Enra Joey  49 Posts
Hello
I know this issue is sensitive and I am gonna get flamed (which I won't reply to), but I'd like to give some feedback to anyone interested.
I wanted to get the gliders and my cat to go well together. I tend to let the gliders free in some part of the house, and it's a lot more convenient not to have to be afraid of the cat being around all the time.
When I got my cat, he was a very young pussy (few weeks old). One glider was few months old, the other 5 year old.
From very young, he enjoyed sleeping around the gliders, and got used to the scent.
When he got older, I had to be very careful as he started playing with them. However he always been very gentle, never got rough, never got the glider hiss or crab.
The gliders consider the cat as a moving toy, they love to climb on it and run around.
They also hide under for sleeping in a warm place, and sometime lick the cat.
Nowadays, the cat isn't really friendly with the gliders any more. He isn't really interested into playing, and doesn't really move or care when he's being climbed on. For the most part, he ignores them.
Typically, when the cat come face to face to a glider, he will give a lazy "hello" in the form of smelling around the glider's nose, and loose interest right away. At worst, he would lick the glider's tail once or twice.
The interesting part is, a few days ago I bought a mouse as a toy for the cat. (the small white kind normally sold for feeding snakes). Now, from the point of view of a cat, a glider or a mouse is essentially the same thing. However the reaction was totally different. He start hunting right away, growling, following around, throwing everywhere, played for hours, jumping, carrying. Even after the mouse was dead, he kept playing the whole night with the corpse.
And the next day, as the glider is out, he just lazily look at it and let it climb on its neck without even getting up.
So, I am not saying its a repeatable process, that I didn't take risk, and that it's a good thing to do. However, I am reporting that getting gliders and cat along is possible, and both gliders seemed to enjoy their big, furry toy.
***
In my case it worked out. However, cats are hunting animals and are genetically programmed to chase and kill animals like sugar gliders, so accident are ALWAYS possible
***
I can get some pics if you're interested.
Minnesota Zoo Fuzzy Wuzzy  USA 1999 Posts quote:
Originally posted by Enra
***
In my case it worked out. However, cats are hunting animals and are genetically programmed to chase and kill animals like sugar gliders, so accident are ALWAYS possible***
I can get some pics if you're interested.
TO ANYONE READING THIS...DO NOT ALLOW YOU GLIDERS TO INTERACT WITH YOUR OTHER PETS!!! I don't know why you would choose to have pets interact with each other as an experiment. If you care for the well being of your gliders at all you would never allow this. If your cat got your glider it would not be an "Accident", an accident is if your glider escaped and your cat got him. This is you putting your gliders in harms way. It didn't "work out", your cat just hasn't decided he wants your glider for lunch or a toy yet! So sad for your gliders  RaverBob Glider   Canada 92 Posts I'd say I'm surprised that you're so negligent with your gliders, but given your brief past on this forum, I'm not at all surprised. For those of you who may not remember, Enra also tried keeping a glider in a cage with a hedgehog... oh yeah, they got along well... but guess what, the glider DIED. This whole scenario is another "accident" waiting to happen. You are nothing but a negligent pet owner. I feel bad for your glider. Enra Joey 49 Posts quote:
Originally posted by RaverBob
oh yeah, they got along well... but guess what, the glider DIED
Of a heatstroke. As confirmed by a veterinarian. To whom I mentioned about the situation and specifically asked about the cross contamination risk, and whom assured me the risk was nil. If anything else, hedgehog and gliders combination is not practical. Even if they grow together and there is no behavioural issue (well, "limited" would be more correct, the risk of accident is always there), there is no way to feed them. You can't put hedgehog food in a way the glider can't access, and hedgehog food is a toxic diet for a glider, so there is no solution. (in theory, the hedgehog could be fed outside of the cage, but it means it would sometime get hungry in between, and even for me, a hungry hedgehog and a glider together is more risk than I can take) As for Cat & glider, sure its a risk. Then again, having cats and dog together is a risk as well, and I'm sure you've all seen how some cats love to sleep on the household's dog. Solarpoweredme Starting Member 1 Posts It's funny this is the first thing I run across when coming back to this site... I was a member here years ago when I got Lani, my little girl. I lost her last year to my cat. They had never interacted, although they both knew the other was there. Lani was always a bra baby and Carlin, my cat would get on my lap and sniff... Lani would crab and he would jet in fear. I figured it was good for him to have a healthy respect for her since I knew he could hurt her. A year and a half ago, I heard an awful racket coming from the glider room and saw Carlin sitting in the hall with something at his feet. It didn't dawn on me that it could have been my baby girl, she was locked up tight in her "glider proof" cage with it's 1/4 inch spacing and impossible to open latched doors... I screamed so loud it woke my sons when I saw her. She was already dead, her wings shredded, a hand was just gone all together. Limp, lifeless, and gone. She never left my shirt, for the better part of 5 years, and she was laying on the floor like a pest he had proudly taken care of for me. He was indeed proud of himself. He had hunted and killed what I presume was a very hard to catch prize. She never made a noise. I was in the living room not 10 feet from the door I found her by, and I heard nothing until it was too late. No crabbing, no barking, nothing until the end. I cried for months, and was livid at my cat for weeks. I buried my baby after sitting with her for a few hours, and I didn't bring myself to give away the cage and things for at least 3 months. I could smell her when I went into that room and I'd burst into tears. I lost my best friend because I let my guard down. Because I underestimated the drive of a natural born predator. Cats are hunters, no matter what you believe, think, or hope for. They will hunt your glider given the chance, and deliver it as a prize to your feet. They don't now an better. When yours dies because your kitty wants to give you a gift, it'll be on our head. Don't make that mistake, you'll never let yourself forget it. quote:
Originally posted by Enra
Hello
I know this issue is sensitive and I am gonna get flamed (which I won't reply to), but I'd like to give some feedback to anyone interested.
I wanted to get the gliders and my cat to go well together. I tend to let the gliders free in some part of the house, and it's a lot more convenient not to have to be afraid of the cat being around all the time.
When I got my cat, he was a very young pussy (few weeks old). One glider was few months old, the other 5 year old.
From very young, he enjoyed sleeping around the gliders, and got used to the scent.
When he got older, I had to be very careful as he started playing with them. However he always been very gentle, never got rough, never got the glider hiss or crab.
The gliders consider the cat as a moving toy, they love to climb on it and run around.
They also hide under for sleeping in a warm place, and sometime lick the cat.
Nowadays, the cat isn't really friendly with the gliders any more. He isn't really interested into playing, and doesn't really move or care when he's being climbed on. For the most part, he ignores them.
Typically, when the cat come face to face to a glider, he will give a lazy "hello" in the form of smelling around the glider's nose, and loose interest right away. At worst, he would lick the glider's tail once or twice.
The interesting part is, a few days ago I bought a mouse as a toy for the cat. (the small white kind normally sold for feeding snakes). Now, from the point of view of a cat, a glider or a mouse is essentially the same thing. However the reaction was totally different. He start hunting right away, growling, following around, throwing everywhere, played for hours, jumping, carrying. Even after the mouse was dead, he kept playing the whole night with the corpse.
And the next day, as the glider is out, he just lazily look at it and let it climb on its neck without even getting up.
So, I am not saying its a repeatable process, that I didn't take risk, and that it's a good thing to do. However, I am reporting that getting gliders and cat along is possible, and both gliders seemed to enjoy their big, furry toy.
***
In my case it worked out. However, cats are hunting animals and are genetically programmed to chase and kill animals like sugar gliders, so accident are ALWAYS possible
***
I can get some pics if you're interested.
Rasaphane Super Glider SC, USA 259 Posts I've been absent from the forum for a good year or so but as I'm coming back and searching the site I find this all suspicious. I found these links for those of you lurking and reading but not quite sure what to say on the matter: About the death: www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=50451&whichpage=1
Question about the hedgehog thing: www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=49979
Read it, determine and if you have anything helpful to add then please do so. As for my own personal opinions if they didn't listen to helpful advice from the community the first time then they won't listen now. Enra not quite sure what you're looking for here but if you read the sugar glider info on the site about trying to put gliders and cats together isn't a very wise choice you'd see several other people agree with this. Also in the past I've read a lot of people not listening to the advice of those who've gone through this or know someone who's tried these things, it just fuels this vicious circle. Just have some faith and trust us for once. Learn from others mistakes. We wouldn't be saying this if the consequences weren't so heartbreaking. This is like leaving a new born infant laying next to a cat for 6 hours with the coffee pot on a stove with the eye on high. Yeah, SOME cats and dogs get along together. But I've also know a few people who's dogs accidentally killed their cats. They're still animals no matter how trained you think they are, how domesticated you think they are. Like a Bonobo trained in sign language isn't gonna get pissed off and bite people's fingers off. To sum this all up * happens. If you don't want to listen to us: fine. But know that there'll be little sympathy when something goes wrong. shannonlcorum Face Hugger 538 Posts Comparing cats and dogs with cats and gliders is not even logical or reasonable. Domesticated dogs don't inherently have the urge to hunt and kill cats. Does it happen out in the wild or with strays? Sure, hungry dogs will kill and eat cats. Cats, on the other hand, are hunters and killers. Thats not been bred out of them. Giving your cat something to hunt and then thinking your glider won't be next is down right idiotic. Sorry, but you can't encourage and foster your cat's killing instincts, then expect your cat to know the difference when it comes to your gliders. Every time I read a story about how someone lost their baby, by accident or just plain stupidity, it breaks my heart and makes me cry. Maybe I'm over sensitive about my gliders but they are like my babies. The thought of something happening to them makes me so sad I can't stand it. Even if your cat or dog seems friendly with yours, it only takes one second, one playful bite, one heavy paw, one little accident and its all over. Can you really say you could live with yourself if your glider died because of something you could have easily prevented? Accidents happen, no matter how careful you are. Sometimes they just do. But there's a big difference between an accident and just plain carelessness. As a glider parent, its your responsibility to keep your babies fed, healthy, happy, and safe. Its no different than it is with a child. I love cats, always have. But once mine is gone he will not be replaced. My gliders' safety is more important to me than having another cat. Even though my cat is a big chicken and runs from everything {including our gerbil), he's still a cat. I don't trust him for a minute. My gliders are in a room where the door is always closed, in a cage that has proven escape proof thus far. I stuff a towel under the door on the outside just in case they get out of their cage. I don't think I could take it if something happened to them that i could/should have prevented.  Omis n Kais g-ma Pouch Protector TX, USA 7524 Posts Kudos! Beautiful post. I'm pretty sure Enra is gone because they aren't responding anymore. quote:
Originally posted by shannonlcorum
Comparing cats and dogs with cats and gliders is not even logical or reasonable. Domesticated dogs don't inherently have the urge to hunt and kill cats. Does it happen out in the wild or with strays? Sure, hungry dogs will kill and eat cats. Cats, on the other hand, are hunters and killers. Thats not been bred out of them. Giving your cat something to hunt and then thinking your glider won't be next is down right idiotic. Sorry, but you can't encourage and foster your cat's killing instincts, then expect your cat to know the difference when it comes to your gliders.
Every time I read a story about how someone lost their baby, by accident or just plain stupidity, it breaks my heart and makes me cry. Maybe I'm over sensitive about my gliders but they are like my babies. The thought of something happening to them makes me so sad I can't stand it.
Even if your cat or dog seems friendly with yours, it only takes one second, one playful bite, one heavy paw, one little accident and its all over. Can you really say you could live with yourself if your glider died because of something you could have easily prevented? Accidents happen, no matter how careful you are. Sometimes they just do. But there's a big difference between an accident and just plain carelessness.
As a glider parent, its your responsibility to keep your babies fed, healthy, happy, and safe. Its no different than it is with a child. I love cats, always have. But once mine is gone he will not be replaced. My gliders' safety is more important to me than having another cat. Even though my cat is a big chicken and runs from everything {including our gerbil), he's still a cat. I don't trust him for a minute. My gliders are in a room where the door is always closed, in a cage that has proven escape proof thus far. I stuff a towel under the door on the outside just in case they get out of their cage. I don't think I could take it if something happened to them that i could/should have prevented.
AubreyBarto Super Glider USA 351 Posts quote:
Originally posted by shannonlcorum
Comparing cats and dogs with cats and gliders is not even logical or reasonable. Domesticated dogs don't inherently have the urge to hunt and kill cats. Does it happen out in the wild or with strays? Sure, hungry dogs will kill and eat cats. Cats, on the other hand, are hunters and killers. Thats not been bred out of them. Giving your cat something to hunt and then thinking your glider won't be next is down right idiotic. Sorry, but you can't encourage and foster your cat's killing instincts, then expect your cat to know the difference when it comes to your gliders.
Every time I read a story about how someone lost their baby, by accident or just plain stupidity, it breaks my heart and makes me cry. Maybe I'm over sensitive about my gliders but they are like my babies. The thought of something happening to them makes me so sad I can't stand it.
Even if your cat or dog seems friendly with yours, it only takes one second, one playful bite, one heavy paw, one little accident and its all over. Can you really say you could live with yourself if your glider died because of something you could have easily prevented? Accidents happen, no matter how careful you are. Sometimes they just do. But there's a big difference between an accident and just plain carelessness.
As a glider parent, its your responsibility to keep your babies fed, healthy, happy, and safe. Its no different than it is with a child. I love cats, always have. But once mine is gone he will not be replaced. My gliders' safety is more important to me than having another cat. Even though my cat is a big chicken and runs from everything {including our gerbil), he's still a cat. I don't trust him for a minute. My gliders are in a room where the door is always closed, in a cage that has proven escape proof thus far. I stuff a towel under the door on the outside just in case they get out of their cage. I don't think I could take it if something happened to them that i could/should have prevented.
  Minnesota Zoo Fuzzy Wuzzy USA 1999 Posts quote:
Originally posted by shannonlcorum
I stuff a towel under the door on the outside just in case they get out of their cage.
I found draft dodgers for under the doors that work great, they are foam tubes in a sleeve that slide under your doors. I have one of them for under my bathroom door. You just cut the foam to the width of your door and put it in the sleeve. I have heard people use swimming noodles also. Great post too! I agree 100%! This kid either is a troll or sadly into pet keeping as an experiment, not for bonding and companionship. indiccarose Glider 114 Posts Thats what I heard about pocket pets. Any feline guardian should be able to see through that one, but there are those that don't I suppose. A cat will hunt a feather. Or a piece of string!! And most domestic cats don't hunt for food. It's all sport.. and they torture their prey. She is a pretty chill(and sometimes agressively snuggly lol) cat.I have seen her hunt before, and I'm pretty good at reading her body language. So far she watches us in the tent and I don't see her tail twitching or any other stalking behavior. It's like she is watching tv. Once she tried a tentative gentle bat at one through the tent but I said no!! And she ran away. My girls have also seen her try and climb inside the tent like the babies when we left it up (without the suggies in it of course)lol.. and she has snuggled up and fell asleep when the suggies are in the bonding pouch. But as sweet as all this is. I would not trust her to interact with them without a barrier, because even innocent play can be dangerous for the suggies.
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