How to Make a Bonding Pouch for a Sugar Glider

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Published by
Jimmy at
August 29, 2017

Sugar gliders can be incredibly enjoyable pets to raise. Their unique look makes them fun to look at, and their playful and active personalities make them fun to watch. Caring for your glider involves more than just delivering food and water. Because these animals are so small, they naturally work hard to protect themselves. Making a bonding pouch in which you can carry your glider will help your glider get to know and trust you, and eventually make a secure carrier for taking your glider away from its cage.

Choose materials. To make your bonding pouch, you will need material for both the pouch and for the carrying strap. You can use any material you like, but fleece is an excellent choice. It is soft and cozy for your glider and will not fray like other materials might after use. Also, tiny sugar glider toes are less likely to catch in fleece.
For the hanging cord, you can use yarn, a thick string, a length of the pouch material, or anything else that you feel comfortable wearing around your neck.

Cut the pouch sides. The pouch is very simple and only requires that you cut two sections of material that will make the front and back of the pouch. You can be creative with the design here and cut two circles, ovals, squares or rectangles. If you wish to make a flap for your glider pouch, simply make one section a bit taller than the other.
The pouch sides should be just slightly larger than your sugar glider. Keeping the glider cozy and close will make it feel more secure and keep it safer.

Sew the sides together. Using a needle and thread, sew the two halves together along three sides so that only one side is open. It is very important when sewing to use a small, tight stitch. Sugar gliders have tiny hands and feet, and they can get caught in a wider stitch. So take the time to make sure that the stitches you are using have as little space as possible between them.

Blunt the corners. To take care that your sugar glider does not cause damage to or get stuck in the corners at the bottom of the pouch, you will need to "box" the corners to make them more dull. Start with one corner. Poke it in to the pouch so that it makes a small triangle inside the pouch. Flatten it down so that from the outside, the pouch no longer has a sharp corner. Now, using the same small stitching style on the folded part, sew the indentation shut so that the poked in part is secure inside the pouch.
Do the same to the other corner.

Attach the cord. Cut a length of your cord material that is long enough to hang around your neck comfortably. The cord should allow the pouch the hang at your chest. Use the needle and thread to sew the cord to the top of the pouch.

Test the pouch. Use a small object like a rock or drink can to make sure that your pouch holds. Hang the pouch from your neck, put the object inside and jostle the pouch some. Make sure that the stitching, cord and pouch sides stay intact and you are ready to bond with your glider.