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kyro298 Glider Sprinkles      CO, USA
15262 Posts
These words are really starting to lose their real meanings around here. My gliders are "healthy and happy" is the automatic response when anyone is given advice they don't like about:
1. Not having a single glider
2. Poor diet
3. Cage size
4. Not feeling vet visits are a priority
5. Ignoring the quarantine period
6. Interaction time outside of the cage
and on and on and on and on....
I have a question-HOW DO YOU KNOW!?
Let me tell you about Puff Daddy~
I was lucky enough to have this little love connect with me in July or August of 2007. I saw him on Craigslist for $40 measly dollars but could just tell somehow through the ad that he needed a new home ASAP. I cannot describe well enough the filth, stench and just plain nastiness he was living in. He had NEVER seen another glider before. He had a tiny, broken bird cage being held together with twisty ties. He walked, ate and slept in his own waste. He had an oven mitt for a "pouch". It had holes chewed clean through it. He was so overweight, he could not climb the bars or jump or play. I was told he was "3+ years old" and that they had "NO idea" how his tail got half amputated. He lived alone in a dark, unfinished, smelly basement and not only had he never had interaction with another glider, he had NEVER been played with-even once. There was not ONE toy in his cage. You can read the thread if you want because the same details are posted but he had a slimy water bowl that was almost empty (slimy as in, green slime all around). He was fed eucalyptus pellets as his main diet. All these people cared about was that I had the $40-never asked me one single question. I grabbed him and practically ran.
The day I brought him home (and I had no idea about the importance of quarantine at this point myself so got extremely lucky considering his prior home):
http://www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=8999
Keep in mind this pic is AFTER I had cleaned everything, replaced his bowls and got rid of the oven mitt. He just LOOKS depressed!
I fell in love with him right away. He was the sweetest, most gentle roly poly. I immediately took him to the vet, switched his diet, got him toys, a new cage, pouches, water bottle, wheel, you name it.. He had no idea what to do with any of it. I was so happy to have him. The intros to my 2 girls at the time was flawless. He and Skitzi were in love from day 1. She immediately took to him and wouldn't eat, sleep, play or even venture outside of the cage without him. She would sit right on top of him if he were still long enough. If he'd try to leave the pouch before her, she'd start chattering at him and either join him or he'd stop what he was doing and go back. Here she is even sleeping with her arm around him:
He was almost instantly a new glider with a new personality. He started to play, eat healthier and never wanted to be alone. Now, I could SEE the difference in him now that he was with the girls. I can't explain the bond that he and Skitzi had as I've never seen anything like it since. He NEEDED to be around other gliders. You can look in my albums and click on "the late Puff Daddy" to see how different he looked after a few months.
Puff Daddy is no longer with us. He passed on Christmas Eve, 2007. I really don't want to go into all the details so here is the post from that day:
http://www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=10916&whichpage=1
In a nutshell, I did wind up having a necropsy done and the bottom line is that his previous years of bad diet killed him. It was irreversible by the time I got him yet I had no way of knowing. My entire point? The night before he died, he was "happy and healthy" too.
kyro298 Glider Sprinkles CO, USA 15262 Posts Goldwinger Fuzzy Wuzzy VA, USA 1369 Posts Kylah - I read your thread from that night and this one of course and I cried. It does get frustrating to keep giving the best correct advice only to have the come back response be "Happy and Healthy". Like has been said over and over, when you don't say what someone wants to hear they just get defensive and pissed off. Sometimes it seems they don't want advice, just someone to agree with them whether they are wrong or right. Your story reminded me so much of Jack. He looked so bad when I rescued him and I see him now with Luna and they behave the same as your Puff Daddy and Skitzi did. They are always together, chattering to each other and either in or out of the pouch together. Always together. He was being feed bird food and corn, smelly home and pouch, over-groomed and sad and depressed and never being touched since his mate died. I wonder at times how long he will be with me. He was six years old when I rescued him and with so many years of bad care I'm sometimes frightened when I read threads like this. I know whatever happens I'm taking very good care of him and he is in the best possible place with me but I cannot undo any past damage to his little body, only make him as well and healthy as I can now. regular Vet checks and good healthy food and a wonderful glider family and maybe he will be with me a long time. I'm so sad for Puff Daddy and wish I'd been around to read about him when you first got him. Like Puff Daddy my Jack was very over weight when I resuced him - 200 grams to be exact but you saw the pictures of how he looks now. I know that we get through to some of the new glider owners that come here but for the ones we can't get to listen I just pray that they love their glider(s) enough to seek good medical care or a new home for their babies when they can no longer continue to do the wrong things. I'm so glad Puff Daddy found you while he still had some time to see what it was like to be really loved and WELL taken care of. It's just sad it was to late for him to have many happy years with you. You were his angel and I know he died feeling loved and happy. Okay I gotta stop now because I can't stop crying and can't see the keys.
Some photos from our members hidabeat Joey 43 Posts i have a lone glider.n i found it.n im in a country where gliders are illegal n i didnt even know wad the hell it is.now i know.but i dun reallie now how to fully take care of it n im a student whose bz wit exams now taking my alevels n i cant find any proper food.i cant get any hpw or wad ever,i dun hav cresit cards or wadever so i cant buy them online.i got no time with it n try to spend time w it wen ever i can sometimes i get frustrated when my glider does eat his food n im stress w exams n all n i somethimes think y do i hav to find the glider.its sooo difficult being in an illegal country when u find a glider and dun noe who to ask,go to(vets),but any toys or wadever coz they dun sell it. but aft exams which if nex mth im realie gg spend time with it n i dun even live in america i live in asia. qn: so how? no doubt its a lone glider but i cant do anything abt it. Mollysmom Goofy Gorillatoes MI, USA 2011 Posts My Hercules was another example of how some people attempt to keep a lone glider in too small of a cage, and feed them an inappropriate diet. I will be forever thankful to my son, Andrew, for talking his owner into surrendering him to me. My son has had a troubled past, but I know that I did something right, that he knew Hercules had to be rescued quickly from his dire situation. Herc had a large self-mutilation wound on top of his head, and had pulled most of the hair out of his tail. He was stinky as all get out...that bird cage he was in never even made it into the house. Instead of actually CLEANING his too-small cage, his previous owner sprayed this aerosol "deodorizing" spray at his cage (not only was it gross and dangerous--it obviously didn't deodorize anything!). I haven't posted any pics of Hercules on here in awhile. I'll have to get a few soon! He is a gorgeous boy, the king to Queen Molly's colony now. I cried the first night I fed Hercules a decent diet in his new mansion of a cage. He chirped up a storm, he was so happy! It made me angry and sad that he would not have experienced this his entire life. We had to wait until the incubation period and neutering were complete before introductions could start, which was very difficult for this lonely guy who was thrilled to hear other gliders barking at the other side of our finished basement. Once he could be introduced to the others, it was like they had always been together. filly47 Goofy Gorillatoes USA 2330 Posts I'm not trying to make you all mad, or bring this about me-but I wanted you all to know that even though I did have a single glider, she was in a large cage which was kept tidy and clean, she was out for 2-7 hours a day, and was a healthy weight/color/ect. Obviously I did get her another friend, and yes the whole time I was thinking "Wave I'm not getting another glider because I love you any less. I am not replacing you, I am getting you a sister." I got Vestral and am thrilled that I did, because she is so much happier. I just didn't want to be compared to the previous owners of these rescues. I love my animals with all of my heart and would literally die for them. They are my friends. Just because she was by herself she was not being neglected or abused. As far as you hidabeat, I think that if gliders are illegal in your country, and you can not find her a friend or a vet, you need to get him or her to a place where they are legal and they can be properly cared for. I was also a student, but you can not hurt your glider by not feeding it, or by not being able to provide proper medical care. I don't mean to sound rude, but I really don't give a crap if you are busy with exams, you need to do right by this innocent animal, and find him or her a home where they can be properly cared for. I'm not about to go buy an elephant and put it in my yard, so you shouldn't try and take care of something out of your capacity and is illegal and suffering as a result. sucre Joey WI, USA 19 Posts This thread made me cry. I have a friend who has a lone glider. Thankfully she is getting a "friend." She's actually getting a sister. Her parents had another set of twins, so he is buying her sister. It breaks my heart knowing how some of these poor suggies are treated. Ok I have a couple points to make, I normally don't comment about anything on here and I just read what everyone has to say.Thats because quite frankly i am SCARED to ask questions and begin a fight. I LOVE this forum, it has tought me alot!! and I feel I am very ready to get my baby sugar glider when he is ready. I don't know if any other new people feel this way or if its just me. But I am completely afraid to ask questions because so many people on here are rude with their answers. I read alot, and only ask a question when I can't find an answer that satisfys me. Unfortunately, in my case, I am very discouraged to ask for help on this forum. I feel that many people on here with ownership experience and knowledge about sugar gliders have maybe gotten off path and are focused on scolding rather that educating. I'm speaking for the way I feel, i'm not sure if any one else feels this way. But I take better care of my animals than any one I know i've raised grand champion animals and have spent all of my time with them, i've trained under vets, and I research every new medicine, diet, or bedding my animals ever use. I can honestly say my animals are better cared for than my self! But some how when I start to read posts on this site I suddenly feel like me and other new owners are being lowered to the position of uneducated murderers just because of a simple question. My wish, and purpose of the post and to inform some of the more experienced owner on here that by yelling at new owners for questions or something they are not doing right is just turning them away from this site. Which is NOT helping their sugar gliders at all!! if you really want to help sugar gliders than do your best to educate their owners not scold them and turn them away from learing more about what is best for their baby's I'm not trying to cause drama, even though that is what seems to happen most frequently on here. I just want everyone to know how they make others feel 
filly47 Goofy Gorillatoes USA 2330 Posts I was a new owner also, who started posting only a few months ago. I guess I have gotten the complete opposite response from this board. I have been able to ask any question and get a variety of answers. I know some of the subjects are heated, especially in concern with diet, but I don't think any of the heat is directed towards you, just the information. The truth is, none of us know exactly what our little guys are thinking and exactly what they need. What we can do is keep improving. Not to long ago there was a thread about cage size, and someone saying all of our cages were to small. That is probably true, but thanks to some creative ideas people have found out how to build their own cages. Cost is always something to consider, and most of us are not millionaires (if only!), so we can not expect to have a whole glider habitat for them. But what we can do is share information for enrichment to make a smaller cage more fun, or come up with ideas to glider proof rooms and have them out more often. I have to agree that this board and this particular thread is all about not becoming lazy and complacent and saying that our gliders are well enough off. That is why this board is so awesome, because ideas can be shared, and information can be 'argued over', so that we can grow. kyro298 Glider Sprinkles CO, USA 15262 Posts I don't want to take away the purpose of this thread but do want to respond to anonymous. At first, I was scared to post but then decided, screw it...I need information and I'm going to ask for it for the sake of my gliders. There were people that responded that I really felt myself cringing when I even saw their user name had responded. Know what I did? Skipped right over their posts. To this day, there are people I STILL avoid. Also, at first, there were people I thought were so "scary". I am happy to say that one of the people I'm talking about is really special to me now. I started finding that in their posts, there were straight facts...no BS. It wasn't being mean, it was being to the point. I KNOW when people see my responses sometimes, they're probably taken as rude because they're fairly short answers filled with as much fact as possible. I'm not a mean person...I like getting to the point-I'm accused of the same thing even in real life. That's me. That's how I communicate. It is very hard to find a thread where I just posted my opinion for the sake of posting it. If I'm going to throw information out there, I always try to back it up with "why". Being afraid to post stinks because it only hurts the gliders. Posters (even me) need to learn to sift through the BS, find the helpful info, stay away from people that rub them the wrong way and use this for the helpful resource it really can be. If you think about it, you do this in real life every day. Online, you can't see people's expressions or even hear them. People see black and white and tend to read it how they want to. I've been known to say "it is about THEM, not about YOU" after people waste 2 pages of how poorly they're being treated. You can't change anyone even when you scold them for scolding you because then it's become the same thing. ("You", as in...anyone) Why not go back, see if your question was actually answered, take the info and be done with it? If you think it's getting really personal or out of line, flag it. Let admin decide. skittlesandpeanut Super Glider USA 227 Posts ask questions. I kno some might get fustrated by me b/c i ask the same question a thousand times, just in a different way, lol. But you kno what? So what if people get pissed? Can they see you? Do they come visit ur house, or ur job to curse at you and degrade you? If a few people are rude to you on here with a written responce, isnt it worth it? I mean, i've had people offend me before on here, but i stil cont. to ask, and read, and learn. B/c its not about my feelings. Its about my gliders lively hood. Who cares if someone ONLINE doesnt like what i say, or the way I say it. I hate drama, fighting, and argueing. I want peace all the time, i want everyone to like me. BUt you kno what, this isnt about us...its about them. our dear dear presious gliders. ANd if we need to ge our feelings hurt sometimes to learn something new, then i personally feel its worth it. and this is coming from an extremely sensitive person...me...lol...but for real..its about them...our pets...not us....we are educting ourselves on how tro be better owners right??? kyro298 Glider Sprinkles CO, USA 15262 Posts Hannah2010 Glider 177 Posts quote:
I hate drama, fighting, and argueing. I want peace all the time, i want everyone to like me. quote:
suppressedtears; i'm with you, I liked to be liked :) even if the people are on a computer half way across the country. But our pets do come first and i think that is the focus of everyone on here. and after alot of repetitive question people are probably frustrated at dealing with the same problems over and over and over. But i do agree with "anonymous" it can be intimidating. but keep reading and you will answer all your questions and learn alot about your new pet. Good luck!! :) SamTom Joey USA 38 Posts I want to thank everyone who has rescued a glider from a crumy situation. Sadly to say I know people dont always take care of gliders like they should and its horrible. I myself got my glider also from a crumy previous owner her diet was literally no specific diet he would feed the colony literally whatever he wanted whenever he rembered....including speggetti. I've had gizom for a few monthes now and its amazing to me how much she has changed she had never been played with before...ever...her coat was a brown rusty color...now she is grey. I continue to work with her but it is slow going. At first when i fed her (she's on the 50/25/25 diet) she would barely eat....she had never been exposed to a variety of fruits ad vegetables she had only eaten carrotts and apples previously. Now she eats almost whatever I give her. Sorry for my long rambling but its comforting to hear other peoples stories who know what im going through. Gizmo-n-Roos Mommy Fuzzy Wuzzy OH, USA 1624 Posts I posted this on the "What should I do" thread but I guess I should post it here too: This makes me so sad and I wish that I had taken pics of my Gizmo after he started to Self Mutilate and stay awake during the day staring into space. I kid you not --You could actually SEE the SADNESS and LONLINESS in his eyes. He looked so pathetic I really thought he might die. I got Roo (didn't know about quarrantines & intros) and the very next day he was back to his old self. This depression did not happen right after I got him -- I had him for six months before there were any signs at all and I thought he was "happy & healthy". After all, I work at home and spent most of every day with him. It did happen almost overnight though when I could see the signs that he was depressed and sick. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR GLIDER GETS DEPRESSED. It may not work out as well for your baby as it did for Gizmo.
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