Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Sugar Glider

If you have ever gone to a pet store or a zoo and seen a sugar glider, you probably fell in love with these cute and interesting little creatures. Although many jurisdictions make it illegal to buy or to sell these sweet little animals, many people still find ways to purchase them as pets. The reality is you need to perform research and become knowledgeable prior to purchasing a sugar glider as a pet and, if you are serious about buying one, you should really consider all of the effort that goes into keeping one of these little cute little marsupials as a pet.

The Sugar Glider Diet

One of the most difficult aspects of keeping a sugar glider as a pet is giving it the proper diet. Unlike dogs and cats, you can't simply go to the store and pick up a bag of sugar glider food for your pet. In addition, sugar gliders cannot survive on a simple pellet food. Rather, they need to follow a somewhat complicated diet that involves eating a variety of different bugs such as grubs, mealworms and crickets.

Housing a Sugar Glider

In nature, sugar gliders live in the treetops and frequently glide over long distances during the nighttime in order to feed. Therefore, they need to have much larger cages than other creatures their size, such as gerbils, hamsters and ferrets. In fact, sugar gliders need a cage that is more like a small aviary that allows them to move around and to glide freely.

Sugar Glider Odor

Although they are cute and sweet looking, sugar gliders can be smelly animals. This is because they have special glands that allow them to emit a sent and to mark their territories. Although the smell is not as strong as that of other animals with these glands, such as ferrets and skunks, it can be irritating. In addition, they mark their cages with urine on a frequent basis, which means their cages can get quite messy and smelly in a short period of time.

Sugar gliders are also quite messy with their food as well as with their urine and bowel movements. In fact, it is not uncommon from them to play and run while also urinating or having a bowel movement. They will also through their food and waste out of their cages and have no problem with urinating and making other messes while they are being held.

Coping with the Noise

In addition to the odor, sugar gliders are also noisy animals. Since they are nocturnal, all of the noise they make can be really problematic when you are trying to get some sleep. Not only do they move around and play quite frequently during the night, they also verbalize with hissing and barking noises as well.

While sugar gliders can be great pets, it takes having the right type of temperament to keep a sugar glider as a pet. As a result, many are given up by their adoptive homes and sent to rescue shelters. Therefore, be certain you are ready for the responsibility of owning one of these little critters before you make the purchase.

CS Swarens is the CEO of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065

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