Do You Have A Picky Eater?

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1 Do You Have A Picky Eater? In This Issue Do You Have A Picky Eater? What Is Safe To Feed? Did You Know?? Tent Time Fun Bond With Your Glider Featured Fruit Glider FAQ: Do I Keep Her? Donate! 2013 Calendars & TGI Store Contact Us Our Sponsors & Vendors We often hear people panicking because their gliders did not eat all their dinner. They then assume that they have picky eaters on their hands. Contrary to popular thinking, gliders are not picky eaters by nature. Think of your gliders as young children. It takes at least 7 days for a child s taste buds to decide whether or not they like a certain food. Much of this rings true for gliders, as well. It s important to give them time to develop a taste for different foods. And, just because they don t eat a certain food the first time, doesn t necessarily mean they don t like it, so continue to feed it. Feed a variety of fruits and vegetables, along with their main staple. Give them choices and be creative in how you present their food. These two things are important in helping your gliders to enjoy dinners and want to eat each night. Healthy, well rounded diets will ensure your glider s health and happiness for many years to come. What Is Safe To Feed? Upcoming Events All American Pet Expo Columbus, OH April Petopolis Cincinnati, OH May Ann Arbor Pet Fest Ann Arbor, MI August Support us at Many glider owners wonder, What fruits & vegetables are safe? What can I feed my gliders? You d be surprised at the number of foods you can feed! With variety being key, shop fun and shop healthy. Let s make it easy for you. Stay away from anything in the onion family, garlic and rhubarb. These are things that have shown to be toxic to gliders and are best not to feed. Dinner time should be enjoyable, not a lot of work. Have you tried brussel sprouts, asparagus, snap peas, beets or jicama? How about strawberries, passion fruit, grapefruit, guava or kiwi? These are just examples of the number of different foods you can feed that are safe and healthy for your gliders. Don t limit your gliders to a slice of apple per day, it s not enough and would you want to eat just that, day in and day out? So make that grocery list now and let the fun begin!

2 Did you know?? Male sugar gliders have what is called a bifurcated penis, which means they have two separate shafts. You will often hear it described as forked. A sugar glider can glide up to 150 feet in the wild. Their patagium helps them to remain in flight and their tails serve as a rudder. Contrary to popular belief, mealworms are not a strong protein source for sugar gliders. But they are great for their overall dental health. 2

3 Tent Time Fun Bond With Your Glider You ve gotten a sugar glider, but now what? You want to play with it, but without a doubt, you re thinking, But he s so fast, what if he gets away?? You re right to worry about this, because it can and does happen. Gliders can wiggle themselves into some pretty small spaces, so it s important for you to keep them contained while you play. One good way to do this is to have Tent Time. contained area like this will help each of you get to know another a little better. Don t be let down if the first couple of times in the tent don t prove very fruitful. It takes time for a glider to become comfortable in a new environment. Be consistent and be patient, and before you know it, you ll be their favorite landing zone! A favorite tent used by many is the Genji tent, which you can find on Amazon. Tent Time is just as it sounds you and your glider play together inside a mesh tent. It allows for your glider to have some time outside of their cage, yet in an area that is safe and secure. And it allows you to interact with your new family member without the fear of them getting lost. Spending time with your sugar glider in a Featured Fruit: Cactus Fruit Cactus Fruit are sometimes referred to as Prickly Pear. They are surprisingly good and sweet, like if you were to cross a watermelon with a piece of bubblegum. They are always a favorite of gliders and are a safe and healthy addition to any dinner. Cactus Fruit/Prickly Pear Calcium 83.4 mg 8% Iron 0.4mg 2% Magnesium 127 mg 32% Phosphorus 35.8mg 4% Potassium 328 mg 9% Sodium 7.5 mg 0% Zinc 0.2 mg 1% Copper 0.1 6% Cactus Fruit has tiny thorns in its skin so use caution and protect your hands when handling this fruit. Use a protective layer between your hands and the skin, such as a pair of gloves. You can use a lighter to burn off the thorns. To serve, remove the skin and cut this yummy fruit into glider-sized bites. No need to remove the seeds you find, as gliders will not eat them. The juice from Cactus Fruit can stain, so protect your clothing while chopping. 3

4 Glider FAQ: Do I Keep Her? Question from Kassandra M: My three year old little girl, Totoro, recently lost her cagemate rather suddenly and unexpectedly. I am battling with myself, as I do not want to introduce a new glider, but I know she needs a friend. I have been looking into giving her to a family that is already established with a few girls around her age, but am worried that she is stressed enough from losing her friend and that if I just give her away, the stress of losing me, changing her environment and diet, may be worse than if I just kept her on her own. After much reading online, the thought of self-mutilation scares me, if she becomes lonely, but I do not want to give her up or introduce a strange new glider, as she is very shy. I guess I am wondering if I give her extra loves, let her sleep with me several hours a day and spend most evenings with her, will she be okay? Answer from Suz: I am very sorry for your recent loss. I think Totoro would be better off staying with you, rather than being re-homed at this point in time. She is already grieving the loss of her cagemate and if she lost you, as well, it would be very hard for her. Make sure you spend as much time with her as you possibly can, and definitely do bring her cage into your bedroom so that she can be near you during the night when she is wide awake. If, over time, it seems that you are not able to give her the time and attention she needs, then you can re-visit the question of either getting her another cagemate or re-homing her. For now, though, I truly believe that she is better off with you, even though she will be single. 4

5 Donations are always welcome to help us continue our educational programs. To make a donation, please visit the following link: The Glider Initiative Store The 2013 Calendars are here!! Order yours now, for just $9.95, at Visit our store for medical supplies and other fun glider gear! Karen Milas KMilas@TheGliderInitiative.org Samantha Albright SAlbright@TheGliderInitiative.org Sara Douglass SaraSmile@TheGliderInitiative.org Suzanne Enyedy SugarGliderSuz@TheGliderInitiative.org Tiffany Battles TBattles@TheGliderInitiative.org 5

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