sugar gliders?

Question

are sugar gliders easy to take care of and are they expensive?

Answer 1

I answered a question similar to this the other day, so I've just copied my response:

They are fantastic pets, but they are not easy to take care of. Many gliders fall victim to neglect or rehomed several times because people were not aware of the 15 years of maintenance they would require.

They requre a large amount of space - a cage at LEAST 3-4 feet tall for one to two gliders, and play time outside of this cage in a safe area - I'd never let mine just play in the house because there are too many threats, so we set up a tent inside with toys for supervised play time and bonding time every night.

They need alot of attention. I always recommend two - no matter how much attention you give a glider, they are just too social and need the attention of another glider. They are completely nocturnal, so you have to be able to stay up late with them to socialize play and bond. To create and keep a good bond, you also need to keep them with you during the day while they sleep - there are tons of bonding pouches out there for just this purpose.

They require a highly specific diet, not just fruits and nuts as so many people believe. There is still little known about gliders in captivity (pretty much all the text books vets use are out of date and refer to wild gliders) - in the years they have been in captivity a few well balanced diets have been proven to keep gliders healthy and happy. I personally think the most commonly used proven diet is BML (bourbon's modified leadbeters). http://www.sugargliderinfo.com/nutrition... here is a link to a how-to and what you need for that diet - along with that blend they need fresh/frozen fruits and vegtables. The fruits and veggie list is specific, because some things are very harmful and can cause death or illness (pits from fruit, lima beans, ect).

Another thing to consider is no glider is alike. They are like humans in that each has a distinct personality. Many people purchase gliders because they are adorable and can be sweet and very bonded to their human. The key word here is CAN be bonded and sweet. Until you try and bond with a hyper, scared glider you may not be able to fully understand how crushing it can be - I have 5 gliders and only one is bonded. Despite my best efforts, the others just prefer to be left alone for the majority of the day. My bonded boy on the other hand will ride in my bra by day and beg for playtime a night... So just be prepaired - hope for a sweet baby but be prepaired for an animal that will never trust or like you...

To add to it, they can be expensive. Not all vets will see them, so you'll have to find an exotic vet wich can be more expensive. With their needs for a large cage ($100-250) and special diet ($50/month), they can be expensive to care for.

I hope this helps, this is all from my own research, knowledge and personal experience!

Answer 2

Sugar Gliders are expensive them selfs as the actual pet, toys and cage. Their diet is not much, fairly cheap. I would suggest feeding them Organic food and/ or treats due to the pesticides found now a days in the fruits.

Answer 3

Sugar gliders can be expensive if you want to feed it correctly and have a nice home for it. I recommend you get a dog or cat instead.