Wondering how to get your sugar glider out of the cage without being bitten?
Gliders are adorable, but as wild animals, they have a natural instinct to bite if they feel uncomfortable
Expert breeder, Gwynn Boyé, from Fundy Sugar Gliders recalls the first sugar glider that she rehomed from an unprepared owner who “called him Demon, because she thought he was possessed.” [1]
This brings me to the main topic of my guide, how do you take your sugar glider out of its cage while avoiding getting clawed or bitten?
But first, let’s explore why you want to do it in the first place!
READ ON!
CHECK: The Best Cages for Sugar Gliders
4 Instances When You Need to Get Your Gliders Out of the Cage
Sugar Gliders have sharp teeth and need knowledgeable care. However, you can’t keep them in their cage at all times.
There are several reasons why you might want to have your gliders out of their cage that gilder parents need to know.
1- Cleaning the Sugar Glider Cage
Cleaning the sugar glider cage is an essential task for the mental and physical health of your pet. They like to live in a clean and comfortable environment and will try to escape when it is dirty.
Keeping your pet’s cage free of germs prevents your gilder from getting sick and keeps it happy. It also ensures that any unpleasant smells don’t get out of hand.
Therefore, when you need to clean the metal cage, you need to safely and easily take your glider out so it doesn’t escape or get in the way while you clean.
It is important to clean the cage frequently, ensuring you replace the flooring with fresh newspapers or other suitable absorbent bedding material, and thoroughly wipe the floor bars and roof.
Also, make sure to keep toys, the water bottle, and bedding, such as a bunkbed sugar glider hammock clean. Always ensure you provide fresh water.
Do not use sprays or cleaning supplies that can later be licked by the glider, hence making it sick.
Here’s how a sugar glider owner does her cage cleaning routine.
2- Taking Your Pet Sugar Glider to the Vet
Taking your cute little friend to glider-savvy veterinarians for regular check-ups is part of everyday sugar glider care. You may also have to bring your pet to the vet if they are showing any symptoms of illness or stress-related diseases.
It is likely that your cage is far too big to lug to the vet, so many owners will travel their pet in a sugar glider bonding pouch.
If you take your glider in its cage to your appointment, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll find some tips here on how to get it out.
Watch this video!
3- Bonding With Your Pet Glider
The first time you get your new sugar glider home, one of the most important things you need to do is start getting it used to you and its new environment.
In fact, the vets at West Park Animal Hospital say that “daily handling and attention is critical when it comes to bonding with your glider.” [4]
Sugar gliders are wild, exotic animals that must be trained to make them tamer. [3] They have a social nature in their natural habitat and are used to being among other sugar gliders.
So you will need to bond to satisfy their needs for social interaction.
However, keep in mind that the bonding process will require effort, consistency, and time on your side.
With new sugar glider owners, this is often challenging and can test your patience.
You can bribe your new companion with special treats like mealworms, hornworms, and beetles. Gwynn Boyé says that she “keeps plastic trays full of live bugs for this purpose. But not too many. They go straight to their hips.”[1]
As bonding is a special process, carrying it out when your sugar glider is inside the cage would do little to no good.
Here are some bonding mistakes you want to avoid when starting this process
4 – Taking Your Glider Out to Play
Petting your sugar glider comes with a lot of engaging exercises that need to be done hands-on. Plus it is much more rewarding and enjoyable to take your glider out for play.
Always keep in mind the natural behavior of sugar gliders to choose the best times to play. Remember, sugar gliders are nocturnal animals so will likely not want to play during daylight hours.
Since this is an important part of owning these interesting animals, it is essential that you know how to take your sugar glider out of its cage with skill.
3 Tips to Get Your Gliders Out of the Cage
Despite their small size, gilders can be difficult to remove from their cage. But there are ways you can convince them to cooperate.
Let’s take a look at some of my favorite tips to make this process as easy as possible and learn how to get sugar gliders out of cages.
TIP 1: Choose the Best Time to Do it
As gliders are nocturnal animals, the best time to remove them from their cage is in the evening or late at night.
This is the time that pet gliders will naturally awaken and begin their day.
TIP 2: A Scooping Motion or a Treat Are Your Best Friends
Use a scooping motion with the palm of your hand to pick up your glider. This encourages the glider to leap onto your hand.
You will find that doing it this way is much easier than attempting to grasp your glider.
You can also use a treat while doing this. Gliders love treats and they work really well to convince them to not protest at being picked up or moved.
TIP 3: How to Stop Your Glider Clinging to Cage Bars
When your sugar glider is uncooperative and is clinging to the cage bars, here’s what you can do. Grab the pouch your tiny pet sleeps in, and have it inside-out.
Stuff your hand in and reach for your glider within the cage. Wrap the pouch around your glider’s limbs gingerly yet aptly. It will squirm, but it is not getting hurt, so don’t worry about that.
Make sure that its head is completely draped with the pouch’s material. This will help calm it down. Extract your small companion without loosening the grip, or else it will escape in the blink of an eye.
Now fold the pouch back to it is the right side while keeping the glider inside of it.
FAQs
How do you train a glider to stay in its cage?
To train a glider to stay in its cage place its sleeping pouch in its cage. Make sure to keep the cage in a quiet part of the house with a temperature range of at least 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit (18-24 degrees Celsius).
However, they prefer temperatures in the 80 – 88 F (27 – 31C) range. [2] This way your glider will be comfortable and feel safe resulting in them staying in their cage.
How do I get my glider out of its bonding pouch?
To get your glider out of its bonding pouch, treat it kindly, have patience, and stay calm. It is also a great plan to have treats to offer as this is the quickest way to get them to trust you and encourage them out of their pouch.
This gilder owner has a slightly different method that also works great.
Conclusion
Hopefully, now you know how to get sugar glider out of cage and some of the most important reasons why you would want to do this.
Once you form an attachment with your sugar glider, they make wonderful pets. You will find keeping them around you is a genuinely satisfying experience.
Do you have more tips on how to get a sugar glider out of a cage? Please share below!
References
- 1. “Weird, Cute Big-Eyed Sugar Gliders: The New Pet Craze.” CBC, 10 Mar. 2018, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/weird-cute-big-eyed-sugar-gliders-the-new-pet-craze-1.4569428.
- 2. “Providing a Home for a Sugar Glider – All Other Pets.” Veterinary Manual, www.msdvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/sugar-gliders/providing-a-home-for-a-sugar-glider#:~:text=Sugar%20gliders%20tolerate%20temperatures%20from.
- 3. Anthony. “How Do You Know When Your Sugar Glider Is Bonded?” Just Exotic Pets, www.justexoticpets.com/how-do-you-know-when-your-sugar-glider-is-bonded/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2022.
- 4. chris. “Cuteness Overload: Sugar Glider Care 101.” West Park Animal Hospital, 16 May 2019, www.westparkanimalhospital.com/blog/cuteness-overload-sugar-glider-care-101/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2022.
Dr. Linda Simon MVB MRCVS is a locum veterinary surgeon who has worked in London for the past 8 years. She graduated top of her class in small animal medicine from UCD, Dublin. She is currently a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Linda is the resident vet for Woman magazine and a frequent contributor to People’s Friend Magazine, the Dogzone website, Vet Help Direct and Wag! Linda also writes content for the CVS veterinary group, Vetwriter and a number of other establishments.
As well as working in clinic, Linda is an online vet for www. JustAnswer.com where she has been providing online advice for thousands of owners since 2018.
In her spare time, Linda enjoys baking, yoga and running around after her young son!
FIND HER ON: INSTAGRAM
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