Sugar Gliders?

[wingittim]

My youngest daughter came home a few weeks ago and asked me to get here two sugar gliders... she's getting to the age where she can start takinging care of her own pet(s). My other daughter and two boys all have thier own pets and take great care of all of them. My only concern is the gliders would have to be in a busy part of the house for bonding reasons, that would happen to be where i keep the four chins, is there any concerns about putting the two animials in near proximity? I'll do my own reasearch but I have come to really trust all of your advice.

 

[threewingedfury]

Ok, the gliders don't need to be in a busy part of the home. They're going to sleep during the day anyway, you're going to want them in a quiet place. For bonding - you're going to want to use a bonding pouch, a bonding tent or playtime in the bathroom (make sure that the toilet and all drains are closed and nothing toxic can be found). Gliders are high maintenance animals, nothing like chins. They require a lot of work and a special diet that is very costly. Their vet expenses are also rather high.

I do not mix any of my species in the same rooms. My chins have their own building, my gliders have their own room. If a glider got out of it's cage, it could easily find a way into a chin's cage if the wire spacing is large enough. Not a great idea. I have woke up to gliders on my nose before from escapees... so it does happen.

 

[Kawaii_Hedgie_Chin_Love]

How old is your daughter? A glider can take a lot of dedicated hard work. If you decide to get one, try a couple visits with it/them before you purchase. This way you can get used to how to interact with them, their smells (which are often a big turn off for new time owners, make sure you can handle the smell) and see if the owner will take you through a feeding routine. Many gliders are quite intelligent and if your latches/doors aren't heavy enough, they will find a way to open them up, trust me.
like threewinged said, they will be far better off in a quiet location, rather than a busy one, and bonding with a suggie is not like bonding with a chin. They are very much nocturnal, not like chins that don't mind so much being woken up in the daytime. They will grumble, loudly, and some even bite if you try to wake them. They love their sleep. Keeping their cage in a busy location won't help as far as bonding either, they will be fast asleep and the light/noise will disrupt their sleeping patterns. Bonding is best done with a bonding pouch, or play time in the evening or very early morning.

 

[luluchin9]

OK,

For the longest time I could not decide on chinchillas or sugar gliders. What finally sealed the deal for me was the fact that if you have ever been around ferrets, you know that they are stinky animals because of their animal scents, not necessarily the pee and poo but the pheremones. Well, sugar gliders are the same way, they are stinky animals and plus the bonding thing could be really really cool, but it takes a LONG time and a LOT of patients! But good luck in your choosings =]

 

[cremellomare]

While I loved owning sugar gliders, I don't recommend them for kids at all. I guess it depends how old your child is, but sugar gliders are messy stinky critters that make a lot of noise. Their cage was always a disaster along with the wall behind it and the floor. If you think chins are messy, sugar gliders are way worse. I got tired of scrubbing walls and the cage weekly. I also got tired of making their food mix stuff and dusting food with the reptile minerals stuff. High maintenance is an understatement. Have you thought about another pet like rats? My kids have four of them, they are easy to feed and they can take care of them by themselves with limited supervision.

 

[threewingedfury]

Yes, gliders are high maintenance animals, but it doesn't mean that they don't make great pets in general. I absolutely adore my gliders and I wouldn't trade them for the world. I've never had animals fall in love with me as my gliders do. I don't mind cleaning up after them or spending more time taking care of them than I do my chins. I spend more money in a month feeding my 9 gliders than I do feeding almost 70 chinchillas, but it's well worth it. You have to have a special place in your heart for these animals, if you don't, then you shouldn't own them because they're like children.

As far as kids go, I never recommend them for children under the age of 10. My niece and nephew were raised around my gliders and they play with them each time they come to my home, but that's with me standing directly beside them. Now on the other hand, I never let a glider go to a home for a child under 18 unless the parent signs a contract stating that the animal is the sole responsibility of the guardian, not the child. I also make the children do a lot of research and I quiz them. Most parents make a trip over to my home to see how well the children react to the gliders. Then again, my joeys are very tame and are raised around youth, but that doesn't guarantee that any other glider you get will be.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

i agree,
they are alot of maintence, with that said id choose the chinchillas over them but when it comes to personality and interaction id choose the sugar gliders..lol i love them both

 

[PintoLady09]

The biggest concern about sugar gliders that I could see that was not mentioned is the life span. I have two gliders now that came from a home where the girl went to college and could not take them with her. I also have seen many many MANY gliders have to be rehomed for the very reason. Kids are getting gliders and since they are so young, they don't know what kind of lifestyle they are going to have after school... regardless of what kind of school they are in. I currently have 6 gliders and all are bonding to me in a different time span... Each one is different and I wouldn't trade any of them. I love gliders. They make great pets. They just need attention and a stable home. And they are a long term commitment.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[ann1]

Another thing i might add to is from what i've heard about gliders is you really want to get them when they are very young to start the bonding process. Adult gliders that weren't held much or bonded with can be quite mean and rather hard to bond with....i'll take my chinnies any day over a glider but thats just me...

 

[PintoLady09]

Most of that is a myth. 4 of the 6 gliders I have now were all 2 years old or more when I bought them. One of them is 7 months old and then one of my pairs had a joey, so he doesn't count. Taking the time to carry them in a bonding pouch, and spend "tent" time with them has allowed them all to bond to me nicely. They have taken their own pace, and actually, the 7 month old has/is taking the longest to bond. Don't get me wrong, this is just my experience with my gliders. A lot has to do with their life before you and their breeder. Take my joey for example. I've been handling him since day one and so he's use to human hands and scent. He's just about to turn 8 weeks OOP, which is minimum age for them to leave mom and dad, and I feel that he would bond nicely to any person who just spends some time with him.

 

[ann1]

Most of that is a myth. 4 of the 6 gliders I have now were all 2 years old or more when I bought them. One of them is 7 months old and then one of my pairs had a joey, so he doesn't count. Taking the time to carry them in a bonding pouch, and spend "tent" time with them has allowed them all to bond to me nicely. They have taken their own pace, and actually, the 7 month old has/is taking the longest to bond. Don't get me wrong, this is just my experience with my gliders. A lot has to do with their life before you and their breeder. Take my joey for example. I've been handling him since day one and so he's use to human hands and scent. He's just about to turn 8 weeks OOP, which is minimum age for them to leave mom and dad, and I feel that he would bond nicely to any person who just spends some time with him.

Thats why I said if they weren't held much.
I'm sure if the glider was a loving pet before and some circumstance arose that a person couldn't or wouldn't be able to care for it anymore it would make a great pet and quite easy to bond with. on the other hand if you were to adopt a 2 yr old who hadn't been handled much it might be hard to do.

Not saying impossible but she mentioned it was for her child and I just thought i'd throw that out there. I just suggested to do her research more on where and who she is dealing with when purchasing a glider (any pet for that matter but since we were talking gliders....)