There are as many ways to handle animals as there are animal handlers.  And when it comes to introducing 2 animals to each other, there are just as many methods.  And sometimes the passion behind each of these methods can be quite strong.  I want to address a couple of these situations in this article.

First of all, is it a good idea to introduce your Sugar Glider with the other animals in your house?  With the other non-sugar glider animals I mean.  There are some that encourage this and even use it as a selling point.  Some businesses will even show you pictures of a cat (or other animal) and a sugar glider eating from the same bowl, or the sugar glider riding on its back.   I actually have a spiritual explanation as to why this idea appeals to us so greatly, but I wont go into that here.

These businesses/people will even have a method for this cross animal intro that sounds like it really should work, and probably does in some instances.  They will have what sounds like very scientific reasoning behind their methods.  Don’t buy it!  Many of their “scientific” or “animal behavior” explanations are greatly flawed.

Take “scent” for instance.  These people will claim that your cat or dog will not recognize that your sugar glider is a “prey” animal and so will not attack it.  They claim that the sugar glider doesn’t have a scent that your dog or cat recognizes that would mark them as prey.  I have even heard some go into long explanations abut how animals learn from their parents what they are to hunt.  Since this IS true in part, it SEEMS to add weight to their theory.  BUT my cat Sarah never had her mom show her that flying squirrels or birds were food and yet she hunted and consumed them regularly.

Then they will go into an explanation that since the sugar glider is not native to this country, and your cat or dog is not familiar with them, they will not attack them.  Then they will explain about swapping body scents and tell you to follow their method and again show you those warm and fuzzy photos as proof it works.

I want you to understand that their method does work, but only to a certain extent.    In my opinion there are too many risks involved with introducing your sugar glider to other pets in the house.  

First of all, predators attack by MOVEMENT.  They may “hunt” by scent, but when something MOVES is when they attack.  Your cat doesn’t “hunt” you, but when you wiggle your fingers in front of him, he ATTACKS.  Dogs and cats don’t necessarily “hunt” leaves, balloons, bubbles, balls, Frisbees, and other such items, but I have seen them CHASE them.

If your dog or cat is laying about and your glider runs past, it triggers the chase response which is instinct.  Now lets just say your dog or cat recognizes the sugar glider and truly doesn’t mean to harm it.  Your sugar glider could still end up hurt or killed by accident.  Cats and dogs are so much larger than your sugar glider and could harm it with a simple playful swat, or crushed by a heavy paw.

And what about diseases or other bacteria?  It is very possible that your cat or dog could have some health issue you are not even aware of, or be carrying other bacteria natural to them, that MAY be harmful to sugar gliders.  Why take the risk?

The other issue I wanted to discuss is a method for introducing two sugar gliders to each other.  The most common practice is a lengthy affair, but has proven to be successful in MOST cases.  This method consists of swapping the gliders pouches so they become familiar with each other’s scents.  This can also include swapping toys, and even cages.  Once they no longer seem to show any interest in the new smells they encounter, the gliders are introduced in NEUTRAL territory to see if they will get along.  When it has been decided that they can and do get along, then they are put into a cage together.  Again it is best to have this cage be a neutral cage, or at least set up differently from both of their original cages.

Another method that I have read about recently on the internet is referred to as “the wet intro” method.  This method involves wetting the 2 gliders, then putting them into a cage together with only one pouch, under a lamp, and without any food.  The method relies on the 2 gliders ignoring each other in an effort to dry themselves, the light forcing them into the pouch together, and without food to compete for.  The idea is that when they are dried off, they will now think of each other as colony members since they stayed in the pouch together while drying off and their scents intermingled.

There are a few that claim this method has worked when all other methods have failed.  They also feel that this is better to do rather than have the glider live alone (but THAT is a subject for another article).  However I feel this method has many risks and negative aspects to it.

First of all this method seems to ignore that the sugar gliders have feelings.  The choice to accept the other glider is taken away and they are, more or less, forced to accept the other because of the circumstances they are in.  Imagine you are in a bad situation with your enemy.  You my very well cooperate to the common good, but after the situation is over, will you still be “friends.”  Some will say yes and some will say no.  Depends on the individual character and personality of each person.  The 2 sugar gliders temporarily may come up with a “role” with each other that works, but will it work months down the road?

As for dominance/alpha roles in colony/pack animals.  I have some experience in this area.  Sugar gliders are very similar to larger pack animals in their role play in the pack/colony.  I can tell you from experience that "roles" are NOT written in stone.  2 gliders put in this position after all other methods have failed, may one day decide they really don’t like being together and will fight.  And we all know a fight can become life threatening in seconds.  If the 2 gliders end up staying friends forever, they most likely would have accepted each other eventually using other methods.

 We also all know that gliders who have been together for years sometimes decide to not get along and it can get ugly, so why take a greater risk and force 2 together that wouldn’t accept each other under more normal circumstances?

It is very hard for me to stay objective in this discussion as my heart screams to me that this is wrong.  I have seen pictures of animals in flight during a fire, or cowering under some shelter during a catastrophic event.  Animals that normally avoid each other, but a bad situation brings them temporarily together.  But the next day they would just as soon eat each other.  

Let us not forget that there are many health risks to using this method.  Sugar gliders do not like water, and can react adversely to stress, and this method DEFINITELY creates stress.

This “wet intro” denies them their own feelings.   Why is it so hard for so many humans to accept that animals really do have feelings?  And please, don’t accuse me of anthropomorphism.  We all say our pets love us, but when its convenient for our own devices to deny them feelings we say, "but they are animals."

Let me illustrate why this “wet” method is wrong.  So a brother and sister refuse to get along, hate each other even.  Should you throw them in a shower together?  What was that you said, but that’s different?  Really?  Why?  Because they are humans and gliders are animals?  Humph.  All are people in my opinion (are my native roots popping up here?).

Unfortunately I cannot change the world, only my one small corner of it.  So in my corner this will never be used and never accepted.  Some people will state that it doesn’t always have to go back to spirituality, but with me that is an underlying factor in almost everything I do.  So here's my spiritual spin to this: (directed of course to the people who will/do use this method) lets just say God does exist, and one day He is tired of all the squabbling people are doing.  How would YOU feel if He did this to all of you?  “Cant get along?  I will make you by doing to you exactly what you did to these small inoffensive creatures who trusted you.” Now in your hearts do you feel its different because they are ANIMALS?  Double humph here.