Sugar gliders are social pets that use sounds such as barking to communicate with their owner and other sugar gliders. In captivity, you expect your pet to calm down upon attending to it. Therefore, whether your sugar glider continues barking after attending to it or not, we understand it is a matter of concern that requires your attention.
So, how do I get my sugar glider to stop barking? To stop your sugar glider from barking, you should first identify the cause of barking. Sugar gliders will bark when they are hungry, if they see strangers, or if they feel lonely. Thus, to stop barking, feed it if hungry, change the location of its enclosure to minimize its interaction with strangers, or get a companion for your pet if it is barking due to loneliness.
If you want to stop your sugar glider from barking, this is the ultimate guide for you. We help you find out why your sugar glider keeps barking, what it means when a sugar glider barks, why sugar gliders bark at night, and how to get your sugar glider to calm down. Read through the rest of the sections for more cool tips.
Sugar gliders are social animals and live in packs in the wild. They communicate and warn each other in these clusters through barking. In captivity, your sugar glider will bark to communicate something to you.
When sick, a sugar glider will keep barking without stopping to alert you. This bark will be chronic, and your pet will not stop even after giving it food or removing the threat. If you notice this, take a closer observation at your pet and check for a white film on its eyes or other signs of ill health. If you see anything suspicious, take your pet to the vet for further treatment.
Continuous barking could also be triggered by an estranged creature or object in your pet’s enclosure. Thus, to be safe, do not ignore your pet’s bark but take time to identify the source and deal with it.
Meaning of barking
Sugar gliders use different sounds to communicate with members of their pack. The sound of their bark is similar to a squeaky toy or small puppy.
The sugar glider’s bark serves as a warning or a call to their owners or pack. An alert sugar glider will bark to let everyone in the pack know of a present intruder. In captivity, this will happen in case of a stranger, strange pet, or if your sugar glider hears unfamiliar noise from outside.
Sugar gliders will also bark to let you know they are hungry if you feed them on a routine and miss or delay one of their feedings. In such a case, you should feed your pet to immediately stop the barking.
A sugar glider will also bark when bored to demand your attention. Some owners report that after giving their sugar gliders attention, the barking stopped. Thus, if you suspect your pet is barking due to loneliness, go to its enclosure, talk to it, or pick it up, and, when it stops barking, place it back to the cage. You can repeat this process severally to establish if loneliness is the cause of the barking but do not be surprised if your sugar glider continues barking even after giving it your attention.
Night time Barking
Sugar gliders are nocturnal pets. This implies that they will spend most of the day asleep and remain awake during the night.
Due to its nocturnal nature, a sugar glider is likely to bark and make other noises at night than during the day. Thus, if you have them as pets, it is better to keep their cage away from where you sleep if you want undisrupted sleep.
You can also construct a sugar glider-proof cage to prevent the entry of unwanted pets into their cage. Barking at night could also be triggered by mood changes; therefore, understanding when your pet is happy or sad will enable you to coexist peacefully with it.
Calming down sugar gliders
Due to their sociable nature, sugar gliders require attention and strong interaction to remain calm in captivity. You should also provide enrichment through toys and company to avoid stressing your pet. A stressed sugar glider will experience hair loss, diarrhea, mutilation, and pacing, among other symptoms.
If your sugar glider becomes stressed out, you should calm it down by addressing the root of its stress. Common stressors include illness, poor diet, a dirty cage, loneliness, excessive handling, overcrowding, and excessive heat or cold in its enclosure. If your sugar glider has visible signs of ill health, take it to the vet for medical care.
Checking the status of your sugar glider’s cage will also help you rule out the cage conditions as its possible stressor and calm it down. The cage should have an optimal size to fit your pet such that it can stretch and run around.
You should also provide toys and hammocks to occupy your pet’s mind while inside its cage. This way, your pet will not become lonely. Alternatively, you can adopt a second sugar glider to provide company for your pet, given that these pets are social. A second sugar glider will provide company to your pet when you are sleeping.
If you consider a second pet, you should introduce them to each other gradually to prevent stress. This entails sticking to the standard acclimatization procedure. To do this, start with scent training and give your pets time to learn each other’s scent. Once they are familiar with each other, leave them for short periods and observe whether they will fight. If they do not fight, you can leave them together in the cage.
When considering a second sugar glider, you should equally increase the size of the cage to prevent overcrowding. You should also ensure that the cage is always clean and non-scented to prevent the breeding of disease-causing microorganisms.
Sugar gliders are very energetic pets and providing enough playrooms in captivity goes a long way towards calming them down. You should fill this room with pouches and perches to alter your pet’s mood and reduce stress. The room should also be glider-proof to prevent injury to your pet. You should also check the location of your pet’s cage such that it is not too close to the window. This way, your pet will interact less with new strangers and animals, making it calmer. If buying a new sugar glider, you can calm it down from the first day by giving it a few days to adjust. After two to three days, your pet will be calmer and exhibit less or no signs of stress from its relocation.
To familiarize yourself with your pet, offer treats such as fruits or vegetables or put plain yogurt on your finger to attract it. If your glider does not come for the food, give it more time. When offering treats, embrace slow movements with a soft voice to avoid startling your pet. At this stage also, you should not try to pick your pet.
Also to note is that since gliders rely on scent for familiarization, you can speed up the process by hanging your fabric in their cage for a day. This will help your pet get used to your scent, making your next interaction easier.
Finally, you should check your sugar glider’s diet to ensure it gets everything it needs, bearing in mind its favorite treats and cravings. The sugar glider is omnivorous, and a diet comprising fruits, vegetables, and insects will be ideal.
You should also minimize your interaction to a glider-proof room for your pet’s safety. During this interaction, give your pet treats if it comes to you and creates a routine by maintaining the same interaction time until your pet is familiar with you.
Wrap Up
Sugar gliders are friendly pets, and, in the wild, they live in packs. They use different sounds to communicate or alert the members of their pack of impending danger. They will bark mostly at night since they are nocturnal animals.
Your pet will bark to demand your attention if it is hungry or if it sees strangers or strange animals in captivity. Addressing the source of distress will therefore calm your pet and stop the barking.
While it is easy to stop your sugar glider from barking, a sick glider will bark without stopping even after giving it treats. Thus, if you notice this, you should check for any signs of ill health and take your pet to the vet for treatment.
Finally, sugar gliders, just like other animals, will become stressed and require you to calm down to prevent health side effects. If your pet is stressed due to relocation, train it slowly to familiarize with its environment and make the training enjoyable by giving it treats. You can also consider a partner, but you should gradually introduce them to each other to prevent unforeseen reactions. With good care and treatment, a sugar glider is an interesting pet for every pet lover.
