Sugar Gliders are not a craze or a fad, they are delicate and unusual pets that need extensive care, they can be very expensive and time consuming to keep.
They need a specialist diet, you cannot pop into your local pet shop to buy what they will need.
Oh yes, they look so cute, and sweet... and fluffy..., but don't be fooled! They are ferocious predators, in the wild they will easily catch small animals, they are natural born killers!
This gives you a clue that they can and will bite, they have very small, very sharp teeth as well as very strong little feet with claws. A forum I use calls them fluffy Cobras... sounds funny doesn't it? I mean, they are so sweet, so small and cuddly looking.. well trust me on this, Snuggie owners know exactly why they have this nickname, it is a very good description.
They are fast and furious and the noise they make will make you jump out of your skin.
If you are thinking of breeding these fascinating creatures, ask yourself why, then consider if anything upsets the parents they are quite likely to kill and eat their own Joeys. If their diet is wrong, again they are likely to turn cannibalistic.
Could you cope with that?
You think you could? Fine, how about their rather delightful toilet habits? They cannot control their bowel or bladder and will mess everywhere they go... and they can get to many places you couldn't.
They are aromatic little critters, they will wee all over you and rub their scent over everything, if you scrub and clean, they will simply scent mark all the more, a vicious circle.
Sugar Gliders are not for the squeamish
I've read of stories of owners sadly finding one of their much loved pets has died, if that wasn't horrible enough, these devastated owners have found their companions have eaten the eyes from their dead mate..
Not something you'd want your child to find one morning really is it?
Still reading?
They need a large cage, the bigger the better, they need time out of that cage for the essential poop spreading they are so good at, they also need plenty of toys and things to do, they are clever little things and easily get bored, so buy safe toys and change them often to keep them occupied, yes... more expense!
make sure the cage is secure, they are fantastic escape artists!
They love live insects and during feeding you'll see just how lightning fast they can be... amazing to watch, fairly gross when they take great pleasure in throwing bits of insect back at you.
They are nocturnal and have very delicate eyes, you cannot keep them in a brightly lit room, that would be very cruel... can you live in semi-darkness?
No bright TV's or fancy lights please, that's just nasty.
So you think you can handle all that? Yeah you think you want a Glider?
No, sorry again you are wrong, you cannot have a Glider, they are social animals that live in colonies, if you try and keep one, alone... it probably will die.
They need other Gliders, without company they are highly likely to self mutilate and die very quickly never ever consider keeping a Glider on it's own, that is selfish and cruel.
So we've got this far and you're still reading... that's good, however I am no expert and would highly recommend you reading and digesting all of the information you can get hold of.
Also make sure your local Vet knows about and can help you care for your Gliders.
Nice job...NOT! Scaring people is not the way to go... U need to educate yourself before posting your comments!
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ReplyDeleteRead up please! (previous comment deleted due to invalid hyperlink)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mynasga.org/
You make them sound like terrible creatures, yet I am going to assume you have one or more of your own... Why would you own a glider if you sound like you dislike them so much? And if you dont own any of these little critters you should do more research. Also, hampsters, birds, guinea pigs, tutles, rabbits, ferrets etc are all capable of eating there young and or doing harm with teeth/nails, people own them and will always own them, you do not need to live in the smelly dungeon you describe, you have to be persistent in cleaning and you need patience as well as the knowledge (the correct knowledge) of the species to provide a safe and loving home for them... You dont sound like you should own pets... maybe just pictures of them, pictures dont smell, you dont have to clean them and they wont bite you.
ReplyDeleteI think nteepp is only trying to paint a picture of sugar glider ownership on its worst day. Its important for a pet owner to know what they are getting into before they take a sugar glider home. They require a lot of care, and if the owner is not aware of this before hand, he or she may come to resent the little furry guys. I've seen a lot of people buy or adopt a pet they knew nothing about and returning days or weeks later because they can't handle the care it requires. Changing homes like that is traumatic even for more resilient animals. All the animals mentioned above have their own specialized care, but sugar gliders are even more specialized. The animal shelters of this world do not need to start taking in sugar gliders because some bonehead saw one on TV, bought one and then couldn't hack it. There are enough dog and cat owners doing that already. So thanks nteepp for offering a little insight on what sugar glider ownership is really like!
ReplyDeleteYeah, that picture is actually of my friend's sugar glider and she is that sweet all the time. I also own a pair, so let me clear this up:
ReplyDelete1. They do not have to eat live things. This is an outdated diet, look it up on the north American sugar gliders association (actually, it sets you straight on pretty much all of this :)
2. They're only scary when they haven't bonded to you, and you probably will get bit A LOT but it feels like a firm pinch and it won't be a problem once you learn how to hold them correctly.
3. You don't need to get 2 of them. As long as you give them enough attention they'll be okay.
That being said, they are a bit delicate because they are only about 2 ounces and I wouldn't recommend them for children/teenagers. They are pretty scary when you first get them and that COULD make a child want nothing to do with them.
3.
.....this sounds like a load of bologna.
ReplyDeleteAnyone that wants FACTUAL information on these furry little guys, go to this website http://www.sugargliderinfo.org/index.php
...they have an A+ from the BBB, which is more than I can say for this person. They refuse to sell their babies over the internet and will ONLY sell face-to-face, and they provide you with LIFELONG help and information after purchase.
Their website is very informative, and they cover the pros and cons of owning these little guys.