The following article contains some of the same information as the above ones, but needs repeating. This is a "post" I wrote while on a large sugar glider forum and wanted it published here as well:
I hear all the time people asking for help to get their gliders to "bond" and asking if their glider IS bonded.
Sometimes
the use of the word "bond" unsettles me just a bit. I prefer to use
the word trust. I think it is more important to have your glider trust
you.
The issue I have with the word "bond" is I feel it may give
some a false sense of security. One may feel that because they have
"bonded" with their glider, the glider will never run away and that just
is not the case.
It truly depends on the glider. They all have
different personalities. One could compare it to a marriage. For those
of us with spouses and friends who are married, do all the wives and
all the husbands act the same or treat their partners the same?
When "bonded"
with your sugar glider you really need to remember that every sugar
glider has a different personality. Each sugar glider will bond
differently. Some may bond but still behave independently, while other
may be very “clingy”. Each sugar glider will bond at different time
frames as well. Some sugar gliders may bond instantly, or in a week, a
month, or take as long as a year. My Arwen is content to just sit and
snuggle on my chest, while my hubby’s Frodo is all over his body, the
room, the car. He says he wishes Frodo is as bonded as Arwen. Well the truth is, he IS as bonded,
he just has a different PERSONALITY and so behaves differently than she
does.
It is important when bonding to remember to look at things through the eyes of your sugar glider.
Do not expect things too quickly from them, always go at their own pace.
They need to LEARN to trust you as they will not do so automatically.
You need to EARN their trust! It is important that they trust you and
are comfortable with you touching each part of their body. You never
know when for their own good you may need to touch or hold their tail,
foot, ear or other part of their body, so it is vital you develop this
trusting and comfortable relationship with them. Here is one story that
illustrates why a trusting relationship is so important:
“I had Arwen in a bonding pouch, she is sleeping away, but then I feel her wiggling around alot
and I open it up to look at what she is doing, well she reaches up to me
(like she always does) and she is soaking wet! At first I thought she
peed although she has never peed in her pouch before, when I realize
there are little bits of apple on her face and chest (she had eaten a
very tiny piece of apple earlier) and I realize she must have vomited.
Then I notice she is moving her mouth and tongue funny, and I see a
piece of human hair sticking out of her mouth. She is a darling animal,
she is so trusting, I start to pull gently on the hair and she just
holds onto me and sits very still while I pull it out. There was actually a small bit of apple that was tangled up in the hair,
and she gagged alittle when it came out. When I pulled the whole thing
out it was about 5 inches long! I know not to tug them out in case they
are tangled around some internal body part but as I felt no resistance I
continued to pull it gently, I was thankful this one came easily out.”
If she had not been so trusting, this may not have gone as well as it did.
One way to help with bonding with your sugar glider and in building that all important trust is to
have a routine and stick with it. A consistent pattern of behavior on
YOUR part will help them to trust you as they will know what to expect.
The unexpected is a fearful thing to wild animals. When you do the
same thing each time, at the same time, they will learn to trust you, to
depend on you as it were. But remember, this also has a drawback or
two! For example, my girls are used to me getting up at a certain time
to play with them early each morning before work. This means that even
on my days off I still have to get up early to play otherwise Arwen
starts barking loud enough to wake up the entire household!
I
hear stories how someone will get a new glider and that glider
immediately climbs in their shirt. THAT is a wonderful thing! But that
doesnt necessarily mean the glider instantly bonded to you. It could
just mean that glider has been taught to like and trust people and you smell good. 
But I am also NOT saying it isnt bonded to you either. I am not
saying that instant bonds dont happen. It is also possible for a glider
to be bonded to more than one person.
So just what is "bonded"?
Does
your glider trust you? Does he/she run to you when scared at least
half the time? Will he/she sleep in you hand? Does he/she show a
preference for you over other people?
Being "bonded" to a glider is a wonderful RELATIONSHIP.
When
you treat them as a friend, they become a friend. Just like you expect
your friends to accept you for who you are, please always accept your
furred friends for who they are as well.
