Akina Flame, the sugar glider possum, was born on December 23, 2006. She arrived here safe and sound at around noon on Monday, February 19, 2007.

 

I named her after Akina Shirt a very talented girl who sang our national anthem in Cree, at a Calgary Flames hockey game. She was just thirteen years old and sang like an angel.

 

I wanted to give her a name that's very pretty, dainty and possibly inspiring, and this name not only fits the bill in my opinion, but everyone I've talked to about the idea expressed resounding approval, even delight; telling me how pretty the name is.

 

Yes, the Flame part of the possum's name is after my favorite hockey team, the Calgary Flames! It's amazing how well that goes together, and what ideas one comes up with in the middle of the night.

 

Download or play podcast about Akina's first 20 months, including sounds she made which are described throughout this page. Akina's Podcast

 

This little possum was well socialized, having been handled and exposed to household sounds and sights before she came. So, she made almost no noise in the car on the way home from cargo and had very little if any reaction to most household noises from the time I brought her home.

 

She did growl a little when Mom and I were talking about people who were being jerks at the time, and I found this particularly funny! Talk about perfect timing!

 

Akina grunted and growled only a little once I got her home and was trying to open the carrier. It turned out I couldn't do it myself, her pouch was securely fastened to the top via plastichooks and wire, the sort that tightens, but you have to cut it to get it to release what it's holding up.

 

Before cutting the pouch free, I decided to unzip the pouch, for there were a couple of little pieces of cloth inside it for Akina to snuggle into. This meant there was a good chance I could get her out of the pouch with the cloths and minimize any initial panic from her.

 

To my surprise, she didn't protest, not even when I touched her.

 

Soon, she curled into my hand and began to purr. What a wonderful sound! This was a sign we were starting out on the right foot.

 

The first people to see her besides myself were Mom, my youngest sister and her son, my eldest nephew. They all thought she was very cute!

 

When I could find the time, I sent off an email notification that Akina had arrived safely and that she was cute and full of promise. However, Apparently Akina didn't like me typing! She growled at me two times when I started typing. She was fine with it after a while, and was pretty quiet for the rest of her first day with me.

 

She growled a little more when evening came, and a few times during the night when I came too close to her cage and spoke, or made the usual movements and noises one does when getting comfortable and ready to go to sleep. I didn't hear her play much if at all that night, but at least she didn't cry.

 

A cry is sort of like a growl but slightly higher and softer, with a hissing sound on the intake of breath.

 

Growling, also called crabbing, cussing, yelling, screeching or screaming (it can sound like any and all of these) is a consistent loud-mouthed broken toy or miniature chainsaw noise that occurs on both the exhale and inhale like a cat's pur does. Usually it takes little or nothing to get an unfamiliar sugar glider to make this noise at you, and it can take quite a while getting them to pipe down once they start.

 

One example of this was recorded when I went to take Akina out of the cage. She had gone to sleep for the day. But being so new to this home, and apparently not sleeping deeply yet if at all, all it took was me touching the cloth pouch she was in and moving it slightly for her to yell at me. But she needed to begin getting used to not only my movements, but my voice as well, so I said something rather obvious, and the player recorded that as well. Akina growled once again.

 

I did get her out of the cage, and she soon settled back down and went to sleep.

 

That same day, I had her with me in the carry pouch around my neck, and held her in my bare hand while watching TV. She growled a little at times during her second day here, but not too badly.

 

At night, she was still extremely shy and would retreat from me when I put my hand in the cage, but at least she didn't growl.

 

Sometimes gliders make whimpering noises too, and they are very cute and rather funny. In this case, Akina had just yelled at me and calmed down, but not quite. This whimper was an indication she was very close to launching into another growl if I did anything more to alarm her, however unintentional and unapparent.

 

On her third day, I took her to the bank. Our financial adviser knew I was getting a sugar glider and couldn't wait to see her. Since Akina has been so good about being held, I figured I'd bring her along. But this was when Akina was at her loudest. She growled up a storm, though she didn't struggle to get away, nip, bite, or eliminate on me or inside the pouch when I put her back. And yes, Shannon thought she was absolutely adorable!

 

Akina had a loud day, she didn't like the headset cord rubbing up against the pouch, and seemed to be fussy about noises, or simply wanted to growl for no apparent reason. My brother and sis-in-law came by in the evening, and they wanted to see her. They saw, and heard her all right! And they still think she is cute.

 

By the third night, Akina was really starting to show signs of settling into her new home. She was eating and drinking well, and had become very active. She was still shy of me when I put my hand in the cage, and mostly retreating, but she did venture to sniff at my hand a couple of times.

 

So far, she hadn't nipped or even nibbled me once. It's always best to expect a new sugar glider to snap as well as growl as part of their defense. So I considered myself lucky, but not about to rule out the possibility of future nips until our bond would become strong.

 

Sugar gliders are normally quite afraid of a new owner at first, and the whole new environment Even if handled a great deal at the breeder's, it should be expected they will be frightened by a new environment and strange people. Also, when they are only a little afraid, it shows a lot because the whole idea is to intimidate the threat into backing off.

 

Akina had done a fair bit of growling by the fifth day, which was a day off for me. So I could spend time holding her. I couldn't for much of the day because my hands tend to be cool, even cold during the winter months. So I had to settle for carrying her in the pouch around my neck until some time after dinner when my hands inexplicably warmed up.

 

I took her downstairs to get in some TLC while watching my TV shows. She crabbed like mad when I fiddled with the pouch to open it and then carefully took her out. She continued to sit and crab in my hand but didn't squirm to get away or back into the pouch.

 

I kept up the reassurances and holding until she relaxed and purred occasionally.

 

I'm not sure she actually fell asleep this time, but she had definitely relaxed. Once in a while she would lift her head to peer through my fingers and around.

 

The most amazing thing happened about halfway through Jeopardy, she was looking around and making some small movements in my hand, again, not squirmy or struggling. I soon found out what she was doing when she licked one of my fingers a few times, and purred. She was starting to groom herself and had licked me in the process! This happened a few more times while I watched the rest of the show, and it is a first step to a glider becoming very affectionate and kissy with their owner!

 

Usually if anything at all, you're likely to get a nibble or defensive nip/snap from a new glider, but with all her initial startlement and growling, Akina still relaxed enough to groom herself and lick my hand on only her fifth day here with me. That is an extremely pleasant surprise!

 

Later that night, she had become bold enough to check out my hand when I held it up to the cage bars.

 

On her sixth night here, she

barked for the first time. This was a very good sign, gliders bark for attention from their owners,or if they sense something is wrong. The attention-seeking bark stops as soon as the glider is satisfied she has your attention. The reason she starts off sounding further away and getting nearer in the recording is because I used my mp3 recorder, which is always on my dresser, right beside my bed, so, easy enough to grab, turn on, and hold on the way to the cage.

 

I took Akina to work for the first time when she had been here one week. She was for the most part, quiet, though she growled a little before class when I let one of the student-teachers look in the pouch at her. I didn't show her to the first class, they were pressing for examination time, and Akina did not growl at all during that class.

 

The second class consisted of older students who were not pushing for an exam, and as it happened, someone brought up the subject of dougongs during their stretch time between barre and center exercises. I couldn't resist showing my unusual little critter at that time, so, took Akina out.

 

Of course, everybody loved her, and she was well behaved, though not yet completely relaxed with me taking her out and among all those people. She just growled a little, which amused some of the students. One girl said of the crabbing noise "I like that sound she makes." Lol - interesting!

 

I put her back and she settled down to sleep.

 

A little while later, I had some time to give her some one-on-one attention, so, unzipped the pouch and reached in.

 

Immediately Akina started sniffing my hand, and was soon licking the heck out of it! Gliders learn very well by positive reenforcement, she must've already started associating my hand with something fun to lick from a few nights before, and boy did she ever go to town this time!

 

Though, she also began to add the odd nibble/nip as well, not a defensive or frightened one, but the kind that a lot of baby animals do when they are enjoying themselves and still have to learn what the limits are.

 

I pulled my hand away whenever she nibbled, but held still when she licked. I've had success with this method before when teaching a sugar glider to lick rather than nibble, but Akina's early licky behavior without the use of honey, baby food or lickable treats on my hands was very unexpected.

 

Escape!

 

5:57 AM March /3, 2007

 

It was an early morning adventure in my room with Akina, one I wasn't anticipating!

 

I thought I had the cage door sufficiently blocked off while I had my hands in there to interact with her. I was still trying to get her used to me and what is and is not allowed when playing on my hands.

 

She was licking one of my hands, and when she threatened a nip, I'd push and pull away, giving her the "That's enough"

 

The trouble is, it was happening right in front of the side cage door, which is larger than the door on the top, so, it is harder to completely block with one hand.

 

Evidently I did a crummy job because I barely felt something slip past my hand and forearm, and she was out of the cage and climbing up and around the back!

 

She made it down to the floor of my room and began exploring.

 

I had no choice but try to corner her somewhere.

 

The both of us had made nearly a complete round of my room when I finally cornered and then caught her at the door - I keep my room door closed most of the time.

 

She climbed onto me and made it up my arm a little more than half way, but I held it close to my body, hoping to block any attempt at getting through that space.

 

She was now caught, and had already been frightened by my coming after her, since she still didn't really know me. Scared as she was, she produced the slight musky skunk-like smell. I couldn't relax my arm or she'd just run between it and my body. So I went to my bed and lay down in a position that allowed me to move my arm and when she tried to bolt, she would be blocked by the blanket.

 

That worked, and once again, I had Akina in my hand.

 

She didn't struggle, and I didn't give her time or opportunity to do so. Immediately I encased her in my hand like a pouch and gave her the finger rub/massage/caresses about her head and neck and talked quietly to her, though I was breathing pretty hard from the stress. So was she.

 

Akina purred at the touches. I held her for quite a while until she had relaxed and her breathing rate slowed down. Then she began to squirm. Play time wasn't over yet, after all, and she wasn't ready to fall asleep in my hand. So I put her back in the cage.

 

She took as long to go back to playing as it did me to write this segment of her story but no worse for the fright. The fact she didn't panic, crab, bite and claw trying to get away when I finally caught, held and reassured her was an extremely good sign.

 

I went back to putting my hands in the cage, but taking more care about the door. Akina did not approach my hands this time, but continued to play. That was still better than simply retreating into the pouch, which was what she did if she happened to be out of it when I came too near the cage in the first few days she was here.

 

She did approach and try to lick my hand through the cage wire after I closed the door.

 

The growling can continue for weeks with a new glider, because they are sometimes territorial about their pouch or nestbox, whatever sleeping quarters they like to use, plus, it takes a lot of patience and going quite slowly with getting their trust before they eventually realize you are consistently going to be something they can trust and welcome into their space.

 

So if they're resting in their pouch, sometimes it takes nothing more than you talking, or simply moving the pouch in or out of the cage for a glider to growl long and loud, making a huge fuss over what seems to be apparently nothing. They're not mean or mad, and don't detest you, though after a couple of weeks of this, a new owner can get to feeling that way.

 

I've always found that with Akina, once I get her calmed down with my touch, she goes from growling to purring. In or out of the pouch, if you persevere to the point where the possum quits growling and begins to purr, you've succeeded that time. The next time you disturb her, you should fully expect the same growly response and again your determination and patience will be put to the test.

 

They can go from feeling a bit threatened to really seeming to be comforted and liking what you are doing if you can rub them through the pouch before they seriously launch into a growling tirade. The whimpering noise is one of the cutest, babyish sounds they make. The purrs are little clicks that almost sound like those of a very young puppy's contentment at nursing or being picked up. When a glider is really blissful or excited, she can increase the rate of purring clicks so that it sounds like Morse code. They tend to purr when grooming themselves too.

 

Some days and at certain times of the day, the new glider's growling fits are not a big deal, being little more than a grumble, and other times, they scream at you. I have found that in the morning just as and after a glider settles in to sleep for the day, and again in the evening when they are beginning to transition out of sleep to waking, these times are when they are at their most afraid, easily spooked, and this is when the growling episodes are most extreme.

 

I don't take a new, skittish or otherwise unfamiliar glider out of her pouch to put her back in the cage, I put the pouch in and hang it from the top of the cage, making sure it is open. This way, the glider can come out when she's ready to wake up. But because it was evening and she was transitioning, the movements of pouch to cage, the zipper being undone, even my talking to her was setting her off like nobody's business! It sounds like one is really provoking the glider or being cruel to her when she carries on this way, but nothing could be further from the truth. Even something as little as your hand reaching across the pouch to pull the zipper open or shut, the sound of you itching yourself or rubbing your fingers on a piece of cloth, a sniffle, a nose blow, and certainly at first, your voice, all of these can cause a new glider to scream like blue blazes at you.

 

I took Akina to work for the first time on Monday February 26th and she was just fine during her time there except for when I'd first arrived with her and when it was time to leave. This was because people wanted to see her, and I was moving around, talking, which all made her scared and defensive. During the work itself, she didn't raise a fuss.

 

From then on, I started bringing her along to work often, whenever possible, depending on the time and my hours there.

 

On Saturday morning March 3, Akina slept through the classes and all of their exercises. A week later, Akina was not so mellow. She growled like mad before classes began, because she hadn't transitioned into a deep enough sleep when I took her pouch out of the cage that morning. So, everything I did or that happened around her was rattling her a little more than I thought it should have. I did get her settled down nicely before classes got started, so as usual, she was mostly quiet throughout work except for the odd growl when I moved around too much on my breaks. usually when I shifted my position to get my mp3 player out or put it back, and sometimes I might accidently bump the side of the pouch with an elbow or something. That didn't happen if I just sat still or was playing piano.

 

9:54 AM 07/05/2007

 

I should've named her Houdini!

 

Akina escaped on me in the morning, when I was about to take her out to be with me for the day. Sugar gliders are supposed to be sleeping tight in daylight hours, and sometimes they are in such a deep sleep that they don't even seem to notice when you move their pouch out of the cage. Akina was apparently not even sleeping when I went to take her out. She shot out of the pouch when I had it out of the cage, and before I could even react, she had jumped off me and onto the floor.Argh - but she had peed in her pouch during the excitement, so hopefully didn't do anything on the floor.

 

Our bonding had not been going as quickly as I'd like since the last escape setback, adding to the delay my unstable hand temperatures throughout the up and down weather, and my having to wait for a proper carrying pouch to take her in. I can't make my own because of vision problems and have been looking online but could find no sugar glider suppliers near enough to me that don't cost about twice as much as straight out buying a pouch locally due to shipping, the exchange etc.

 

I had planned to carry her around in her wonderful new pouch, but had to put that on hold so it could be washed and dried.

 

Catching her wasn't much trouble, and this time I made sure not to touch her in the process. Gliders don't care for broad daylight, so will try to find a dark place to retreat if they escape. Akina had got under neath a small dresser. I put her cage pouch in a little way after her, so she could crawl inside that. When she did, I caught her and shut the pouch, then tried to reassure her through the pouch. It took her a while to stop growling, she was very excited and frightened after this adventure. But silly Akina, this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't bolted in the first place!

 

6:01 PM 19/09/2007

 

Akina's behavior changed gradually from the earlier months of the summer, where she always tried to put her head up in reaction to my attempts at putting my hand in the pouch. By the beginning of August, she was getting better about that, but still was more likely to try to greet my hand with her face, which I didn't trust not to growl, snap, or lick and then turn to attempted nibbling.

 

In the beginning, when she was likely to be quite defensive, she would soon position herself in an upright position, head back so that her snout would be the first thing you'd see or be confronted with when you opened her pouch. She tended to be a light sleeper, and would react this way, often combined with growling, tensing, giving the impression of being a very defensive, highstrung sort of animal. Just the act of carefully opening the pouch to look in would cause this.

 

That gradually decreased over the months of July and August as she became accustomed to spending the day with me. By mid September, Akina's posture and movements were no longer defensive when her pouch was opened for people to look inside at her. But growling, though a lot less often and for less periods, might still occur.

 

Akina has come to like massages from outside the pouch, and much of the time no longer objecting to me reaching in to touch her.

 

So much is dependent on gaging a glider's reaction before determining if it's wise to take a bond to the next step. Akina has succeeded past the most nervous new stage, and things could only get better.

 

It's always a good idea to initiate contact from outside the pouch until you and a glider become very familiar and bonded. This way, if she's feeling spooky and does anything like tense, tremble, startle, grumble, or all out growl, you can tell just by feeling this from the outside of the pouch. Then you can try again later. She has to first get used to simply being carried around and to all the everyday noises and activity before she's hit with something new.

 

If she doesn't react to gentle touches and rubs from outside of the pouch, or if she only reacts by soft clicking, which might be accompanied by a lazy shift in her position, that means she's relaxed enough to venture further and open the pouch. If she keeps her head down, you can slowly start putting a finger in, or your hand when you begin getting a little more familiar. And then, you yourself have to be in the right mood, very calm and relaxed, or else the glider may sense your apprehention and become nervous. It takes time and patience, and knowing a good opportunity when it comes up to help a bond to grow and be careful not to try pushing things before either of you are ready to.

 

5:23 AM 01/10/2007

 

On September 26, 2007, Akina was touched by other hands besides mine - for the first time since she arrived back in February.

 

I had taken her to work since it started up again in early September, and she had growled a little during the first couple of days.

 

After a couple of weeks of taking her to work, she still growled on Saturday morning, the 22nd, probably because she was still transitioning from just dozing off to a deeper sleep. Brettainy had asked me if Akina was ready to receive attention from the class yet - they are all very excited about this.

 

I don't know which of us made what movement that spooked Akina, but she growled.

 

Brettainy chuckled a little and said "I guess that's a no."

 

Hehe!

 

Akina growled the following Monday when I went shopping with Mom at Costco, and brought Akina along. And of all people Akina has to be around when she decides to have one or several outbursts of mouthing off, Mom is the LAST person I want to be present. The sound of a sugar glider's growl irritates the living tar out of her, and understandably so. It's loud, ugly, and intimidating, so, an excellent defense for a little critter to help scare off anything larger than itself.

 

Then on Wednesday, Akina did a couple of unexpected things and pleasantly surprised me.

 

First, I was on my computer, and decided to take a little break and rub Akina through her pouch.

 

Depending on her reaction, I would take things further or leave her alone and try again later.

 

This time, her reaction made me laugh because it was so unexpected.

 

She chattered. It's the sound I had come to associate with her during active play time, and it is sharper and louder than a purr.

 

Unlike a purr, which seems to be associated with breathing, this sound must involve some jaw movement, because Akina's head vibrated. Not her whole body, just her head. It was a real strange sensation.

 

I didn't disturb her any further, because if she was in the mood to play, I wasn't keen on letting her use my fingers as a toy - Akina's idea of play has been pretty rough.

 

Later, at work, she slept, and was so calm that I reached in to pet her when there was some time to spare.

 

After work, when the students wanted to know if they could see her, I carefully opened the pouch again, and got no reaction from Akina. This meant she must've been comfortable with this. So the next thing I did was put my hand in to pet her. Again, no reaction. Good!

 

Then, I kept my hand in position, with my fingers on her head and shoulders, and invited the children to take turns putting their hands in behind mine to touch the fur on her back.

 

They did, and Akina did not stir.

 

Wonderful!

 

Though knowing when to introduce a glider to new people requires the same careful gaging of her mood as getting her used to her owner, so, that's why putting your hand in before a strange person does at this stage is a great idea. If she's started feeling that your touch is safe and secure enough, she isn't so likely to freak if your hand is also there when a new person wants to touch her. It can also go a long way in preventing someone else getting bit if the glider becomes alarmed. Eventually a well socialized glider can become as sweet and friendly as to greet you and strangers alike with purrs and licks, but it takes a lot of time and patience to get to that point.

 

All the rest of that week, Akina remained calm and she sure didn't object whenever I put my hand in the pouch to give her a rub. She has not come awake and tried to make an escape when I've taken her pouch out of the cage for the day. Not since early summer.

 

She started learning that it's nice to be in the pouch when I take some time to bask in the sun that comes in my room window. Something else she learned to enjoy starting in the early fall was being taken into bed in the morning for a cuddle. Not a direct hands-on cuddle, but one where I'd lie on my side with one hand underneath her pouch, supporting her. The growl has been replaced with purring. Earlier in the summer of 2007, she tended to growl whenever her pouch was in a lying down position with me, probably security issues. I had to put one of my hands over top of her and rub her to make her feel more secure with that so she'd stop growling. If I withdrew my hand, sometimes she would start growling again. But a couple months later, and she got much more comfortable with the various positions of a carrying pouch.

 

So, the bond officially went forward in a big way.

 

It just goes to show how a heck of a lot of patience, with a new glider, eventually pays off, even when sometimes it seems like there is no progress being made.

 

She did have one more escape one day in the winter of 2007/2008, and that was my fault for forgetting to close both cage doors when putting her back. Because she wasn't bonded enough to me, she didn't come to me and would scurry whenever I approached her.

 

Finally I took the cage out of its bin and set it on its own on the floor, with both doors open.

 

When I heard Akina go in and start climbing around inside, I shut the doors and put the cage back in its bin - which is there to catch much of the mess she makes with her food and spraying etc.

 

4:40 PM 29/02/2008

 

It's been months and weeks of patience, nerve and consistancy, and it paid off.

 

Akina still growls during car trips at times, and at my work place, although she has absolutely no reason to. It's as if she likes the sound of her voice in those places.

 

But she is very handlable now, letting me take her out of the pouch to hold. She still tries to push the limits and go from licking to nibbling, but it's not defensive, so I still have to be gentle but firm and very consistent in what I'll allow her to do. Now, she looks around a little, then dozes off, sometimes purring. She is becoming a very licky glider, and now that we're no longer so nervous of each other, I'm encouraging this just as I had done with my first glider, who had become amazingly affectionate. Akina is well on the way.

 

She was petted by a few girls at work for the first time on Feb. 28, 2007, and had even licked some of their fingers.

 

Having only just become so trusting and settled, this is a critical time to make sure there are absolutely no other setbacks, escapes, accidents or anything else that might make her revert back to becoming defensive.

 

2:19 PM 14/07/2008

 

By this date, it's clear that Akina has learned to like and trust me a lot. She no longer greets me with growling when I put my hand in the pouch to pet her. She rarely even tries to mouth my hand out of curiosity now, hoping to get a treat out of it.

 

She chatters, and chatters, and chatters some more. Sometimes she'll include greeting hisses and semi-barks which sound really cute. These are communication sounds that she also uses when she's in the cage and wanting my attention.

 

Akina purrs a lot more now that we're much more physical, and she has learned that getting stroked and body massages feels pretty darn good, but she still has her days when she just doesn't like to be disturbed.

 

Gliders that aren't socialized yet and don't know what they're missing when they growl at you for trying to get close to them, seem to do just fine that way, but if they can get passed that and really learn that you're their friend, the transition from growling monster to purring little ball of fluff is pretty amazing.

 

Akina still tries to lick, and go from licking to nipping, but it's definitely not mean-spirited or defensive at this stage. So now with the bond having grown to this extent, it should be easier to begin teaching her which is acceptable.

 

Akina's next challenge will be learning to be comfortable with handling by other people besides me. She didn't take well to my friend carrying her around in a public place a week and a half before this section of her story was written. I have a plan to get her accustomed, it worked very well with Mia and should work with her. I wasn't able to use this method on this outing because I was busy working.

 

The plan is to put my hand into the pouch first, and then let whoever would like to touch her, put their hand in after me. If a sugar glider has really started getting used to and knowing her owner, she'll be less likely to freak out if her owner's hand is there to reassure her when a stranger tries to touch her. Eventually, a glider can get past this and welcome anyone's hand into their pouch.

 

Of all the progress Akina has made, the one thing she just can't seem to get over is her dislike of riding in the car. She still growls more often than not once the car starts up and is on its way. Even when I quiet her, she is likely to start up again a few minutes later. This makes taking her anywhere a bit of a challenge because the noise is more than a little distracting, and by the time we get somewhere, she is semi-upset, not so calm as at home. This means she is more likely to start growling at any strange sound or smell wherever I've taken her.

 

2:56 AM 18/01/2009

 

Akina still grumps, she just seems to be naturally one of those creatures who just doesn't like getting disturbed, and has to be awakened gently.

 

Her nibbles at play are gentler, but still discouraged, so getting less often or maybe just less successful as I am good at avoiding her teeth during play.

 

She plays some very cute games with me. To start with, she will often make a noise at me when she wants my attention. A chatter, chuff, part bark part squeak, or a full on bark, or hiss. These are friendly sounds that show she seems to anticipate she's about to get my attention.

 

When I clean out her bowl and put it back in her cage every night after refilling it, Akina often barrels for the cage door entrance and gets out. But she hangs around. The cage is set in a large, tall bin to localize the mess she makes out the wire and prevent it getting all over everything near it. She likes to crawl down into the bottom of the bin, or climb around on the cage and sometimes along the top of the bin. She seems to like me catching her on and around the cage, so I have to herd or put her back in. She has even licked my finger when I've done this.

 

Another game she plays is really cute, it's almost like a puppy, but thankfully she's not as quick with the mouth and jaws. She comes up to my hand, lies on her back or leans against the side of the cage wire, exposing her belly. She obviously likes getting belly rubs, but while she gets them, she also tries to get the mouth to finger connection going, and I'm too quick for that. Her posture is relaxed during this. However, if she would eventually learn to cut out any and all attempts at nibbling in favor of licking, she would get all the mouth to hand contact she wants. It is very cute, it looks a bit like a glider hand wrestling match with a bit of tag thrown in.

 

She's not so sure about me trying to scoop her up during play time in the cage. But I've been very cautious trying to introduce contact to her since she had a few scary escapes when she was still new here, and I was having issues with very cold hand temps and in need of better carry pouches, and couldn't take her places because she tended to be so loud with the growling. Things have gotten better, but it takes a glider quite a lot of time to mellow out, and they can get calmer, more affectionate and therefore, cuter and cuter throughout their whole lives.

 

5:31 AM 16/02/2009

 

Ah, bonding is sweet.

 

I have been playing with Akina by putting my hands in her cage, so much that we are becoming very familiar and comfortable with each other. She has gotten to the stage where I finally wrapped a hand around her whole body and started massaging her, the way I used to do to Mia all the time.

 

Akina didn't make any indications of wanting to be let go, no squirming, nipping, growls, nothing. She just stayed still and let me keep up the contact. Her body relaxed in my hand until she eventually let go of the cage wire with one front paw, and then the other. When you are handling a glider and they relax so much that they let go of whatever they are gripping with their paws, there is no doubt that is a sign of trust.

 

The massage lasted several minutes, I didn't time it. Later on, I went and repeated it, and she was even more relaxed, letting go of the cage wire with her front paws right away. When I shifted myself to get more comfortable, she didn't begin to squirm, she just stayed there, letting me continue to rub her around her whole body and under the chin, and around her head and neck.

 

This is an important step. It happened with Mia within the pouch at first, but with Akina, all these developments are happening at night from within her cage. Perhaps this will carry over into the day time when she is in her pouch as well. Unlike Mia, Akina has always been quite cranky about disturbances during the day. However, once gliders discover a good thing, they can't get enough of it, day or night. I am hoping this will lead to her learning to welcome all attention during the day when she is in her pouch as well, instead of being accepting one day, and growly the next.

 

 

1:00 AM 15/03/2009

Akina has been gradually getting bolder and more and more curious since becoming familiar and trusting of my handling and holding her from within the cage.

She always tries to come out when I open the cage door, lately climbing upward toward me rather than downward into the bottom of the bin that contains the cage.

Today I held her while she was still on the door, and she loved that. Later on when I went to play with her some more, she did the same thing, climb out and up toward me, and loving the hands on. But she seemed a bit more persistant about climbing out and exploring somewhere.

I wouldn't let her do that, so dared to gently pick her up off the door and hold her close to my neck the way I used to hold Mia when she was still here.

This time, Akina didn't get frightened. She was mildly curious and wanting to look around, but she clucked when I massaged her. She still squirmed a little, but it wasn't a stressed wanting to get away as much as wanting to explore and play.

When I thought she was squirming a little too much and might begin to get nervous, I put her back in the cage.

This can only mean there will be more holdings out of the cage as well as inside it from now on.

 

1:56 AM 17/03/2009

I held Akina outside of the cage again, and this time she was even more relaxed, settling down in my hands a lot more. She purred and licked my neck. No nibbles this time, though I am always on my guard against that possibility.

 

3:31 AM 18/03/2009

Oh, man, an honest to goodness long cuddle, like the kind I used to have with Mia all the time! This time, Akina held still in my hands for a long time, purring like mad, and occasionally licking my neck. The wonderful thing this time is that it was even longer than last time, and took her less time to stop squirming and settle down.

What a treat! Yes, tons of patience and perseverance pays off, even though it sure doesn't feel like it at times, but when headway like this is made, it is all worth while!

 

 

 

5:08 PM 25/03/2009

Akina has officially bonded.

It's been a few days of me taking the next step, holding her out of the pouch during the day. She took a little time to settle down the first day, but eventually she purred and fell asleep. I held her a very long time and even moved about the house with her. Occasionally she licked my hand, and if she took a nibble, I'd jerk and tell her "no." and she would stop, so I think she's finally starting to learn that nibbling won't get her any rewards.

The next day, I took her out and held her again, and this time she settled immediately.

Today I haven't held her, but lay down and took her pouch in bed with me. She now loves this, a complete change from the way she used to react.

I took some time to reach into the pouch while sitting at my computer. She just purred.

7:01 PM 25/03/2009

Now as I watch the Flames and the Pens, she remains quiet.

At this rate, she'll be ready to take out in public, including to work, people have been asking for her there lately.

 

 

 

3:48 AM 30/03/2009

In addition to this bonding, Akina is still very vocal. She still chatters, hisses, chuffs, and makes that cute half-squeak half-bark for my attention. She did the squeak-bark thing at me about four times in succession, a couple of times she combined it with a hiss. That is her contact call for me to come to her cage and pay attention to her. It's too cute when she does this a few times over, every time I put her back and leave to do something else.

Akina's licking is increasing while her attempts at nibbling is decreasing, and I'll continue to gently encourage one behavior and discourage the other until she becomes as gentle as Mia had been. She is definitely well on the way. During her last play time with me, she stood on my hand and licked for a long time before even attempting a nibble. The bond is quickly strengthening now that we've established a solid basic trust of each other.

The spring break is almost over, and I will be taking her to work with me this week, during the times when it is practical. If there is time for people to see her, I'll allow it as long as she behaves, and will advise everyone how to approach her.

I have a dentist appointment coming up next month, and will take her there as well. They got such a big kick out of her the last time I brought her along and she growled at the drill. I didn't think either the dentist or his assistant were going to recover from the prolonged fits of laughter, it was too funny! Even more hilarious was that someone from work, a mother of one of the dance students was there as well, and when she heard what was going on, she figured out it was me and my possum!

 

 

 

5:53 AM 06/06/2009

This morning, Akina showed excitement and affection when I went to get her out of her cage pouch and put her in the carry pouch for the day. She gave my hand a lot of excited licky kisses, the way my previous glider used to do all the time. If she is going to be anything like Mia, this behavior will continue to increase, and it is just too cute.