We are going to be leaving Saturday morning and will be back Sunday evening. So we will only be away for one night/one meal. What can we leave in the cage Saturday morning when we leave that will last for them to eat that night without going bad and can stay in the cage until we get back Sunday evening?

I recommend trying to find someone to come and feed them. I can't be certain that there is anything that is appropriate to feed them in there for that long and it not spoil. Maybe someone else may have another suggestion, but I wouldn't sacrifice a proper diet for them personally.

I've been away like that before. I left sat at 1pm ish and got home sunday afternoon. I feed a blended diet so I put frozen food in their cage before I left. It was fine for the night.

What do you normally feed?

It would be best to have someone come in and put your glider's food in the cage in the evening.

If it is absolutely impossible to have someone come in, you can put foods that will not spoil in 24 hours in the cage for your gliders to eat.

Produce that can be kept at room temperature for a day would still be safe if left in the glider cage.

Fresh whole green beans, fresh berries like blue berries or black berries, Whole fresh Okra pods, grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc. Foods that can be eaten with out being cut up. Once cut, these foods would begin to dry out.

These foods would be safe to leave for your glider. One night with out their usual staple would not make your glider happy, but it will not starve either.

You might also leave a dish with mealworms - live or freeze dried, or dried crickets or other insects.

Leaving your gliders for a night is far from ideal, but in a pinch it can be done. A few years ago my sons (who usually feed the gliders when I am away) and I were ALL attending my older son's wedding out of state. We had to be gone two nights. My gliders had a smorgasbord of fresh fruits and vegetables and they did quite well in our absence. I also left a bowl of SunCoast's Chicken and Brown Rice Pellets but my gliders do not eat much of any dry food. This was an exceptional situation because EVERYONE that I would have trusted to come in and feed them was also attending the wedding.

We went to Petsmart and we found these. What do you guys think? Would these be ok to feed them for one night when we are going to be gone?


First, we have freeze dried chicken. 100% chicken, nothing added.



This is dried fruit. Has Dried Kiwi, dried pineapple, dried papaya, dried peach, dried banana, dried apple.



This is Dried veggies. Has Dried carrots, pea flakes, and green split peas.

I would do what Candy suggested with the fruit and veggies you can serve whole and uncut and won't spoil at room temp.

the dried dehydrated things are really treats and shouldn't replace fresh foods. If they have some foraging toys you could toss a few in there so they can hunt for them but I would still give them fresh.

For the chicken, is there anything added to it like preservatives? Freeze drying 100% chicken seems like it wouldn't hurt but if there is anything added to preserve it, I would skip it.

Leaving a dish of meal worms(live or dried) or crickets(dried) if they like them would be a good idea too.

rather than feeding them dry bunny food or whatever, because although it lasts long it does them no help whatsoever and it would probably be better giving them nothing instead, you know you can get those yoghurt cvered raisans and stuff? well they are quite a nice little snack for them! mine love them! and they have tp nibble into the yoghurt so it lasts longer also, dried pineapple chunks and pieces of dried apple that you can get from some health stores are nice aswell, but not too many as they are quite sugary another mildly healthy thing you can add is some healthy cereals(or a tiny bit of an unhealthy one like fruit loops) but things like fruit and fibre, and granola cereals on their own and dry just put some of that in a bowl along with the rest;). And although it should be kept in the fridge, you could put some yoghurt in there ( which mine ADORE! ), the only thing is that the top kinda solidifies so its a bit less-liquid-y but underneath that it stays preserved.. also, they dont mind eating the harder bit either! And, although not advised and not on more than one occasion.. if they dont like the food its okai if they dont eat for just one night if you cant get hold of the stuff, but even fruit thats been out for a while is better than this so please try your best to get as much of this stuff as possible Also, if you put small fruit and veggies that havent been cut up like grapes, blueberries or peas then they wont go mouldy and it still gives them their nutritious diet

I have in the past fed my gliders the freeze dried chicken as a treat and the loved it.

That said - there have been MANY CONCERNS expressed lately about foods like chicken jerky treats being contaminated with bacteria that has made a number of dogs very sick, and I believe some died, because the products were made with meat imported from China or unknown sources.

I would not use these produces again myself.

Gliders get MOST of their fluid needs from the moist fruits and vegetables they eat. In general, dried fruits and vegetables should not be offered as the glider's primary food for the day. One or two pieces as a treat is OK, but for their over night feeding they need fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Dried fruits and vegetables are harder to chew, swallow and possibly to digest unless the gliders consumes water frequently with them.