Sugar Gliders are actually LESS difficult (and significantly less expensive) to care for than many other household pets.  There are several important reasons why you should only consider buying animals directly from a Federally-Licensed USDA Breeder.  See “7 Reasons not to buy a Sugar Glider online or from a Pet Shop”

In recent years, Sugar Gliders have become so popular – and therefore valuable – that a popular scam has popped up where “overwhelmed owners” can now donate their animals to organizations who misleadingly call themselves “Sugar Glider Rescues”…

The simple fact is that NO legitimate “Sugar Glider Rescue” is actively-collecting “abandoned” Sugar Gilders on a daily basis anywhere in the U.S. – NOT ONE…   In nearly every case, what REALLY happens is that these so-called “rescues” are actually operated “behind the scenes” by the same unscrupulous internet chat rooms and message boards who often illegally sell Sugar Gliders online. see “Beware of Sugar Glider Chat Rooms and Message Boards”.

Here’s how the majority of Sugar Glider “Rescues” actually work…

REALITY:  This is just one example of the extremely outdated – and often dangerous – care information routinely posted on unlicensed internet chatrooms and websites.  While it was true TEN YEARS AGO that Sugar Gliders required a diet consisting of special mixtures of insects and other “live” foods - in the last several years TREMENDOUS advances in nutritional science have resulted in a handful of very SAFE and EFFECTIVE commercial “pelleted” foods and powdered vitamin supplements which in fact greatly EXCEED the nutritional values of the older, outdated diets.  These advanced, scientifically-balanced diets have been developed and approved by LICENSED Doctors of Veterinary Medicine who specialize in Sugar Glider care – and are proven to be both safe and effective.

When fed the correct diet of: 1) Veterinarian-approved pelleted food,
2) fresh fruits & vegetables, and 3) a Veterinarian-approved, calcium-based multivitamin supplement, it should only cost an average of less than $10 per month to feed a single animal.  Any reputable, Federally-Licensed USDA Breeder will be able to provide you with a written dietary plan that is both simple for you – and healthy for your Gliders.

REALITY:  This myth directly relates back to the earlier misinformation that you somehow HAVE to feed your Gliders “live” foods; like worms, crickets, grasshoppers - and even baby mice - in order for them to be healthy.  While it is possible that Sugar Gliders can develop an odor similar to – but not as strong as – a ferret, the primary cause of this odor is feeding them an old, outdated diet containing LIVE foods and meat-based proteins.

The fact is that several years ago nutritional science greatly simplified the entire process of caring for Sugar Gliders (in many ways) with the development of scientifically-balanced pellet food diets.  For example, some of the more-advanced pelleted foods even contain proprietary ingredients specifically-designed to prohibit odors; and Sugar Gliders who are fed this diet on a daily basis will usually have almost NO discernable smell. 

While it is true that Sugar Gliders technically cannot be “potty-trained”, they are instinctively very clean little animals who never require bathing of any kind.  Their bathroom habits are very predictable, and in many ways they are similar to humans.  For example, when we wake up from a long nap, usually the first thing we want to do is go to the bathroom – and Sugar Gliders are no different.  Therefore, by
1) learning their potty habits, and 2) thoroughly “de-pooping/peeing” them before letting them run around -  “accidents” typically become few and far between in a relatively short period of time.  Most reputable breeders will provide you with detailed instructions on exactly how to do this.

REALITY:  The simple fact is that Sugar Gliders themselves do not make an inordinate level of noise when compared to other traditional household pets.  They are capable of making several sounds, including a barking sound (similar to a Chihuahua), and a chattering sound (called crabbing) that is similar to a locust.  However, in most cases the only times a Glider will make these noises for any sustained period of time are when they are either sick, mistreated, or distressed. 

For example, based on recent studies, “barking” at night seems to be caused primarily by loneliness or boredom.  In this situation, simply going into the room and talking to/playing with them for a few minutes – or turning on a nightlight near their cage – will almost always settle them right down.  The more time you spend with Sugar Gliders, the more amazing it becomes just how similar they are to human children – especially in how they respond to love and attention.

Having said all this, the VAST majority of noises which typically come from a Sugar Glider’s cage at night are actually caused by the TOYS and other items placed inside the cage.  Again, just like human children, Gliders LOVE to play with toys of all kinds – so if you want a quiet house, then just make sure to get toys that don’t make loud sounds.  Sugar Gliders will play with almost any type of cat, dog, bird, or baby toy.  Therefore, before placing any such item in their cage, it’s best to remove anything (like bells, etc..) that could make noise. 

Of all the toys you can give a Sugar Glider – NONE will be used more than their exercise wheel.  Therefore, if you can only afford to get them one toy – THIS is the one to get.  When selecting an exercise wheel, it’s important to note that the typical “hamster or gerbil” wheels found in pet shops are NOT recommended for Sugar Gliders.  This is because their long, semi-prehensile tail can easily get caught in the wheel and cause serious injury to the animal. Currently there are a handful of “glider-safe” exercise wheels on the market, and you just want to make sure and get the one which is the QUIETEST.

According to a recent Veterinary study, there has never been a SINGLE documented case anywhere in the U.S. where a Sugar Glider owner has EVER required stitches for a bite – NOT ONE.  This is largely due to the fact that a Sugar Glider’s jaw structure is MUCH different than that of hamsters or gerbils (which by contrast send children to hospitals for stitches every day). 

A Sugar Glider’s teeth and jaws are structured very similarly to “tweezers” in that they primarily point outward and are designed to “pinch” or catch insects. By contrast, a rodent’s teeth (ie. hamster, gerbil, ferret, rabbit, etc..) are all designed to bite down with great force, and “shear” objects in two.  If a Sugar Glider should happen to “nip”, it’s almost always a YOUNG BABY who is simply scared and has not yet completely bonded with their new owner. In this situation, their jaws and teeth are still SO small and weak that the bite feels similar to a firm “pinch”, and rarely – if ever –breaks the skin.

REALITY:  It is true that Sugar Gliders are very social animals by nature, and they make excellent “family pets” because they tend to want to bond to a whole “group” of people.  In other words, they’re not usually a “one person animal” – and this is primarily due to the fact that in the wild they live in “colonies” of 10-15 other Gliders (and are instinctively very “communal”).

Having said that, ANY animal is always going to be happiest when it has a playmate of it’s own species – so whenever possible it is always optimal to get a pair of babies.  However, according to recent studies, past claims of self-mutilation and dying from “depression” seem to have been vastly overstated – largely by unlicensed persons selling animals in hopes of creating additional sales.

If your budget will only allow you to get just one animal, then the best thing to do is just plan on spending as much time with it as possible.  Fortunately, this is usually a VERY easy thing to do, because unlike most other household pets, Sugar Gliders don’t require a lot of DIRECT attention.  They are quite content just riding around with you almost anywhere - and hanging out in your shirt or in a pocket.  Since they “bond” so strongly with their owners, it is VERY unusual that a fully-bonded Glider will ever TRY to leave its owner – and many people routinely take them everywhere they go; including grocery stores, movie theatres, motorcycle riding, etc..

To help new owners, many reputable USDA breeders also offer discounts for purchasing a second animal.

REALITY:  This is again, an old myth based on VERY outdated information. Over the last decade, Sugar Gliders have become extremely popular as household pets – and if one should happen to get sick, almost any Vet who already works on other small mammals like hamsters and gerbils will easily be able to work on them. 

Unlike most other household pets, Sugar Gliders require NO vaccinations (or ongoing health care such as heartworm or flea medications, etc.) of any kind – in ANY state – simply because they have not been shown to carry any serious illnesses.  In fact, according to a recent Veterinary study, there has never been a SINGLE documented case in the U.S. of a Sugar Glider ever passing along an illness to a human being.  Contrast this with cats, dogs, turtles, iguanas, and other common household pets - which routinely pass along a wide range of illnesses to humans every day.

Even so, normal sanitary precautions like washing hands before and after handling ANY animal are always recommended.

In most cases, if a Sugar Glider should happen to get sick, it is almost always the result of either 1) feeding them a poorly-designed, outdated diet, and/or 2) inadequate care.  Again, these problems are usually easily avoided simply by following the written, Veterinarian-approved care plan provided by a Federally-Licensed USDA Breeder – and any such reputable breeder should easily be able to provide this to you at no charge.