Anyone here have experience with sugar gliders? I've been interested in these little guys for a while. If anyone knows how they are as far as temperament, clean-up, etc. I'd appreciate hearing about it!
Anyone here have experience with sugar gliders? I've been interested in these little guys for a while. If anyone knows how they are as far as temperament, clean-up, etc. I'd appreciate hearing about it!
They are hyper, feed a toddler an expresso and you'll have a decent facsimile of what there energy levels are. Adorable critter's though but there are two major factors. They ARE nocturnal, some will adapt to their owners schedule but don't rely on it. And second one here's the big factor that put me off from getting one, they are EXTREMELY codependent if you raise them. My ex-roommate had one, whenever he was at work and it couldn't find him the poor thing would make these pitiful crying noises.
They are adorable, intelligent and fun but the are a TON of responsibility, and be prepared they can live up to 15 years. (My ex-roommates was 14 before he contracted some sort of cancer.) Also don't expect a 100% house pet like say if you brought a hamster into your home, we only started domesticating sugar gliders a couple of hundred years ago. It takes many many years to truly domesticate an animal, so don't be surprised when the cute little bugger still has his wild instincts.
(P.s. LOVE ferret's adorable avatar.)
I have two, suggies, and I will second what Jebediah said.
They are a huge responsibility. Mine were given to me and I wanted to give them homes, and we've all grown to love each other and I wouldn't take them back for the world, however if hind sight was 20/20 I wouldn't have. I never gave up on them and they have rewarded me with a fun intelligent pet, but not the sort of pet that can roam the house mind you because of the trouble they can get into! They are nothing like hampsters or rats, or even any small mammals you may be used too including ferrets lol I've grown up with ferrets. Also if you have ferrets you gotta keep them separated. A ferret will kill a suggie, and likewise a pack of sugars, depending on how many you have, will kill a small bird, or a new sugar glider you may have introduced. I've read its a scary and slow process to introduce them to new fur balls.
Take a cats curiosity, a bat since they are nocturnal, a monkey because their intelligence is that creepy, a dog, because they bark all night long, which is very loud and repetitive. They also have the same thing that wolves have going on with the Alpha female or male, but for sugar gliders this is called the colony. Wrap all of this stuff together and you got a sugar glider.
There is also a ton of misinformation about them swarming the internet because of the sugar glider trade, or gilder mills as they are called. Some would have you believe they are easy pocket pets that can be fed pellets. They won't live long that way.
You gotta have the right toys, the right food, which for me is the HPw high protein wombaroo diet with fresh fruits and vegetables. I don't do the crickets, mealies worms, or baby pinky mice thing. That's all on your own personal preferences. I prefer to give mine yogurt for treats, or the occasional shrimp. Gotta keep their diet to a proper ratio of calcium to phosphorous of 2:1 to prevent disease and that hind leg disease which is fatal too.
So I don't give you a wall of text I'll give you the best place for info. http://www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/
One last thing, you may end up with the bestest buddy you've ever had or a pet that hates your ever loving guts. Either way them sugars will hate you until you've bonded with them. Bonding is like them inviting you into their colony. Two is better than one because they can never be alone, they will mutilate their selves with depression, and you can't be there 24/7 even if you've got a ton of time for them.
Depending on how many houses gave them up and age will also determine how long they hate you, or if they hate you forever. Mine were 9 weeks old out of pouch, and had already passed through four house holds before landing here. They hated me for a year, but with persistent and often times heart breaking work and bonding with them they finally love me and made me mommy. I'm still not their favorite lol they love my significant other better. Oh yes, be prepared for them to love another better hahhaha! Even then they are better bonded with me after two years than after the first.
Oh clean up is not a breaze, they cannot be potty trained, they will piss on you for affection. My girls get so happy at tent time they pee on my leg!
One more thing encase you don't read the link, oh yes, they do bite. Mine now bite to be playful little turds, and delight in it, but they used to bite to draw blood when they hated me. Both hurt the second hurt worse. In order to show that you're assertive with them, you have to take the bite, and give the same sound they give each other when they bite, which is a pssst! noise. But don't flinch or react in fear, or any other emotion other than PSST! It takes practice to be bitten badly and take it like a boss.
This is only a pin point of info, but I did the best I could and hope its not too wordy.
---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 PM ----------
Oh, I already gave you the temperament which is wild and UN-predictable, but clean up, lol they are the messiest things I've ever encountered. Be prepared for a big big clean job too. Tent, anywhere you've let them run, and the big ass tall cage they are gonna need.
I have one neutered male he is on his 4th (that I know of) and last home. I would not recommend them as pets. They have a very strong odor, my guy named Grumpy is still not sweet with us and we have had him about three years. They should not live alone but I could never afford to get him a mate and since he was the alpha male in his last family I have read it could be a process introducing him. I also would then be back in the same boat if something happens to one. I have read they breed very quickly. It also seems that some folks really trying to sell or even give them away will tell you that you can make lots of money selling them but they are usually not worth what they tell you. I got grumpy neutered first thing in case we were able to find him a girl. There were at least 3 sugar glider rescue groups around when I was looking so that tells you people regret getting them. They are really cute and curious and I'm sure it would be better if he would soften his heart to me. He doesn't bark too much, I think because he doesn't have his family but when he does it usually last for well over a minute non stop. I have no idea how much noise two or more make. Grumpy does love to run in his wheel a lot in the night. Just the cage size and stuff like that I had not considered, It takes up a lot of space . And I also know first hand they can bite very hard for being so small! They are still adorable and soft though!!
I don't know anything about keeping them but OMG how adorable is this?
Now I WANT ONE (or two)!!!!
d'awwww! That would make me so nervous but damn that is a cute picture. <3
Binderlady, have you tried getting in a genji or sansbug tent with Mr. grumpy pants? I found that Annie and Danu's bonding to me kicked up a huge notch when I got that tent. They get less distracted with the stimuli of a large room and have no choice but to pay attention to me. One night my other half gets in for an hour or two, the next night is my shift. Also, I'm the one that totes them around the house with the bonding pouch while they sleep during the day. They still love him more!
Oh yeah I forgot to mention the odor in my previous one. Even when I got the cage and tent freshly clean, they kind of have a...wet dog smell to them. LOL. Then they quickly piss up their cage because they're mad that I washed it. They love stink! LOL
It is a joy to watch them play with each other and sniff each others butts in greeting, so two is better than one.
Hey Sorry I missed your reply. I actually just looked this thread back up to ask you a question! To answer you first, I haven't tried a tent. I have a camping tent I could start with maybe till I check into one better suited for spending time with him. And Grumpy does the same thing to me when I clean his cage, stinks it up ASAP!Originally Posted by StarvingArtist
d'awwww! That would make me so nervous but damn that is a cute picture. <3
Binderlady, have you tried getting in a genji or sansbug tent with Mr. grumpy pants? I found that Annie and Danu's bonding to me kicked up a huge notch when I got that tent. They get less distracted with the stimuli of a large room and have no choice but to pay attention to me. One night my other half gets in for an hour or two, the next night is my shift. Also, I'm the one that totes them around the house with the bonding pouch while they sleep during the day. They still love him more!
Oh yeah I forgot to mention the odor in my previous one. Even when I got the cage and tent freshly clean, they kind of have a...wet dog smell to them. LOL. Then they quickly piss up their cage because they're mad that I washed it. They love stink! LOL
It is a joy to watch them play with each other and sniff each others butts in greeting, so two is better than one.
About the biting I have read that once before but put it out of my mind quickly. When I go to give him something to eat by hand he acts like he wants to bite. Like last night I gave him a whole raw almond. I can hold it by the end and he has plenty of room to grab or bite it without touching my fingers but no matter what food i am holding he will always bypass the food and in gentle slow motion he will open his little mouth to bite my finger I always move my finger back and don't let him. ( I let my skunk bite me once in that type of situation it was a bad idea, I thought he was bluffing, nope!) He has been doing this for a while because I have been telling everyone about how he does it, he is slow and usually looking at my face like he is trying to sneaka bite of my finger. It is actually very very cute. Do you think this is a good sign maybe he's trying to bond with me? The family member we got Grumpy from said one time grumpy bit him and was actually hanging from his hand, by his teeth and he didn't break the skin. I guess if this is true there might be hope of a bite I won't want to cry over! Now about the butt sniffin! There is no shortage of that at our place, and now I have one more reason to love our chickens so far I haven't witness them doin it. I do from time to time have to watch our cats and dogs trying to get to know the hens a little bit better though !
To everyone else, I might be as crazy as I sound but it's really in a good way!!
Wow, I've seen these little guys before and thought they were sooooooo cute, but this thread has permanently cured me of any fantasies of getting one. I will stick to bunnies.
Thanks for all the information guys! They are cute little buggars and I've been casually interested in them for a while. There's a lady at my husband's work who is moving and asked us to take hers in, either to keep or rehome. I definitely wouldn't have time to deal with the bonding process anytime in the next year. And after reading these replies, I'm wondering how difficult it would be to rehome them. I know most people expect tame little pocket pets. I hate to turn her down, but at the same time, I don't want to be stuck with cute little creatures that hate me! lol. I might have to give her a call and find out what other options she has before I make a decision.
I knew someone who had one. I couldn't tolerate the inability to house train it. Trying to find them if you let them loose can prove to be a challenge.
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