely injured if not dead.  I'd say out of the two though, cats pose more of a threat to gliders than dogs.   But to be on the safe side, keep them all apart.

The 10 post rule was bought in because a year or two ago there was some REALLY bad articles in scrag mags like The Sun (quality newspapers!!), there was a surge of idiots who had never even heard of them before the sun article wanting a sugar glider, it was a nightmare!  So to protect the gliders from these impulse buyers we made the classifieds invisible to non members and those who have joined but haven't posted.   

And the 10 posts before you can use the PM system was brought in because a few breeders joined and were pming people randomly trying to sell their gliders - not good practice and in my mind unethical, suggies are lives not items.  Some people really do lack morals!

[Rawrkitty]

Yeah i agree. i was just wondering if anyone has ever tried, i wouldn't.

I don't mind, i can wait for 10points/posts, i really want 2 or 3

[Marie]

3 is a good number, suggies are social animals and if you have a pair and god forbid something happens and one dies you're left with one solitary glider that is coping with the loss of it's cage mate as well as being alone.  It's hard to know whether to let the glider grieve for a short while or introduce a newcomer straight away.  At least if you have 3 to begin with you won't have to cope with a solitary glider. 

[JamiePearce]

We had a Bengal Cat for a short while and as friendly as he was whenever a glider was out of the pouch he would sneak up for a look and as soon as the glider moved he'd try and pounce through the cage, after i saw him do it the once he had to go

I have seen pictures of gliders with animals that would otherwise be seen as prey but it really isn't worth taking the risk

[Marie]

I agree, it's just not worth the risk!

[petaupurrs]

that has helped me a lot I have 3 cats and 2 dogs and was wondering about them getting along, so the room where my cage will be is now going to be dog free and cat free especially when the gliders are out and about
thanks Diane

[hday]

Depends on the animals, as others have said... but animals will always by nature be unpredicatable and risk being 'wild'
My housemate has an increadibly soppy housecat, she isnt allowed in the glider room (they are caged!)
during the day.
but it we are in there she comes in and seems to be ok...
mainly because she is a scaredy cat and early on she and lil had a faceoff through the bars... and lil swiped her!
I actually reckon the gliders would win... as lil is a feisty thing and the cat is scared of noise!
but I would never test it!
and she is never allowed in if they are out.
she has occasionally come in when I feed them, but has never come close... and is more interested in their cat biscuits!

With my sisters dog I did let her sniff around the cage when they were asleep so she could work out what it was. that meant she then ignored them, but again I wouldnt leave them unsupervised! and depends on the animal, sisters dog was a pest as she was intrigued, once she had a good sniff she was quite happy to ignore them!

You know your animals but dont take any risks!

[Usha77]

I agree that it is not worth the risk at all.  I actually just had a nightmare about my suggies last night and among other horrible things happening to my gliders, I was chasing a cat that was chasing two of my babies and I didn't make it to the cat in time.    Absolutely devastating dream. 

[Marsupial]

It doesn't matter how quiet or friendly cats are, it is way too dangerous to let them come in any contact with gliders even through cage bars. One bite or scratch, even in friendly play is a potential death sentence for the glider.

Cats carry bacteria in their saliva which is basically lethal to possums and gliders. Their system cannot fight the bacteria and they will die a very painful death anything from days to weeks later! In many cases there will be no signs that the glider has even been touched. The organs simply shut down as the whole body becomes infected. Nasty death and fully preventable by keeping the two apart totally.

As a wildlife rescuer I have seen gliders and possums without a single visible scratch who appear fine, that die within days -weeks from cat attacks. I picked up a gorgeous little ringtail possum yesterday that had a single little scratch that was tiny but he was already looking very flat and despite immediate vet attention, will no doubt not survive another 48 hours. That is how lethal cats are to possums and gliders. It'a really not worth it....

[Emma9383]

Oh My God! that's aweful!! Sadly I had to get my cat Topsey put down a few years ago and although she was the tamest thing ever, if I had my suggies then I'd have never let her anywhere near them, just incase. I'm sure the little mice she brought for me thought she was harmless too  Never knew about the saliva thing though. That's so scary! especially as there is no signs for it! I tell you something, this place is genuis for little facts like that which could potentially save a suggies life. I just wouldn't have even thought about bacteria in saliva! I really hope your little possum pulls through. What a shame

[Marie]

Quote from Dr Bryan Fry *swoon*

"Surprisingly it appears that the toxin (in Slow Loris venom) is highly similar to the protein in cat dander that is responsible for cat allergies! This not only gives some indications as to the potential mechanism of action of the toxin but also raises the question as to whether the cat allergy is actually deliberate on the part of the cat and is actually a toxic defense!"

[Usha77]

Quote from Dr Bryan Fry *swoon*

"Surprisingly it appears that the toxin (in Slow Loris venom) is highly similar to the protein in cat dander that is responsible for cat allergies! This not only gives some indications as to the potential mechanism of action of the toxin but also raises the question as to whether the cat allergy is actually deliberate on the part of the cat and is actually a toxic defense!"

Very interesting to think about.  I, myself, have a very severe allergy to cats and I know that it is due to their saliva, which is why their dander is so bad, too.  I made the mistake once of "bopping" my mom's cat on the nose - just a tiny bop - with my makeup brush as he was watching me put makeup on.  He was just too cute and I just had to express some love by "bopping" his nose with the bristles of the brush.  The next time I used that brush, my entire face became red, splotchy, swollen, and itchy!  Had to throw the brush away.  Bites and scratches from cats do horrendous things to my skin, even if they don't actually break the skin.  I can't imagine what they would do to such a little system that gliders have.    

Edited to add:  Had to look up Dr. Bryan Fry as I'd never heard of him and wondered what the *swoon* was about.  Uh, yeah, *swoon* is right! 

[Amalthea]

Ooh, he is rather pretty, isn't he??  Needs some hair, though.

[Marie]

Lol!  He's VenomDoc, and he's lovely!  He used to own a Slow Loris but I don't think he has her anymore and I was lucky enough to meet him last year.