No News Is Good News

There hasn't been much to report since moving the ladies' cage into the room with CB and Foehn. What would be ideal is some way to monitor the audio at night to see if they are "chatting" with each other. Typically, when I come in to the my office around 6:15 a.m. Foehn and CB are still up and waiting for their treat, and Cirrus and Virga are asleep. Yesterday I woke up to hear some barking going on, and it was either Foehn or CB. We wondered if they weren't "calling" for me to come and give them their morning licks of yogurt. We've heard that gliders do bark to get their owner's attention. Trouble is, if they are doing it earlier before I really wake up, we don't heard them.

Cirrus and Virga are settling in well. There is less and less crabbing from Cirrus (not much from Virga to begin with).  They enjoy their time in the tent, which frankly hasn't been a lot yet, but we are going to start increasing it. I'm looking forward to the time when all four can be in the tent at once - but that could get a little crazy! Virga and Cirrus have no qualms about jumping on my head, but sometimes miscalculate. The result is called a "face hug" in glider owner parlance. CB and Foehn are pretty good about landing on my shoulders or back.

Sunday is usually "weigh-in" day for the crew. That involves coaxing them out of their pouch one at a time, letting them do their thing, and then getting them into a bonding pouch for weighing. A weekly check of their weight is a good way to monitor their general health. There are minor fluctuations up and down from week to week, but you can see general trends. A sign of a problem would be a drastic loss of weight.  CB and Foehn have gained about 7 to 8 grams in the 6 months since we've had them.  Cirrus and Virga are eating well and it seems Cirrus is filling out a bit, although her weight is still around 60 grams. They have now switched over to the same diet as Foehn and CB and seem to like it. They are a little pickier about the fruits and vegetables they like, but we got good info on their likes and dislikes from their previous owner.

Virga (l) and Cirrus (r) wondering why we interrupted their dinner

Cool Times in the Tent

The last few days we have been able to get all four gliders some tent time, though not at the same time. Virga and Cirrus seem to be a little more active in the afternoon and I have had them in the tent during that time, occasionally in the evening. CB and Foehn get their time at night. In addition to the artificial tree we have include some "vines" and other things they can climb on. Virga and Cirrus enjoy exploring the tree, as opposed to CB and Foehn who mainly use it as a jumping off point to the side of the tent.  All four of them love the time to run around and climb, including climbing on me.

Cirrus explores the tree in the tent

CB sound asleep in my handCB and Foehn have changed their routine a little a night, and it seems to take them longer to get going. One Foehn is out she will spend a good 20 minutes grooming herself interspersed with occasional short explorations around the tent. CB, well, he needs a nap to recover from the effort of waking up. Once into the tent, he will groom with his sister for a bit, and then climb up into my shirt (using the space between the buttons) for a nap. He curls up in the same place every time, on my right side just above above my belt. I usually let him sleep about 20 minutes or so and then scoop him out. He will try and get back into my shirt a couple of times, but then resigns himself to the fact I'm not going to let him back in. When I scoop him out he will stay in my hands for a minute or two and then scamper out. Tonight, however, was something new and frankly something I really didn't think would happen anytime in the near future. When I took CB out of my shirt, he stayed in my hand curled up and went back to sleep. It was really pretty neat. He finally did jump out when Foehn startled him when she jumped to the floor of the tent.

Moving Day

Today we moved Virga and Cirrus into the same room as CB and Foehn. We ordered a new wheel for the ladies and it arrived on Monday. However, I had to finish fabricating the mounting bracket for the side of the cage and that was ready to go tonight.  Their cages are about 8 feet apart, so they aren't really that close. However, it should definitely get interesting when they are all up and active tonight. I suspect we will hear some barking. Right now all is quiet here in the "glider room".  Cirrus was in her new wheel a few minutes ago. Virga hasn't quite figured out how to get in it yet. Foehn was taking a spin in theirs after I put them in the cage after some time in the tent, but since the light is on awhile I'm typing this all four of them are taking a snooze. Virga and Cirrus spent much of the day sleeping in a fleece blanket at the bottom of their cage and not in a pouch for some reason, and that's where they are now.

The new Custom Cruiser wheel for Virga and Cirrus.
CB and Foehn have the same wheel in their cage.

Somebody is Out There...

About 5:30 on Saturday morning we woke up to barking. This went on for about an hour, and I decided to get up and give CB & Foehn their morning treat. When I stepped out in to the kitchen, it was clear the barking was coming from both cages. First Virga or Cirrus would bark, and then a response would come from CB & Foehn. This is the second time this has occurred that we know of.  The barking subsided once they all heard me in the kitchen. When I went to give Foehn and CB their morning treat, I found them glued to the back of their cage. Normally, when I walk in the room they are all excited and waiting for me to open the door and let them on my lap for their treat. On Saturday they just hung on the back of the cage not moving.. After a few minutes CB headed for their sleeping pouch, and Foehn eventually worked her way over to me. This was the same behavior they exhibited last time the barking between cages occurred. It seems CB & Foehn both might have been a little bothered over the fact they were getting a response to their barking and weren't quite sure what to make of it.

Our bonding with Virga and Cirrus seems to be going well.  M usually spends sometime with them in the afternoon, and I've had them in the tent twice the last few days. They seem to really enjoy being able to climb and jump around the tent. They spend a lot of time jumping on me, and tonight Virga was grooming the back of my neck. Although they don't seem too afraid in the tent, they still tend to be a little skittish in the cage. Cirrus still crabs at us when we check on them while they are in the their sleeping pouch, but it seems to be more halfhearted each day and more for effect than anything else.

The next stage, which we will try to do soon, is move their cages into the same room. Both pairs know the other pair is somewhere nearby. It will be interesting to see how they react when they can see each other. That should tell us a lot about if, or how well and how long it might take for them to accept each other.

Who Are Those Strangers?

We are slowly getting into a routine with four gliders in two cages.This past weekend we moved the cage for Cirrus and Virga into the family room where they can get used to the normal traffic and noises in the house. Foehn and CB are in my office, so the cages are in separate rooms but only about 25 feet apart. This morning when I got up for work I heard some barking and figured it was from either Cirrus or Virga. However when I walked out into the kitchen I heard first a bark from Cirrus' and Virga's cage, and then a response from my office!  This happened a couple of times until I turned on the kitchen light and the ladies retreated to their pouch.   When I entered the office CB and Foehn weren't their usual enthusiastic selves and were hanging on the back of the cage. I think they were preoccupied trying to figure out where the response barking was coming from. They did not run to the door and on to my lap like they usually do now in the morning. CB headed to their pouch and turned in, but eventually Foehn made her way out to me for a few licks of yogurt. So, if they weren't sure before, they all know there are other gliders around.

Cirrus climbing up the bathroom sink

M had Cirrus and Virga in the bathroom again today for some free time.She managed to get a photo of Cirrus climbing the pedestal of the sink. There is nothing for them to grip with their nails, so they are just using pressure and their padded feet to hold on. We still find it hard to believe they can hold on like this on to what is essentially glass.

Cirrus and Virga got into a tussle today during their free time. Cirrus was digging around the edge of a towel that was on the floor and Virga came over to check it out. Cirrus pounced on her and they started on each other. This wasn't the playful wrestling that CB and Foehn get into, and M broke it up before anyone got hurt. It's a new side to Cirrus (she's the small one) that we hadn't seen yet. Once back in their cage, Cirrus went into one of the two sleeping pouches they have. Virga followed, then thought better of it and went to sleep in the other pouch. Apparently she felt it was best to leave Cirrus alone for awhile! We're hoping their tussle was an anomaly, or it will present some problems when we eventually try to introduce them to Foehn and CB.

This evening M got Foehn and CB out of their sleeping pouch for their snack and some running around time. They both must have detected the smell of Cirrus and Virga on M, because they were very tentative about climbing on her. Even after they settled into their bonding pouch for the evening, Foehn was awake and seemed to be keeping a wary eye on M.

Foehn keeping a watchful eye on M from the comfort of her pouch

An Active Day for Two Middle Age Ladies

Since M had a successful time with Virga and Cirrus in the bathroom yesterday, we decided to give it a try again today since I was home and we could both be in there with them. Once they were coaxed/bribed out of their sleeping pouch with meal worms and a few licks of yogurt, both Virga and Cirrus were non-stop balls of fur. They climbed over and on both M and I without signs of fear. However, this is still a new situation for them and they certainly don't trust us completely (Cirrus' crabbing reminds us of that), but we are surprised at how much they do. Climbing on us is a big thing trust-wise, and they even hold still and let us pet them without running or trying to nip our fingers.

One thing was clear in the 30 minutes we had them in the bathroom - they love to climb! I'm not just talking about climbing on us, but on everything, and trying to climb higher and higher. There is not much in this small bathroom, just a pedestal sink and a toilet. The last thing I thought I would see is a sugar glider climbing a smooth glass object, but there was Cirrus shinnying up the porcelain pedestal of the sink!  She is also rather adventurous. She had climbed on my shoulder and then jumped from there to the sink (a distance of about a foot). She then made her way on to the faucet, and jumped from there to a towel on the towel ring on the wall. I then noticed she was scanning above looking for her next target. I'm not sure what the target was. The light fixture above the sink might have been what caught her attention, but there was no way she was going to make that jump. Well, before I could get to her she tried, and she didn't make it. Fortunately, Cirrus caught herself on the towel and broke her fall. I offered her my hand (with a piece of fleece in it). She climbed in and I let her down to the floor. Not long after, Virga followed the same path and I had to rescue her, too. Cirrus, in particular, seems to really like to climb. She climbed up to the toilet seat using the water line, then jumped to the top of the tank, then to the top of the tissue box that was sitting there.  From that perch she was still looking for someplace higher to climb. I'm looking forward to the time when we can have them in the tent.

Virga (left) and Cirrus (right). I wanted to get a photo of them side by side, but they were pretty frisky this afternoon and wouldn't hold still long enough. Even so, Cirrus' smaller size is apparent in the photo. They also seem to be somewhat darker colored than CB and Foehn.

We're Crazy, but It's Fun!

Well, today was the first day we had Cirrus and Virga out of their cage. They had a vet appointment and needed to be transferred to their bonding pouch for the trip. I took them out of the cage in their sleeping pouch and we went into the 1/2 bath and set them loose. I had a supply of meal worms and peach yogurt ready to appease them should this prove a bit traumatic for them (and me). First one out was Virga. She ate a couple of  meal worms and then jumped on my shoulder. I was amazed! I do not get to do tent time because of my arthritis, so this was a new experience for me. I envied Berg. But, then, she jumped on top of my head! How cool is that, she trusts me enough to actually go to the top of my head! Meanwhile, our little Cirrus was busy eying the crack at the bottom of the door figuring out if she could squeeze under it. She could have, but was easily redirected with some meal worms and yogurt.

She also jumped onto my shoulder and then my head. Virga attempted to jump from my head to the bead board wall, which ended with a splat, then a slide down to the floor. She then noticed the pedestal sink and proceeded to climb the pedestal! How she could grip the 6 inch diameter of that porcelain pedestal and climb up is beyond my comprehension! But, not to be out done, Cirrus quickly followed suit and was shimming up the pedestal! Then, it was off to check the door out, and then... She discovered how to climb up the toilet! She shimmied up the hose, grabbed the top of the toilet, and up she went! I am so excited that it seems we will be able to bond so well with these two!

The vet visit went well. No parasites causing Cirrus to be so thin, she actually gained a gram, as did Virga. Cirrus does seem to have an abrasion on her hind thumb which we will have to keep an eye on, but, otherwise, they are in good health! They were very good for the vet, only crabbed a little.  We are now in the process of deciding how to spend equal time with them and how to introduce them to Foehn and CB, since Berg has decided to finally redo the floor in his office and Foehn and CB will be moving again when he does that. So many changes in such a short period of time...for all of us....

Just one more thing. When we decided to adopt Virga and Cirrus, I asked Berg if we were crazy... He replied, "Yeah, probably, but it's fun!" Yeah, it is!

M