Bonding Guide
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Glider Safe Space
Quiet area away from direct sunlight, with proper temperature, covered cage, no strong perfumes or smells, no intrusive children or pets
Tent play is excellent for bonding - owner is "inside" the glider's colony. Gliders have free roam in the tent and can approach their owner when they are comfortable. Offer treats in hand and when the glider approaches. Let them come to you, let them scamper off when they feel threatened.
Bonding is building trust where the glider feels safe
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Bonding Bags
Zippered pouches to carry glider with you, keep on person and warm, close to breath and sounds of their owner, close to heart beat. Hold gently but firmly when crabbing to reassure safety. Mimic the feeling of a mother's pouch by holding the glider gently but firmly through the pouch.
Comfort glider when they crab. Speak softly, smile when speaking, hum a nice tune.
Bonding scarves, shirts, other custom options from vendors.
Don't take glider outside of the home until they are bonded. Vet trips made in safe travel cage only.
Work up to having the bonding bag open, glider watches owner and learns not to fear their movement or noises.
Eventually a finger sits inside the bonding bag, eventually a hand, eventually a hand on the glider. No petting, just contact. Comfort. Warmth.
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Building Trust
"You can hurt me, but I trust you not to."
Humans will get bit while bonding. Blood might be drawn, have antibiotic cream, antiseptic, band aids and even an ice cube ready.
Do not give up. Be kind, be gentle, show them through patience that biting and crabbing won't scare you away.
Being mean or harsh to the glider, yelling or flicking their nose will only make bonding more difficult. Every experience should be positive, loving, patient and kind. A negative experience will terrify the glider, and urge them to recluse into defensive aggression. Bonding starts all over again, and even farther behind because now the glider knows they cannot trust the human.
Let glider climb on hand, on body and arms in a safe area. Scoop them up with two hands rather than chase them around.
Can use a large square of fabric to cover the glider and pick it up without being bitten or scaring the glider.
Sit calmly together, talk to each other, read a book or work on a crossword together. Lower television volume, avoid loud barking dogs or screaming children. Let them stay on person in a bonding bag during all times possible. Allow for feeding times, and give them a piece of fruit for hydration in their bag.
Watch the gliders play and forage in their cage. Each will learn more about the other.
Treats, treats, & more treats. Be a treat dispenser, instead of a scary Hulk! Give a treat whenever you approach them and coax them to come near you.
Eventually they will make noises when they hear you come home or enter their safe place, a sign they look forward to your attention.
A fully bonded glider will come to the owner with an outstretched hand, or won't leave the owner's person. Some learn to come to the sound of their name, some can be taught to glide on command and return to the owner from a high perch.
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Introducing a New Glider to Existing Glider
30 day health quarantine
Keep in same room together, each cage covered and no line of sight from one glider to the other
Swap pouches and toys from one cage to the other - do not wash - for 1 week.
Have a tent or safe glider room ready. Introduce both gliders in an open, empty bath tub or open, empty room. A bathtub or room should be empty and clean, free of distractions or things that can fall and scare either glider.
Put new glider in tub, hold existing glider in a clean square of fabric. Let new glider smell the existing glider's tail. If there is aggressive lunging on either glider's part, biting, or attacking the human hand, remove the glider from the other and continue pouch swapping for 1 week. Then try again.
Sniffing is good, allow both gliders to be free in their bath tub or empty room and interact with each other.
They may rub on each other, or crab a small amount as they work out what the other one is.
If there is no fighting (balling up) you're more than likely good to go. If there is balling up, cover them with fabric and separate. Pouch swap 1 week then try again.
If all is well, transfer to a tent or somewhere within close observation distance. You may try 2 bonding bags or 1 large bag, depending how well they are liking each other at this point. A little quarreling is okay, nothing more than 3 seconds.
Prepare the cage for the gliders together with clean drop pan, clean sides/bars/top/bottom, completely clean toys and clean washed fabrics and at least 2 sleeping pouches. It should be a new home for them both, not one intruding on the current home of the other. Rearranging the cage design may help.
When it comes time for feeding, place them in the new cage and allow them to either explore, or remain in their pouches for half an hour. Keep their familiar pouch or two bonding pouches in the new cage for about three days to lessen stress.
Place two or more feeding dishes inside, opposite sides of the cage from each other. Observe them from a distance. If they eat together, all is well more than likely. It is safe to go to bed at this point, be sure you can hear the cage from bed.
Keep many sleeping pouches in the cage until they have been sleeping in the same pouch for 1 month. It is always a good idea to have more than one sleeping area in a cage regardless. At this point it is safe to wash their materials and treat the two or more gliders as one colony.
If introducing multiple gliders, follow the same process and allow for potentially more time swapping pouches, or removing the aggressive glider for a "time out" lasting a day or more before attempting to re introduce in a neutral area. The bully will see a happy colony, and over time will adjust to being a part of that colony instead of taking charge and... bullying.