Okay this is a hard question for me because i should know the answer. My little momma (her nickname) got out of the cage a few moments ago. She still isn't very hand tamed though i have been working with her. I grab a wash rag and slowly called her to me. Then I had to grab her quickly with the wash rag and pick her up and put her back in cage. She was crabbing and trying real hard to get away. The question is: I saw 2 babies in her pouch (well sorta out of and in) earlier today, will that hurt her and the babies? I tried hard to not stress her but I'm not sure. Please help! She already lost her first joeys on Christmas day. Thank you for all the help you can give.
Proud mom of 8 babies: 6 dogs (Layla, Chloe, Hollie, and Chevy, Cash, and Sienna) and 2 adorable Gliders (Jester, Honey Dew)
If you were gentle in picking your little girl up with the cloth and the babies didn't dislodge from her nipple, they should be okay. Momma should be ok too. Keep working with her several times through out the day but don't push her. Work slowly with her. Try to hand feed her: some licky, a piece of her favorite fruit or even a mealy to coax her. This will also re-enforce that your hand is a safe thing. While she's eating her treat, gently pet her. She will learn that you're not going to hurt her. You will eventual earn her trust. Just keep working with her in the hand taming. If she is not hand tamed yet, you may run into a protective momma because not sure about you yet. Consistancy is the key.
Before mine were hand tamed and I needed to catch them quickly, I grabbed their pouch, sat it front of my sugie and he crawled right in. If they smell their own scent they should go right to it knowing it's their safety zone.
CLP6 is VERY right, be careful that you dont dislodge the joey from the nipple before they are oop
personally, I would wait until the joeys are oop before getting the mother out of the cage to hand tame again, just make sure that the father is around, he has a major role to play and best of luck
Ryan
Love my babies :)
5 gliders (Icarus, Zore, Ann, Nick, and Nancy (and their babies :D)
1 manx cat (Sphinx)