Sugar glider bonding is important whether you have a baby or an adult. Bonding with adults might be more difficult than bonding with a baby, but it is not impossible. I bonded with my sugar glider when she was about 10 months old. I am limited to discussing my experience and therefore cannot comment on bonding with a baby younger than 10 months. I also cannot comment on having multiple gliders as pets.

The first thing you need to have for the bonding process is a sugar glider bonding pouch. The pouch needs to be big enough for the sugar glider to sleep comfortably in and small enough for you to be able to wear it somewhere on your body, preferably close to your heart. My sugar glider had a bonding pouch when I got her from the pet store and she still uses it as her primary pouch 5 years later.

You want to make sure to wear your glider as much as possible when you first bring him/her home. I brought my glider to class with me in a zip pouch until I was comfortable wearing her around my neck in public. In the first weeks of having her, I would offer Pokey treats throughout the day to gain her trust and show her I was her friend.

She started to look forward to these treats as we got into a routine, and over time, she became more and more comfortable with me.  Throughout the bonding process and to this day, I wear my sugar glider around my neck as much as possible. Sugar gliders need this contact no matter what their age, so if you’re going to have a sole glider, make sure you can commit to giving them time and attention.

Another important aspect to sugar glider bonding is play time. You need to allow several hours each night for your sugar glider to be out of its cage. I have my room sealed so that my glider can run around freely. I do not make her stay on my person at all times. Some people prefer to keep their sugar glider on them, but I give my glider more freedom as she really enjoys exploring.

During play time, she will run around my room and climb the door frames and curtains but she will also come to me and hang out on my body. I sometimes like to take her into the living room or outside so she can look around, but I don’t let her off my body. If we are outside my bedroom and she jumps off of me, I will simply pick her up and put her back on my body and she usually will not try to jump off again.

One thing to remember is that sugar gliders can’t really be trained to only go to the bathroom in their cages. They will urinate and defecate whenever and wherever they please. If there are things in your room you want to keep clean, make sure to have them put away before play time. Otherwise, be prepared to clean up after your glider. And from time to time, your glider will probably have an accident on you. Don’t be mad, it’s all just part of the fun of sugar glider bonding!