Improper Sugar Glider Care

A few weeks ago a friend of mine bought 2 Sugar Gliders, a week later her apartment told her to get rid of them so I took them, making a total of 4 Gliders. I am the 4th owner of these guys and it's obvious these guys were never properly cared for or bonded to anyone. They were living in a really small cage, their bed was a stuffed animal with it's head ripped off, they had an EXTREMELY unsafe wheel and only 1 toy. They were only being fed pellets as well instead of fruit and veggies every night like they need. Whoever bought the gliders and/or the supplies had NO idea what they were doing. There was no bonding bag for them and I seriously doubt they were ever held. My friend learned everything about glider care from me, AFTER she bought them. Sol is a boy, Skye is a girl and Sol hasn't been fixed, Luckily Skye hasn't gotten pregnant. The care of these poor guys is what prompted me to right this.

Seriously think about Glider care before buying at LEAST 2. They are easy animals to take care of but if  you don't know how to do it, they can be difficult animals. 

Refer to these links for supplies information

http://wildathearthmm.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-you-must-have-more-than-one-sugar.html

http://wildathearthmm.blogspot.com/2012/12/average-cost-of-sugar-gliders.html

http://wildathearthmm.blogspot.com/2012/12/safe-foods-for-sugar-gliders.html

Bonding with Sugar gliders are the hardest part. During the first few days your glider(s) will be very crabby, anytime you look at them or scare them (which is easy) they will crab at you. (Crabbing is the name of the noise they make). If you aren't careful, they will bite, and it WILL hurt, they can make you bleed some times.  Bonding bags are the easiest way to bond with these animals, you can find them online for $10 - $15 and they are worth it. When you get up for the day, put your glider in the bonding bag and wear the bag around your neck for the entire day. I've taken my gliders in the bag to every store, movies, restaurants, you name it, people don't even know that they're there. When you go to bed put the glider back in it's cage. Once the gliders get used to your smell they will let you pet them and hold them. When you sleep wear the same shirt for a couple nights or sleep with a rag and then put the cloth that smells like you over their cage during the night so they can get used to your smell even faster. Most gliders stop crabbing within a few days and they are extremely lovey, mine sleep down my shirt almost everyday. They know when you're near and are always excited to see you. They are worth the wait, they are an animal that will NEVER leave you.

Quick Canary Care

Canaries fly back and forth instead of up and down. They need a cage with a minimum size of 18”Wx18”Hx18”L

Canaries enjoy toys and perches, nests are also a good Idea as long as they don’t obstruct flight.

When letting your bird out make sure all windows in the area are closed and covered. Birds see all windows as open and can easily injure or kill themselves if they crash into a closed window

Canaries are diurnal, meaning they’re out during the day and need more sleep at night than you do. If you can’t keep your bird in a completely dark room at night, make sure the cage is covered.

Canaries live between 8 and 10 years are social animals and enjoy being with other birds, however they can be kept singly.

“Natural molting time for your canary is normally between July and September, during this time they will sing very little.  During the molt, your bird may not feel well and will be more susceptible to drafts and temperature changes than normal.  You should ensure that during this time you keep him out of drafts and keep the temperature at a constant level.  Feeding during the molt should be generous with high protein items; high protein is essential for the formation of new feathers.  Softfood/Eggfood should be provided during this time approximately every other day, dry seed should also be provided as well as greens, vegetables and conditioning food.  Baths should be offered as often as possible during the molt as it assists in loosening the old feathers and aids in assisting the sheen and condition of the birds’ new plumage.  I have found that feeding cucumbers during the molt also assists the birds’ health and vitality during and after the molt.  You should also help your birds through the molt by feeding a molting supplement.”

Never clip a canary or finches’ wings, even partially. Their wings are used to help them get around, not just for flying. Toe nails need to be kept short or they can injure or lose toes, feet, and legs. When trimming nails be careful not to hit vein, because birds are so small they can bleed to death very quickly. To stop bleeding, dip the toe in styptic powder, baking powder, flour, or corn starch. To cauterize a wound light a match, blow it out, and gently put it on the wound.

Canaries can eat more than just commercial bird seed, a variety in food is always a good thing

Fruits

Apples 

Apricots

Bananas

Blueberries                                        

Cantaloupe

Coconut

Fig

Grapes

Grapefruit

Kiwi

Melons

Mango 

Nectarines

Orange

Papaya

Peaches

Pears

Pineapples

Plums

Pomegranates

Raspberries

Strawberries

Vegetables

Asparagus

Beets

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Cantaloupe

Carrot

Chic Pea

Chicory

Corn

Cucumber

Dandelion Leaves

Kale

Kidney Beans

Lentils

Lima

Mustard

Navy Beans

Parsnip

Peas

Peppers

Potato

Pumpkin

Romaine Lettuce

Soy Beans

Spinach

Squash

Sweet Potatoes

Tomato

Turnip Tops

WaterCress

Zucchini

Me,

http://www.thecanarysnest.com/care/index.html,

http://www.aaawebmaster.com/canary/nutrition.htm,

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/birds/a/canaries.htm,