A DEPRESSED FLYER!

[mrgntrusdl]

I had one female and one male flyer.
Just lost my male about 2 weeks ago and the female is not taking it too well.
She's eating but appetite has decreased and I think she's loosing weight.
She pretty much stays hiden now not very social.
I really think she's heartbroken!
Would a new companion help???

[SammysMom]

Better to address a few question first. Can you tell us what happened to the male? The best thing to start with is to tell us what your flyer's diet is. Specifically, what does she eat every day? How old is she and how old was the male that you lost?
By the way...:Welcome :Welcome :Welcome

[Skul]

I'm one of those crazy flyer people.
Your little girl will be a bit confused for a short time.
Getting another right away may not be the best.
She can still smell the male, and no doubt wonder where he is.
I don't have any idea as to how they were together, so I might make a couple suggestions.
Remove and wash/clean items that they shared.
Do a slight re-arrangement of items in her cage.
If possible, let her out to play and run with you.
This will allow her to better bond back to you.
Getting a new companion right now, may cause some conflict.

[MiriamS]

:Welcome and I'm sorry about your lost flyer. You've found the right place for a :grouphug and information.

Sammysmom and Skul both made great points. If you can give us a short history, we can help make sure your little girl is as healthy as possible physically while we try to help her emotionally.

If you're home at all during the day, I might suggest doing some shirt bonding even if you'd given that up after babyhood. If she was used to spending her days cuddled up with her boyfriend, that's a lot of alone time to adjust to so I bet it would be reassuring to her to cuddle with you. You can do this even in the evening since you said she's been hiding. Just scoop her out or lure her with a nut treat and then once she's in your shirt or pouch, she'll probably curl up and be cozy.

[psychobird]

how did the male die? i would be worried about whatever killed him may have been contagious

[mrgntrusdl]

Both my male and female would be about 20 weeks now.
They were very close! They always snuggled together day and night.
I had them together since they were 7 weeks.
I would frequently hold my flyers indoors and outdoors.
A few weeks ago I was sitting on my porch with the both of them.
I don't know if they heard a noise or smelt something but for some reason my female (Sugar) went darting off my porch steps and headed up an oak tree which is very out of character because there almost terrified if not hooked on my ****.
Next thing you know there goe's my male (Oakley) right behind her.
I was immediatley in a panic as it was getting dark.
I brought out snacks and for about 3 hrs was outside with a flashlight trying to coax them down. I could see them running acrossed the branches obviously having a ball! Finally Sugar jumped onto my shirt (I guess she was done playing.) I then got up twice in the night searching for Oakley but we had a horrible storm that night. And I live in the woods were Owls are flying around at all hours. For the next few days I left snacks in the crack of the tree hoping he'd return. But he never did. :( He was not used to the wild so I assume the worst.

Her diet consists of fruits and veggies, HHB's, Yogurt, Freeze dried chicken.
I've been spoiling her latley with Avacodo (her favorite). She is still eating the chicken and HHB's. But she is on strike with the fruits, veggies, and yogurt...She'll take a pecan or walnut as a snack. But the obvious weight loss worries me.

[psychobird]

Oh nooo, that is so heartbreaking :(
I'm so sorry :((((

[MiriamS]

OH that is heartbreaking! I am really sorry but we can always hope that Oakley made a go of it and is still having a blast in the trees. At least we know that it's not because of neglect, malnutrition or disease so that Sugar is safe from that.

FYI-a number of us flyer people have noticed that our furballs are rejecting their usual fruits and veggies so it's possible that Sugar's diet strike is seasonal. Even the ones in Texas are eating differently. Since you live near woods, it might be an ideal opportunity to offer her wild stuff. She might smell that it's spring and be holding out for buds and fresh shoots, branches, etc. It's always good to add that to a flyer's diet but if you're not already doing so, now's the time to start!

Keep Sugar with you as much as possible to make sure she's warm, comforted and cozy with you as her buddy. Other more experienced flyer people might also have advice. Do you know about National Flying Squirrel Association? It's a great place to post dilemmas just like this.

[mrgntrusdl]

That's a great idea! I'll have to go exploring for some treats.
And I did take Ms. Skuls advice about washing and moving around her bedding. Maybe that will help.
She seems to be slightly more active latley so hopefully she's starting to feel better.
Thanks for all your help! :thankyou

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Mrgntrusdl
I am Sorry to hear about Sugar and Oakley Scary Adventure. It will take some time for sugar to get over the loss of her Mate and Best Friend. :shakehead Just as Miriam said. Keep her close to you. She will be needing you now more then ever.:Love_Icon
Cuddling and Bonding is the Key. Tuck your shirt in your pants and Let her spend time inside. Some of mine will only go into my Pockets. The other like to be inside the shirt or Jacket. Bucky will still go down in to my Bra. :D
Did you Hang a Cage with a nest box on the tree they both ran off to? Make sure it is Secure. Do you feed the Birds, Or the Wild Squirrels? :thinking What about the wild Flyers? That is where you will find him is where the food and feeders are.
One more thing Check around your house. Look under, in between, Up, and Down the Patio. He would try to come back Home, to what he is Familiar with.
(Their was a lady who lost her Little Flyer almost like you. Out the 2 sorry window. She had look all night long. She found him the next morning Snuggled up under a Blanket she had covering the Plants.)
So keep looking and Calling him. Make the Flyer Chirping noise. See if he will answer back. Don't Loose Hope. :grouphug
PS
PLEASE do not take Sugar out side anymore. Only if she is Caged and/or going to a vet. :nono
Are you still offering FoxVally mix with Yogurt?
Are you offering and LIVE Wax Worms or Meal Worms?

[MiriamS]

Make the Flyer Chirping noise. See if he will answer back.
Right Mrs Skul, because we can all make the flyer chirping noise like you :rotfl :dono

[Mrs Skul]

CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! :D

[MiriamS]

Whether you can chirp or not, Mrs Skul's advice about hanging a nest box and leaving food is a really good idea. Oakley might not have survived the storm or he might have found his place in the wild but wouldn't it be wonderful to discover he'd been hanging around the whole time trying to get back to his Sugar?

[mrgntrusdl]

I will do that! Really the whole thing blows my mind.
That same night this happened I bought a second cage to seperate them until I could get a schedual on Sugars heats (which she still hasnt had one)
They ran away together like Romeo & Juliet ;(
I am greatful to have my Sug though. (:
And I will practice my chirp! (((;

[cuteascnb]

I will do that! Really the whole thing blows my mind.
That same night this happened I bought a second cage to seperate them until I could get a schedual on Sugars heats (which she still hasnt had one)
They ran away together like Romeo & Juliet ;(
I am greatful to have my Sug though. (:
And I will practice my chirp! (((;


oh my cant believe Im just seeing this...Morgan, Im so sorry about oakley! Any more news??? Have you seen him at all? An idea would be to sit outside with sugar in the cage and see if he pops out!

[Skul]

Just another thought.
Take a little of Sugar's bedding, and put some in the box you hang outside.

[mrgntrusdl]

I have tried bring Sug outside in her cage.
But we have not seen him since he took off. :(
Although Sug is doing ALOT better. She's eating more now and is much more active. (:

[psychobird]

what about putting his old cage with sugs bedding up in a tree?
maybe you will find him in it some morning

[Kristal]

I hope your boy comes back :( The greys and flyers cuddle up at night even during the very hot months of summer when it would be otherwise more comfortable to be alone... They do love to snuggle. :( I wonder if getting her a squirrel sized stuffy might be a little comforting? :dono One of my male greys got out by himself last autumn, and he did come back. It took him two days, though. Recently someone else posted a thread where his grey was gone for five days, iirc. He found his way back to their yard, too. Don't give up hope just yet. Maybe go out calling and looking for the little guy? The SFS will be active at night, so that is when I would think you should look. I don't know what their most active times of night are, but maybe someone else will.

[Kristal]

Well, if they are like greys, their most active time would be shortly after waking, and that would be dusk for SFS since they are nocturnal.

Perhaps an experienced flyer person can confirm or disconfirm that, please?

I do think you should be out tonight calling and looking for him and every night until all hope is lost. Good luck, and please keep us posted! :grouphug Solo flyers don't do so well, from what I hear, btw. They are very social and depend on their family and buddies to stay warm. They are just tiny guys up in the windy trees, after all.

[IrishHarps]

I have an SFS and I think they are actually more active once they have been up and running around a bit. They tend to be groggy when just waking up and take some time to eat a bit, groom themselves, and then they get active. For mine it's around 10 pm.