Caring for Gliders

My Sugar Loves

Caring for Gliders

This is where you will find out how to care for these exotic animals.

Another great place to learn more about sugar glider care is the forums at www.sugarglider.net

BONDING

Sugar gliders develop a beautiful bond with humans and with eachother. They become dependent on having another glider with them and on your attention. This is why it is important to keep a pair of gliders together, unless you have several hours, preferably at night to spend with a single glider. In nature, gliders form colonies, so in order to give your glider a happy stress-free life, let it bond with another glider. This is why we try to sell all of our babies in pairs. Bonding takes a commitment of spending time with them every day and the rewards get better with the amount of effort you put into it. Remember that sugar gliders are nocturnal so they may be a little grouchy during the daytime. But when the sun goes down, they are very adventurous little creatures. There are several ways to bond with your gliders.

Treats- yogurt drops, mealworms, fruit pieces, etc.

Feed these to your sugar glider in their cage and they will associate your hand with good things.

Licky Treats- yogurt, applesauce, honey, etc.

Put some on your finger and let them lick it off, you will get to spend some really up close time with them.

Tent Time- I can't emphasize enough how this will increase your bonding. Small children size tents can be used to let your gliders loose and jump all over you. It is so much fun. If you are SURE you can "glider proof" a room in your house, let them loose in there. Just make sure it is safe.

Bonding Pouch- Wearing your gliders in a bonding pouch during the day will help to familiarize them with your scent and voice.

When you first bring your gliders home, give them 1-2 days alone in their cage. This will give them time to adjust to their new home. Make sure to keep something in their cage/pouch with your scent on it (a shirt or rag with no loose threads). Try wearing them in a bonding pouch during the day on the second day. Start off with a couple of hours and work your way up to longer. Then, at night, try tent time. They may be nervous at first, but bring in some treats and toys and soon it'll be lots of fun for both of you. This will all help to form a very unique relationship with a beautiful animal. If you have questions about bonding I suggest reading or posting in the bonding forum at www.sugarglider.net .

BATHING

Sugar gliders do not need to be bathed. They are afraid of water and cannot swim. They groom and clean themselves like cats and do a very good job at keeping themselves clean.

To Find A Vet Near You:

vet list (click here)

DIET

Sugar gliders are exotic animals and need a special diet to survive. You absolutley cannot feed a sugar glider catfood. To ensure a healthy glider, a proven diet is needed. We at Sugar Loves feed our gliders the BML diet. The recipe for this can be found under the "diet" link at the top of this page. There are other proven diets that can be found here:

diets (click here)

HOUSING

Gliders are meant to glide, therefore, they need a cage atleast 3 feet tall. The bottom of the cage should be 2 ft by 2 ft. These are the MINIMUM measurements required. The larger the cage, the happier your glider will be. The bar spacing should be 1/2 inch or smaller. The bars must be powder coated so they don't rust. They must be kept in a warm area preferably away from any blowing air. They need plenty of things to climb on and play with. Be creative, you don't always have to buy them toys. I tie several fake vines from one side of their cage to another and they love this! It is their own little jungle gym. Some people tie up toilet paper roles for them to hide in (make sure they don't eat it). You can buy PVC pipe and hang it or put some curving PVC pieces together and let them explore. There are also several websites that sell creative toys for sugar gliders. You can also go to your petstore and buy them bird toys or perches. Just think about how bored you'd get if you were stuck in the same room all the time!

They also need a hanging pouch to sleep in. This is where they can get peace and quiet during the day and where they will feel safe. They will also need a wheel to run in so they can exercise. Not any wheel will work because of the fact that their tails get stuck in open wheels. The wheel must have a solid floor and holes where they climb in and out (a wodent wheel is perfect). They will also need a water bottle in their cage to drink from. It is better to have food bowls that can hang near the top of the cage to keep them clean. These are the basic items needed in their cage.

Hazel & Robo

Glider Proofing

If you want to let a sugar run loose in a room it is important to remove all of the possible dangers. They can get into tiny spaces like AC vents. They can drown in toilets or sinks. They have been known to chew on wire and get electricuted. To be safe- use a tent to let them loose in. If not- read more about glider proofing a room here.

Glider Proofing (click here)

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Thank you for visiting My Sugar Loves! We are located in Tampa, FL. God bless!