Hi

[denholm]

I am at present babysitting for a glider and have fallen totally in love and would love to get two babies eventually, my main objective at the moment is to get as much information as i can beforehand and have everything they would need at the ready, i would love any advice and suggestions that would help me to make sure they were happy and healthy.

[wjohnw]

Hi welcome to the forum. Glad to hear that you want to learn as much as you can before you take the plunge. Have a really good reads of the posts people have written in the past. The posts at the top of each section are the most informative and useful ones! and if there's something you don't quite get, just ask

[Emma9383]

As John says, have a good rwead through all the topics and pay particular attention to the stickies at the top of each section, as they are really useful.
How long are you babysitting the suggies for, and how many are there?

Welcome to the forum and I hope you find it as useful as we all do 

[Marie]

Hi, welcome to SGF. 

[Amalthea]

*waves* Hiya Is the glider you're babysitting alone?

[wjohnw]

That's what I was thinking....

[Marie]

And me

[denholm]

Hi again new to this so a bit unsure what to do really but  yes the glider I am babysitting is now on her own as her partner of six years has passed away, my friend the gliders owner is at present between homes and I have had her since mid November and she is a wee cutie and full of mischief, her name is Gismo, also thank you for your welcoming comments and I hope to get the hang of this soon 

[Marie]

Do you know if your friend is looking for a companion for Gizmo?  Suggies don't do well on their own, they are very social animals.

[lou]

welcome to the mad house, I hope we can help you on the start of your glider journey

[denholm]

He tried to get hera companion after her mate died but she just attacked it even  after gentle introduction via an adjoining cage and lots of gentle coaxing, she has decided not to accept another animal, I know they need a companion but she wont have it and just wants human interaction now?  I do feel very sad for her but as she is not my glider I cant interfere and am just trying to do my best for her while she is here, I pay her a lot of attention although its not ideal I am hoping it will make her feel loved and not so lonely. what is the average lifespan of a glider as she is nearly 7?

[helen88uk]

in captivity it's 10-15 years x

[denholm]

didn't realise that, she is going to be on her own an awfully long time which is not good, does anyone have any ideas on how to try to introduce another glider that he maybe hasn't tried as I dont like the idea of her being on her own that long, she is a bit fiesty regarding other gliders so would it be best getting another male or female, next I have to convince him she needs another companion.

[Rhianna]

how long were the cages together? what i did when introducing one glider to a family of 5 was have the 2 cages side by side, just outta arms reach. both cages had a fleecy pouch.

After 1 week, swapped pouches over. This made the other gliders smell of the lonely glider and vice versa. A while later, swapped pouches over again.

I then introduced them when they were asleep. Popped the quietest glider in with Holly when she was sleeping. Theory being, they be too tired to fight, and when they woke up, would be together. When that worked, i added another glider, then another, so over the course of a few days, all gliders were together. I saved the worst glider til last...

i cannot remember how long it took exactly, but it surprised the last owner how quickly i did it as she wasnt convinced id be able to get Onion to accept another female. Just persevere. The aim is to get all gliders to smell the same. If they all have the same scent, nothing is strange or unfamiliar...

[Marie]

When a glider loses a cage mate they do tend to grieve, so her unwillingness to accept another glider could be because it was too soon.