In Early spring 99 we got a call from a woman who was looking to unload
several sugar gliders.  They were her daughters pets and she (the
daughter) was marrying soon and did not have the time to spend with the gliders.
When we arrived we discovered three gliders, a breeding pair (the male was
never named) that we dubbed Brad and Janet in one cage, and a single male
in a smaller cage.  We paid the woman for the cages, (against my gut
instinct) and left.

Once we got home we discovered that the gliders were in bas shape.  Brad
and Janet were obese for gliders.   Rocky was almost dead.  He screamed every
time your touched him.  If you came near him he reared back in the hands
up posture and ratcheted like their was no tomorrow.  He was not able to walk
or climb.

Once I realized what was wrong with him (Nutritional Osteodystrophy {Hind
leg Paralysis}) I immediately sent an email to bourbon and posted to
several groups to find help while searching the web like a demon.  Once I got a
Ledbetter's recipe (reinforced with NeoCalglucon) I started the feedings.
Every three to four hours as much Ledbetter's, juice, and water as I could
force down his gullet.  Every night I cried myself to sleep, afraid that
he would die before I awoke for the next feeding.  This went on for five days
and nights until he started showing an interest in food again and was able
to feed himself.

While he as out of danger things were still not right.   He still did not
act like a glider.  He was not able to walk correctly for several months
but eventually he was able to jump and glide.

I eventually got the story from the lady we got the gliders from:  Rocky
(named for Rocky Balboa for fighting to live so hard) had been the first
litter of Brad and Janet's.   Janet had been a pocket pet until she was
almost a year old.  Then Brad was purchased and put in the cage with here
and they were both basically ignored.  Rocky came along and was give to
the young girl's fiancée.  This person had no idea how to feed or raise a
glider.   Rocky was fed saltines and honeycomb and was lucky he lived long
enough to get to me.

Janet never recovered from the loss of her human.  She never gentled down
to being with other people.  Eventually she got preggers again and the strain
of having another baby was too much for her to handle.  She stressed and
ate the joey before it ever saw the light of day and died herself a couple of
weeks later.  I think she actually died of loneliness.  The necropsy
showed no physical reason for her death.

About three weeks after Janet died I came home from work and found Rocky
so weak he could not even cry out.  There was no sign of injury and he had
been eating just fine.  He died in Mike's hands that night.  Since I could not
afford a necropsy I buried him in the flower garden.   I just broke down
and bawled.

Thinking of Janet and Rocky still brings tears to my eyes.  They are the
reason we added the Rescue to our company name, Glider Adoptions and
Rescue. I just could not bear to think of another glider being mis-treated like
this.  The next time I rescue a glider in the shape these wonderful babies
were in I will report the owners for abuse.