Lord Oliver... you naughty little man!

What fussy little things sugar gliders can be! Oliver is quite an exceptional little pet. He's the only one of my gliders who will "faint" when he doesn't want to be bothered. At first, this scared me because I thought he had some kind of condition, but my vet assured me that he was fine and that he was more than likely just "playing possum" - he is a marsupial, afterall.

So, last weekend, he and his Lady Reese had a little love-spat, and I had to separate them. I was not altogether sure they were going to be able to get along. Oliver is a quite a hyper little fellow, but Reese is a laid back and take it, easy, hunny! kinda gal. Sometimes, Oliver will decide he needs to assert himself, and he'll occasionally "tell the guy off" who lives in the cage next door. When he gets "lippy", sometimes, Reese will go over and smack him (yes, I know, that's wierd), and then just "give up" and go back to her pouch, but they always got along well! They are much like Archie and Edith Bunker. He gripes and complains, and she will always be there for him, but suffer quietly... and retreat to her equivalent of "the kitchen."

But last weekend, Oliver was in the mood for love, and Reese said "no" - and he nipped her. I will not have that kind of behavior, and I was fully prepared to keep them separate if I had to. Well, that plan didn't work out. Oliver began to pout (for lack of a better term/explanation), and although he didn't stop eating... his appetite certainly decreased. Not good.

So, we began to let them play together, but we still maintained their separate cages. Reese kept the house, and Oliver, reluctantly, moved into his bachelor pad. However, the supervised playtime went well, and soon, they were scampering all over the place, playing hide and seek, chase and leap, and glide from place to place.

Once we put Reese in for the night, Oliver was still out wandering around, but he wouldn't leave her area. He just kept pacing around the cage standing on his tip-toes and peeking in her cage. I thought, "Hmm." Then, Reese came over and looked at him through the bars (just like Juliet pining for her Romeo), and I watched (I should have taken a photo!). Oliver began licking her face through the bars... I think that was his equivalent of saying, "Honey, I'm sorry... if you'll just take me back --" . . . so, we let him back in. They've re-kindled their flame, and they are, once again, getting along well again.