a happier night

The joeys didn't fuss and fight much at all last night!

Cro did some research over his lunch period and said he thought we had their habitat laid out incorrectly. He suggested that the one last shelf be removed and that we suspend two sleeping pouches high. Whatever it was, Fooks was much less fussy and I heard a few quick little barks and lots of psst! sounds throughout the night.

I'd love to know what they are talking about. The little barks sounded enthusiastic and happy. The psst! sounds were very numerous and sounded like they were commenting on something important they were working on.

They didn't seem to eat much of their HPW but did go all out on the fruit. Tonight's menu will include veggies and I am trying a new trick that I read on the glider forum on how to get them to eat it. I blended mixed veggies with a few pieces of fruit and baby yogurt (to make the veggies taste better). I also added a tsp of natural fig preserve, which is also sweet. I plan to offer this along with sliced veggies, their HPW and a few turkey strips (the stinky baby ones that they seem to love) tonight.

A future purchase will be a small ice cube tray (for small cubes) so I can freeze HPW mixture and the veggie mixture. I have a water/ice dispenser but that wouldn't be good for freezing glider food! lol

Oh, and it was Fooks again in the bonding pouch yesterday. She does seem to be the one who will bond with me more quickly than Jagerbar. Gerbar will bond with us in time I'm sure. Cro sat with a hand in their sleeping pouch for a good while after he got home from work.

Haha! Cro told me that the psst! sound was them spitting on their hands to wash their face. :D

toys!

toys!

toys!

toys!

Gerber rates dried mango A+ as a licky treat.

Today I woke to discover they had made a stinky mess of the bonding pouch exterior… but they were both inside sleeping! I'm so excited about them sharing the pouch:

Cro brought home lots of toys for their habitat in hopes that a big part of the aggression toward each other could be attributed to a big space with not much in it (boredom).

They woke to a home full of new toys to explore, their first meal of HPW, some fruit and veggie mix, and a few blueberries and dried mango pieces here and there. I placed identical small bowls of food in two separate corners and spaced the treats out, even hanging some from high in the cage and on the shelf.

They seemed very happy with everything and didn't fuss too much at first. Then the vocal fighting began. Fooks was exploring every inch of the new items, treats and food, water and all. Gerber seemed to be preoccupied inside the "treehouse" (the empty, hanging, covered food bowl).

I wasn't sure why Gerber wasn't exploring the toys and food until I saw her emerge, only to be fussed at aggressively and chased back into the treehouse.

Hmm. It seems that Fooks is claiming possession of everything and not wanting to share. This became very apparent regarding the bonding pouch were she has been sleeping. She would make a horrible fuss anytime Gerber would try to get near it.

Overall though, they didn't spat as much last night as the night prior and I found them both asleep in the coveted bonding pouch this morning. :)

First meal of HPW. Yum!

I'm not sure which one I've got, but I transferred one of them from that bonding pouch to a fresh one. The other glider would not be removed and I didn't want to force her. I placed the soiled bonding pouch (with baby) back in the habitat and am wearing the clean pouch with the other baby as I work today.

Cro said he is going to research the possessive aggression thing for ideas on what to do. I can just hear Fooks saying "MINE! IT'S ALL MINE!!!" when Gerber would try to enjoy something.


Maybe they just need time to work it out.

more fussing, more bonding pouch time

The babies argued and fussed again last night even though I had moved their food bowls far apart. Cro continues to reassure me that all is fine. I know they woke him up several times (me too, but I don't mind). I must say it's endearing to see him lift up their habitat cover and say "Hey. Quiet down."

The cat incited them to grumble this morning by sitting and staring in their cage. He slept on top of it yesterday as if to say to them "I am king of this house." Silly kitty. :)

I got up just before dawn and sat next to the habitat. When I offered a hand to Fooks I could tell that she must have been the one in the bonding pouch with me yesterday while I worked. She came right up to my hand and tested the situation by nibbling on my fingertips.

After a few minutes of that I moved my hand to rest just outside of the treehouse opening. Gerber was inside and immediately put on the GRRR stance (standing up with arms out wide) and crabbed at me a little. When I didn't move away she began nipping my fingers just to test me out. She wasn't nipping hard enough to hurt me but to discourage the habit I would make gentle little "oh" and "ow" sounds which made her stop for a moment. In the meantime, Fooks walked right up my hand and into the treehouse bowl.

They licked each other and made happy noises so all the fussing during the night can't mean they are rejecting each other. Gerber was sleeping alone in the treehouse and Fooks in the bonding pouch though. To them that's like having separate bedrooms I guess. :(

I am wearing Fooks in the bonding pouch again for a few hours while I work today. She didn't grumble at all when I picked up the pouch and she has been making sweet little clicking noises while I type.

Meals for them last night were:
Insectivore Fare
Gerber fruit and veggie puree (apple and spinach)
thawed mixed frozen veggies

They seemed to eat most of everything except the veggies, but did eat a few of those. Good!

They also get a perpetual supply of:
a bowl of fresh bottled water mixed with Pedialyte
a bowl of dry kibble (grain-free protein) just in case they want to munch during the day

I cleaned their habitat yesterday, wiping down all of the bars with baby wipes and changing the tray. We initially had the tray filled with CareFresh hamster litter but I replaced it with a paper towel lining. The floor of their habitat is a couple of inches suspended over the tray so what's in the tray only needs to catch waste, not be a floor for them to walk on.

Afternoon update:
Cro emailed to say he would be stopping by PetSmart after work to see what little enrichment toys he can find for their habitat. That maybe part of the squabbling is due to their cage being a big open space and they are bored. Toys! Fun!

I mixed up their first batch of HPW, which is going to become their main food. I've been giving them organic baby food fruit and veggie mixes and turkey sticks for babies along with baby yogurt, frozen veggies and slices of whole fruit. They will still get those things alternated in. Pampered babies!

I bought a couple of packs of dried apricot and dried mango today. I'm thinking they will be on the "sometimes treat" list since dried fruits are so sweet. I'll see what the people on Glider Central have to say but Cro will be able to answer when he gets home too. :) It's nice to be married to a zoology grad who specialized in exotics.

from fussing to fighting?

They were spatting last night. :( Fooks seemed to be aggressive toward Gerber and would make an ugly sound. They still sleep together and do still make sweet sounds at each other now and then. When Fooks was having this aggressive fit Gerber would try to stay high in a corner and out of the way. Cro said I shouldn't worry so much, that they will be fine. Maybe it started over possession of an apple slice, but I'm just guessing.

I'm going to browse the sugar glider forum that I discovered yesterday to see if this is normal and not necessarily an indication that one is rejecting the other. I would love the reassurance. I worry too much.

The ugly spatting sound starts at :09.

Afternoon Update: After browsing the forums on Glider Central I think this fussing may be food aggression. I will try spacing their bowls apart in the habitat rather than setting them together and see if that has a positive effect tonight.

In the meantime I have one of the babies in a bonding pouch around my neck as I work. She is making cute little clicking sounds as I softly sing and hum to her. I think this is a great step toward gaining her trust and hope to do this for a few hours every day with both of them.

food fight!

Oh my, what a mess they are with their food bowls. We woke this morning to what looked like the aftermath of a food fight. Maybe that's where the term "mess hall" started.

I cleaned their food area, which was made lots easier by the paper towel I set out before laying the food bowls on top. They ate very well again and Cro thinks it may be time to start using the "treehouse" for it's original purpose: an enclosed food dish. Maybe tomorrow. Tonight's menu doesn't have the potential for mess like Sunday night's did.

After cleaning their food area, I lifted them in their sleeping pouch and sat with it between the keyboard and me while I worked for about an hour today. They only grumbled when I picked it up the first time.

I put them (sleeping pouch and all) back into the habitat after about an hour. If I can get them to sleep in the bonding pouch it will be easier for me to work with the pouch around my neck for a few hours each day. The sleeping pouch isn't made for bonding (short string and no way to close the pouch … which was kind of sweet in that every time I looked down I would see a pair of little bright eyes checking me out).

Tonight's joey menu will be:
Bowl 1: Insectivore Fare
Bowl 2: mixed veggies along with a couple of thin apple slices

grapes! yum!

Sunday meals were 2 turkey sticks, slices into slim stripes. I arranged them in one of the small bowls and plopped a tbsp of baby banana-yogurt on top.

In the second bowl they got 4 seedless grapes, sliced into slim strips.

They showed great love for the grape slices last time, but this time Cro mentioned that they were all about the turkey sticks. He sat with them for a good while last night with one hand in their sleeping pouch. They did grumble in their cute way but eventually settled down.

It's very funny when he walks by and the sound of their crabbing starts up. They don't do that as much when I walk by, but maybe it's because Cro is so much taller.

Yay!

Yesterday I sliced two turkey sticks (ew, they were so stinky!) into slim pieces, dipped each into banana yogurt blend and presented it in one of the small bowls. A second little bowl was filled with the 4 seedless grapes cut into slim pieces. This morning both of the little bowls were nearly empty!


Before I went to sleep I saw Gerber drink both from the bowl of water/Pedialyte and from the hanging drip bottle. I also saw her poking around the bowl of dry protein but didn't see her give it a try. They learn quickly and investigate everything!

They were very active in the night and I heard them crab at each other several times. Siblings. :)

Grrr!!!

Yesterday the joeys stayed in one of their cloth sleeping pockets all day and way into the night. I had set out fresh food and water and was becoming overly worried that they hadn't even come out for a drink in many hours. Cro assured me that they were fine, that they were still adjusting to their new home and that they were babies and would sleep lots.

At near 11pm he decided to try to get them out of their pouch (I'm sure it was mostly because of my worry). They crabbed and crabbed. NO! WE DON'T WANT TO COME OUT! LEAVE US ALONE! WE'LL BITE YOU!!!

They are full of bluff and haven't bitten us yet. :) They are very cute in how they growl in their crabby way, stand up with arms splayed wide and act like they are big scary bears.

Cro did get them out and they roamed around a little inside their cage, one of them visited the food. Then in no time they were back inside a pocket for more sleep.

lol

Cro heard them playing late in the night. Their food bowls were proof that they had eaten as well.

I have been laying the little food bowls on a lightweight rubbery mat. They are messy eaters! I pick up the mat every morning, shake it into the trash can along with any food they didn't eat. The little bowls and mat go into the dish washer and are clean and dry for the next meal.

So far today I have cut up 4 seedless grapes and left the tasty little treat in a small bowl for them to discover. The rest of their fresh meal will be later tonight. The dry protein food is always available along with water/Pedialyte.

Tomorrow marks one week of them joining our family. They are 10 weeks OOP old. :)

A quick note…

…to say all is good (and all is busy).

Last night the joeys ate diced chicken breast, baby yogurt with banana, diced melon and mixed veggies (but did they even touch the veggies???). I brought the "treehouse" out of the habitat, held it in one hand while using the other hand to "sleep" next to them. I sang softly for an hour while I did this (and was running out of songs by then, lol). They seemed to like it and ate bits of melon and chicken that I held up for them now and then. It's all in my attempt to bond with them.

Meals today for them:
a constant small bowl of dry high-protein, grain-free kibble (it's there if they want to nibble, but they don't seem to like it much)
a constant small bowl of fresh bottled water mixed with Pedialyte
a constant drip water bottle with the same (trying to transition them away from bowl-drinking)
insectivore fare - 1/4 cup (ew, bugs. I'll bet they love it)
mixed veggies - about a TBSP (veggies, ew)
Gerber yogurt blend (banana) - about 1 tsp (they love this)
Gerber Graduates squeezable fruit/veggie mix - about 1 tsp (they like)
banana bread (just a couple of small pinches as a very infrequent "sometimes food")

They are like little royals. lol

Big adverture, little joeys ^_^

Oh so much to do! I worked on a cross-media marketing campaign until after 10pm.

…then I made headway interacting with the joeys until nearly midnight. It was worth it. Gerber friendlied up to me to the point of walking on my hand unafraid and checking me out.

Both joeys were eating a piece of watermelon that I held up to the opening of their adopted treehouse (the elevated covered food bowl that they have decided to sleep in). At first they licked the moisture of the watermelon piece but soon were cooing in delight and taking nibbles. The little sounds of delight they make are so cute!

When I put the watermelon piece back in the bowl on the habitat floor they would lean out and stretch from sleeping bowl to watermelon bowl to continue eating, while keeping a foot and tail in their treehouse. I suppose that made them feel secure of an easy retreat. They would grumble at each other as only one at a time could stretch out like that (and it was mostly GRRber doing the crabbing).

Cro noticed that they were becoming wet and cold as they got watermelon juice all over themselves. I removed the treehouse (with Fooks still inside) and Cro opened the top and brought her out. The plan was to wash the elevated food bowl once they both vacated it, but Fooks just wouldn't leave. She crabbed at Cro and freaked out bigtime, but we got her dried off, washed the treehouse bowl, and set it back in place, clean and dry.

While I was washing the bowl, Cro stayed to watch them. One of the joeys made a dash out of the habitat and across the floor. Cro was right there and gathered her up. I'm not sure which one it was but Cro placed her back safely in the habitat in no time. I think that was a BIG adventure because there was a lot of climbing up and down and all around inside the bars afterwards.

They were very quiet last night or else I was sleeping like a rock. :) I was very tired.

Gerber outside of the elevated food bowl. Fooks relaxing inside.

meet the babies - homecoming 9-15-2012

Cro and I traveled north to meet the exotic animal breeder Saturday morning. We didn't think to account for the hour difference in time between Chicago and Indianapolis so we were an hour early. Oops. We had our iPhones & iPad with us so we had plenty to entertain ourselves while we waited.

When the breeder arrived we got to meet the babies, and get a peek at the coatimundi in her front seat carrier too. (Cro was interested and pointed that out when I was all attention on the babies and wouldn't have noticed). The breeder handled each joey to show us that they were healthy and were both girls (pointing out the pockets on each). She then tucked them back into the fabric bag for the trip home. They grumbled a bit when we would go over a bump in the road. So cute! When they grumble it is called "crabbing". Appropriate. I kept the bag of babies close so they would feel they were being held securely and they slept. :)

Upon arriving home, Cro checked them over to be sure they had all their toes and no injuries. He has cared for sugar gliders in the past but this is all new to me. Again they crabbed. This is where their individual personalities began to show. One seems more placid and shy, the other more grumbly and outgoing. Cro left it to me to choose the names and though I had several in mind, it soon became clear to me that the calm one was Fuchsbau and the grumbly one was Jägerbär.

Fooks & Gerber. :)

Cro advised that we place them in a warm pouch and not bother them for at least a full day and night (so they could adjust to the new home not have additional stress). They stayed in that pouch for the rest of the day and didn't even venture out that night (they are nocturnal), We did leave a shallow bowl of water mixed with Pedialyte and some crushed dry protein in another little bowl.

I recorded a few of their vocalizations during the night. One is of the crabbing noise and is probably Gerber. The other is a little fussing sound and is Fooks. They both make both noises but Gerber is usually the one to crab the most (GRRber). :)

The next day they actually came out to explore! and ate some of the fresh protein and fruit-n-veggie mix that we provided. They both drank too. Though I find myself worrying (typical mommy, right?), they are doing just fine so far. :) They chose to sleep in the elevated food dish today, lol. It didn't have food in it, so why not sleep there if they like!

Freaked out!! But Cro wanted to count their toes and
look for injury before we transfered them to their habitat.

Fooks is all good!

The new home. Two cloth pouches for sleeping can be seen.

Fooks. She is lighter and has golder tones.

Grrber. She is the slightly darker silver (no gold) sister.

They were sleeping in the food dish this morning!

Listen for Gerber to start crabbing at :19

Listen to Fooks fussing in the dark 0:00 to :06:

bugs-n-berries

We are picking up the joeys tomorrow! Exciting!

I need to get a few things in preparation for transitioning their diet from what they have been weaned on, to what they will be eating on a regular basis.

Gliders have a serious sweet tooth (hence the name "sugar" gliders) and get bored easily so their diet will be much more complicated than Buddy cat's.

They will have a constant bowl of grain-free and holistic dry protein, fresh protein every other day alternating with a fresh fruit or veggy (or mixed fruit and veggy) every other day. Calcium 3x per week in the form of 2% milkfat cottage cheese or plain yogurt. Pedialyte (fruit flavor) mixed with water always available to drink. Later on, when they are more grown, they can have bugs & berries as treats. :P yum

OOP

These two joeys (not our girls) are 8 weeks OOP.

I couldn't wait anymore so I called about the gliders. :) I will be meeting the breeder halfway (they are in Illinois) and I should be able to get them either Friday or Saturday. Excited!!! They are 8.5 weeks Out Of Pouch (marsupial babies are aged by the date they leave their mommy's pouch). That is a perfect age to adopt since it's recommended they stay with their mother for 8 weeks at the least.

Loompa-land

Two more days until I call to see if the baby gliders are grown enough to leave their momma. Oompa and Loompa are high on the list of name possibilities.

Working on a logo design today for Matt (pro-bono) and possibly making a Wordpress site live. Was asked to quote an email design project but am still waiting on details.