Message:
Subject: Re: Poll:: Did you choose your glider?
Posted by Clara on December 23, 1998 at 01:45:36:
In Reply to: Poll:: Did you choose your glider? posted by Bourbon on December 23, 1998 at 00:04:23:
: I want to ask all people out here..a couple of questions.
: 1. Did you choose your glider or did it choose you, or did you buy it sight unseen?
Well, with my first glider Facehugger definately chose me. He was at a pet store in a cage with two other gliders. I asked to hold one and he stared straight up at me when I reached my hand in. The other two scattered but he allowed me to pick him up with minimal crabbing. After a few minutes he stopped crabbing and allowed me to pet him and hold him close for several minutes. When I tried to put him back, he WOULD NOT go back in the cage. He did everything in his power to stay on me. He wasn't trying to run off, he just wanted me to hold him some more. At that moment, I knew I couldn't leave him there. He was in a tiny cage and was on sale because he was past the cute baby stage. He stole my heart and I knew I would do whatever it took to give him a great home.
: 2. Did you get a tight bond with your glider?
Definately. He was a bit older than what most breeders recommend for a good bond, but he's an exceptional glider.
I have had him almost two years and he is still becoming more and more bonded everyday. He comes when I call him and when I let him out to play, very often he will head straight for my lap for a petting/chin scratching session.
He is the only glider I have I trust to stay on me when I take him places.
: 3. How long was the bonding process?
Well, I'd say we had a bond from day 1, but he became much more friendlier and outgoing after about a month. After two years, we are still bonding and getting closer everyday.
: 4. What did you go through crabbing, biting, etc..at the beginning?
A little. Mostly when I would approach the cage or try to take him out. Once he was out he stopped crabbing. He went through a biting stage about 2 months after I got him, but once I had him neutered the hard biting stopped. He does still bite, but these are soft, "test" bites. They don't hurt.
: 5. was any of the subsequent gliders as tight a bond as the first?
My second glider Ryder (she passed away this November) was also very close but not as outgoing as Facehugger. She would kiss my ears and groom me for hours, it was very sweet.
I got her from a breeder and she was the only female baby they had. I went through some difficulties with her. She bonded to me fine, but was extremely antisocial with other people. After A LOT of work, she was able to tolerate other people for short periods of time.
My other two gliders are Facehugger's and Ryder's offspring. A boy and a girl. They were held from the day they were oop. The boy is now going through an extremely obnoxious adolescent stage and he bites HARD. The little girl is absolutely darling, she has never bitten me but she is very grumpy and crabby when she first wakes up. Once she is awake she is lightning fast and likes attention on her terms only though she enjoys riding in the bonding pouch the most out of all of them. (Facehugger prefers riding in my cleavage or in my hair:)