she just came to my house with a cage and what not and she have a box like thing of 3 sugar gliders and said "well here are your new babies!!rn't they so cute!!!".they are cute but i dont no anything and i mean anything about them!!1i didnt even no what they really r but cute lol. so can someone please help me because i am scared i wont ever to able to taim them because i dont really no what the r and i dont want to give them away cause they look so cute.but do they bite or get really big???please help me i dont no what i am doing and my cuz and like that just bring stuff and drop it off and she is crazy any way and no i am not liying and to prove it i swear on my dead sisters grave.i mean i think my cousin got them from a breeder who is her friend but my cuz is still here but she has to go and she said she just thought that i would like them because i love lil animals that look as cute as these guys do!!!!
2007-07-01 13:56:27 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
she gave me the cage and everything and i guess they r kinda already trained and she went to go get food but do they drink water??
2007-07-01 14:09:03 · update #1
Sugar Glider Care
Sugar gliders are very high maintenance pets. They are expensive to purchase and even more money to keep.
Temperament:
They need interaction with their owners to be happy. If they are not tame they tend to bite and crab and people. Crabbing is a sound all its own and you'll recognize it as soon as you hear it.
Remember that they are nocturnal and are up all night and sleep all day. My gliders used to wake up at about 11pm and were up until about 7am. During the day they didn't like being bothered, imagine someone wanting you to get up and play at 3 in the morning. I am an insomniac and was up all night anyway, so I didn't mind. When I did want to sleep it was difficult, they are very noisy at night, jumping around and barking and chirping. I used to get woken up several times.
Gliders should be purchased when they are young. Older gliders are hard to tame and may never enjoy being with you.
Bonding
Gliders must be able to be carried by you during the day in order to bond. I was lucky enough to have a job that didn't mind that I had them with me. You cannot sneak them around with you, as occasionally they will crab, or bark. They are loud barkers.
It you are not able to carry them for at least a few your a day in a bonding pouch then they may not take to you.
Even as a bonded pet, they are still not cuddly. A friendly glider is pretty much one that will not bite you and will jump from the cage to you. You're pretty much a bridge for them to get to where they really want :) They do not like being pet or held, I used to just have them jump from the cage to me and back.
Feeding
The feeding requirements of a sugar glider are somewhat controversial. It is only recently they have been kept as pets, and needs are somewhat of a mystery. As time goes on people will learn more about the needs of these little creatures. Sugar gliders are omnivorous, meaning they will eat plant material and meat. In the wild they feed from nectar, fruit, insects and even small birds, eggs or rodents. This diet is pretty hard to replicate in captivity. People feed them a variety of foods trying to mimic their natural diet as best they can. Some people feed insects such as crickets, mealworms, waxworms, moths and spiders. The insects should be fed high quality food such as commercial cricket food, and dusted with a complete vitamin/mineral supplement. Hence their name, the sugar glider loves the taste of sugar. They like fruit cocktail. The fruit should be fed in small amounts, chopped together so the gliders can not just pick out their favorites. There are many different diets that can be fed. These diets cannot be mixed and match and must be fed according to directions. Incorrect diet can cause serious health issues. Some diets you may want to research
BML, Taronga Zoo Diet, Chicago Zoological Park Alternative Diet , Darcy's Sugar Glider Diet , Elwin's Fresh Food Diet, Priscilla Price's Sugar Glider Diet, Suncoast Glider Diet Plan, etc(there are a few more to this list) Pellets in the diet are not a good idea as it can cause a condition known as lumpy jaw, in the wild these animals do not eat anything hard like a pellet. Proper diet is essential to their health, not done properly and they can develop nutritional deficiencies and metabolic bone disease.
They can drink from a water bottle or small dish, it depends what they are used to. Offer clean water every day.
Cage:
A large cage, the bigger the better, should be provided with plenty of things to jump and leap off of (a minimum of 24 x 24 inches, by 36 inches high). For a sugar glider, height is more valuable than floor space. A wire cage, wire should be no more than ½ inch wide, is best to allow the cage to breathe. A plastic tub can be placed under the cage to catch any debris that may fall out of the cage. Lots of toys should be provided as well as an exercise wheel, nest box and/or glider pouch. Branches, ropes and ladders will provide lots of opportunity for climbing and exercise. Large cage is a must, so if the cage provided is too small you need to purchase a new one.
Vet care
Since gliders are exotic their veterinary care will cost more. You will need to find a sugar glider knowledgeable vet before you first emergency.
Other info
Male sugar gliders have a unique smell that some people find unbearable. I used to have to clean mine daily(scrubbing cage, washing bedding, cleaning toys) to keep the smell down. The males have scent glands and they mark thier territory. Females do not have as bad a smell as males. The cage will need to be cleaned frequently, weather keeping males of females as urine has a strong odor. They usually urinate on the side of the cage, so you need to wash the entire cage, not just the bottom tray.
Also check for legality in your state. Gliders are illegal in some states and cities.
Please do as much research as possible on these guys. They are not easy to keep and require very specific care in order to thrive and be healthy.
Please do not keep them if you cannot provide the proper care, no matter how cute or how much money your cousin spent. When I had gliders they were one of the most expensive pets I owned, and keeping up with their nutritional, social, and emotional needs sometimes seemed like a 24/7 job.
2007-07-01 15:01:49 · answer #1 · answered by Prodigy556 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Wow. That was a VERY irresponsible move on your cousins part. I cant even believe someone would do that. Sugar gliders are an EXOTIC pet. And like almost all exotic pets, they are extremely high maintenance. You need to get online and read every little bit of information on them that you can. And ill go ahead and tell you... if youre a teenager, sugar gliders arent recommend for people of your age group.
2014-11-05 02:10:58 · answer #2 · answered by Cocaingels 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi there, alot has been said already and I'd like to go over points that I think are important:
Sugar gliders are VERY high maintenance pets!
They have very specific dietary and social needs
The can and DO bite very hard, drawing blood sometimes
They cannot be potty trained.
So basically, think this over. They need to have at least 6 hours of interaction with you a day to become and stay bonded. Weather it's wearing them on you in a pouch or playing with them in a tent, they need that much interaction at least.
Some may NEVER become bonded or tame, no matter what you do.
They have a high maintenace diet - they need specific amounts of protien, fuits, veggies, and calcium suppliments. I have to blend up a food mix weekly, and buy fresh fruits and veggies. It can get expensive. Also, they can be allergic to many household foods or plants. Catnip, soy, and many many other things can be lethal to them.
If one of them becomes ill, they can die quickly because they hide their illnesses well and also exotic vets can be spendy and hard to find.
These guys can make GREAT pets, but only if you are committed to them and make them a huge part of your life. Please don't keep them because they are cute, they'll likely end up neglected because you can't spend more than an hour with them, or malnurished because you can't provide the right diet for them...
I'm greatful you're at least seeking advice on these guys! Please don't hesitate to message me through yahoo answers if you have questions, or visit http://www.sugarglider.net to post questions and just read up on them.
Good luck with your gliders :)
2007-07-01 23:09:26 · answer #3 · answered by myaddictiontofire 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sugar gliders are weird -- I worked at a vet and some people had them -- this one woman kept them on the inside of her coat -- they would grab the coat like a squirrel kind of -- and one of them bit the other on the tail and we fixed the wound but the glider kept gnawing at his tail so much and wouldn;t stop and we had to amputate the tail. . . not a big fan - sorry
2007-07-01 21:01:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you shouldnt keep something just because it is cute, sugargliders are not a beginners pet, they are very difficult to take care of, they eat mealrworms, they need a HUGE cage, and lots of handleing, i think you should get your cousin to take them back to where he got them from, it was very irresponsible of him to give you an animal as hard as a sugar glider
if you do keep them, dont rely on what people ont his site tell you, google them, and learn all you can!!!
2007-07-01 21:03:39 · answer #5 · answered by Shelby 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
go to wikipedia .com ..look up sugar gliders ..it will tell you all that you need to know
2007-07-01 21:08:05 · answer #6 · answered by va8326 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.sugar-gliders.com/index.htm
The most important thing is offering them a variety of foods.
2007-07-01 21:04:26 · answer #7 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋