In Reply to: running free? posted by katglas on May 03, 1999 at 16:59:28:

: i have had my two gliders for about a year or so. after the many hours of research i have done i have heard that others let there sg's run freely in their houses.
: i myself am scared to let my babies to run free because of fear that they may find a hole to get in or something to chew on ect....
: what would be a good way to gradually give them more freedom.
: please give me and overview of your normal procedure or schedule
: thanks kat

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kat,

I let my glider roam the house. There have been some times that I could not find him and that is very scarry! He has his favorite hiding places. I have glider proofed the house quite well I believe. My first glider "Milo" died because of letting him roam. My boyfriend left water in the bathtub (I don't know why). I checked the toilet to make sure it was closed, then let Milo out for the evening. I found him in the bathtub. This is the most horrible story for me to tell, but I hope it helps other glider owners to be extra cautious when letting their pets roam. I learned a very hard lesson, and am now extra careful. I close drains in the kitchen, make sure there are no cleaning supplies out, no water anywhere!

I have let my new glider (and my old one too) run free all night long. I am usually waken up by the barking though, and at that time I get up to put him in his cage. I feel bad for putting him back in his cage, but he has to eat and I do sleep better when he is in the cage.

I always start off with the glider running free in just 1 room with supervision. The more I notice him exploring further I introduce him to new rooms with supervision. After long periods of this, I am comfortable to let the itty bitty have free roam (I have no other pets obviously).

I think they are happier when they get to run free. They love to explore and the exercise is great for them.

It is a very personal decision. I think that you will do just fine with which ever decision you make.

Good luck, and proof the house extremly well before letting them go!

Cheri and Gizmo

Follow Ups: