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Reference Guide and Helpful Tips for Sugar Gliders
Buying a Sugar glider is a very fun and exciting time. These marsupials are very sweet animals. The more you play with them and the more attention you give them the better.
Here are a few great tips to help you keep your best new friend happy and healthy:
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When setting up your glider's cage, place it in a spot where there is not going to be a cool or cold draft. It is very important to keep them warm when they are under six months old because it is hard for them to hold in their own body heat. With that in mind, it is very important that you put a heating pad inside the bottom of their cage. We carry a heating pad that is about the size of an index card. They are also available at your local pet store. If you don't have one available, it is important that you get one of these. Before placing the heating pad in the cage, you will want to wrap the part of the cord that is in the cage with electrical tape. This will prevent the glider form chewing on it and getting shocked. You will need to slip the heating pad in an old sock, leaving the opening of the sock on the outside of the cage. You do not want the glider to lie directly on the heating pad because it can dehydrate them too quickly. Next, you will want to purchase a small hamster igloo and then place it on the heating pad. This will help keep in the heat and ensure the glider is staying warm. You will also need to purchase a type of hanging pouch (we offer a variety of styles and colors). The pouch should to be hung somewhat high in the cage. The pouch gives the glider(s) a place to snuggle and sleep when they want to cool off from the heating pad.
-
Toys can be put inside the cage (such as bird or hamster toys). The toys give them something to play with and climb over. Sugar Gliders are tree dwellers and therefore love to be high up so you will want to place some of the toys up high in the cage. Please make sure that the toys you put in your glider's cage are safe for them (example: can't get tail caught, can't get poked, can't get tangled up, no harmful dyes, or small pieces that could choke them because they will chew). If you would like, you can put a tree branch in the cage. Just make sure that the tree branch has not been sprayed with chemicals. You may purchase branches at a pet store if you want to be on the safe side. Wood products are fine, but tend to absorb urine and smell over time. Keep this in mind as the wood will need to be removed within a few weeks.
-
The Sugar Glider needs a well balanced diet. We sell a variety of food for Sugar Gliders that is in a dry pellet formula. This needs to be given to them every night. It is best to feed them at night since they are nocturnal and that is when they eat (just make it a habit to feed them when you go to bed). You will want to alternate their diet between fresh fruit and veggies. We like to buy a mixed bag of frozen fruit and veggies so that there is little waste. So, the typical feeding pattern would be:
First Night:
Fruits and Dry Food*
Second Night:
Dry Food* Only
Third Night:
Veggies and Dry Food*
Fourth Night:
Dry Food* Only
Fifth Night:
Dry Food* and Leadbeaders Mix (see recipie below)
* Approximately 10 - 15 pellets of dry food per Sugar Glider.
Keep them on this diet and they will be a happy healthy glider. Also, you will need to purchase a product called Booster from us. Booster has Calcium and other vitamins that the glider needs to prevent it from getting Hind Leg Paralysis, which can result in death. You need to sprinkle the Booster over the glider's dry pellet food every time you give it to them. It is also important to give them extra protein. You can find this in boiled chicken, raw nuts (only a few every now and then as they are high in fat and can constipate them), and eggs (hard boiled or scrambled - do not add anything to the eggs). Sugar Gliders also love baby food chicken, fruits, and veggies. We also offer a variety of treats you can give your glider, but only as treats. Please stay away from preservatives, don't give them anything canned.
-
You will need to give them fresh filtered or bottled spring water every day. Do not give them tap water because it has too many contaminates. You can give them nectar as a treat drink and you can purchase it at your local grocery store. Please dilute all juices with filtered or bottled spring water. Do make sure they have fresh water every night.
-
Do not give the gliders any citrus foods. The acid is hard on their stomachs. Grapes are ok, but too many can cause diarrhea, which can dehydrate them.
-
DO NOT FEED THEM ANYTHING FOR BIRDS!! You can buy treats that are specified for small animals. They also like mealworms and crickets. They are very high in protein. Buy these from the pet stores or you can purchase freeze dried ones from us if you don't like to handle live bugs. Do not give the gliders crickets or other bugs from your yard or from bait/tackle shops as they can have sprays on them that can harm the gliders. Never give your Sugar Glider chocolate!
-
Your new Sugar Glider will get defensive every now and then. Do not back down and give into them. If you do, then this will let them know that it has won and can do this anytime it is bothered. You want to bond with the glider, so just scoop it up no matter if it is fussing and talk gently to it. Offer them a treat if you have any (this way they will know that being held is a good thing). No matter what, do not hit or be mean to your Sugar Glider. This will only result in making the glider mean and more inclined to bite. If the glider is biting, then gently blow in its face. They do not like this and they will eventually give up the biting. Be consistent when doing this.
-
You can take your glider out during the day and play with them, but make sure that you offer them treats and fluids because they have a high metabolism. If you want to take them with you, do it every other day. This will give it a break to rest. Please carry filtered water with you and offer it to them when you notice them beginning to stir. You do not want them to dehydrate because this can result in death. Also, if you are going to take them out during the wintertime, make sure you keep them extra warm in their pouch. Never leave your glider in your car during the hot summer months or the cold winter months.
-
You will need to handle and give your Sugar Glider attention anywhere from two to four hours a day (this can include carrying them with you in its bonding pouch). They thrive on human interaction; therefore, bonding to you and becoming your best friend is very important. If you do not interact with them, they can become depressed and not come out of their pouch, which can result in dehydration and ultimately death. So, please be a responsible, loving pet owner and give your glider a lot of love and attention. Your Sugar Glider will live anywhere from 12 to 15 years if taken care of properly. Caring for them is very simple. Just line the bottom of their cage with new paper towels (no newspapers as they can be printed with harmful ink, but recycled newspaper made for bedding is ok), give fresh filtered or spring water, and fresh dry glider pellet food sprinkled with booster. Remember to give them fresh or de-thawed fruits or vegetable on the proper evening (see # 3) before you go to bed at night.
-
Please supervise small children when they are handling the Sugar Gliders. Do not let them step on it or hit it over the head. Supervise your glider around other pets. Do not leave the toilet lid up or leave standing water in the sinks or tubs if you let the glider roam freely, as they cannot swim. Do not take your glider out in direct sunlight as this can blind them.
- Leadbeaders Mix for Sugar Gliders
- 1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Apple Juice
1 Hard Boiled Egg (Shelled)
BLEND
- 1 Jar Gerber Baby Juice With Yogurt
2 Teaspoons of Glider Booster
BLEND
- 2 to 2 1/2 Stage 1 or 2 Baby Chicken
1/4 Cup Wheat Germ
1/4 Cup Baby Cereal
BLEND
- Put mixture in a freezer safe container and freeze. It will freeze to the consistency of ice cream. Serve every 3 to 5 days to the Sugar Gliders. Approximately one melon ball sized scoop per glider.
We hope these tips come in handy and help you and your glider become the best of friends. Enjoy and if you ever have any questions, important or not, please don't hesitate to call or contact us. We want the very best for the gliders and for you. These are exotic pets and therefore need to be treated as such.
Happy Gliding!!!
Here are a few great tips to help you keep your best new friend happy and healthy:
- When setting up your glider's cage, place it in a spot where there is not going to be a cool or cold draft. It is very important to keep them warm when they are under six months old because it is hard for them to hold in their own body heat. With that in mind, it is very important that you put a heating pad inside the bottom of their cage. We carry a heating pad that is about the size of an index card. They are also available at your local pet store. If you don't have one available, it is important that you get one of these. Before placing the heating pad in the cage, you will want to wrap the part of the cord that is in the cage with electrical tape. This will prevent the glider form chewing on it and getting shocked. You will need to slip the heating pad in an old sock, leaving the opening of the sock on the outside of the cage. You do not want the glider to lie directly on the heating pad because it can dehydrate them too quickly. Next, you will want to purchase a small hamster igloo and then place it on the heating pad. This will help keep in the heat and ensure the glider is staying warm. You will also need to purchase a type of hanging pouch (we offer a variety of styles and colors). The pouch should to be hung somewhat high in the cage. The pouch gives the glider(s) a place to snuggle and sleep when they want to cool off from the heating pad.
- Toys can be put inside the cage (such as bird or hamster toys). The toys give them something to play with and climb over. Sugar Gliders are tree dwellers and therefore love to be high up so you will want to place some of the toys up high in the cage. Please make sure that the toys you put in your glider's cage are safe for them (example: can't get tail caught, can't get poked, can't get tangled up, no harmful dyes, or small pieces that could choke them because they will chew). If you would like, you can put a tree branch in the cage. Just make sure that the tree branch has not been sprayed with chemicals. You may purchase branches at a pet store if you want to be on the safe side. Wood products are fine, but tend to absorb urine and smell over time. Keep this in mind as the wood will need to be removed within a few weeks.
-
The Sugar Glider needs a well balanced diet. We sell a variety of food for Sugar Gliders that is in a dry pellet formula. This needs to be given to them every night. It is best to feed them at night since they are nocturnal and that is when they eat (just make it a habit to feed them when you go to bed). You will want to alternate their diet between fresh fruit and veggies. We like to buy a mixed bag of frozen fruit and veggies so that there is little waste. So, the typical feeding pattern would be:
First Night: Fruits and Dry Food* Second Night: Dry Food* Only Third Night: Veggies and Dry Food* Fourth Night: Dry Food* Only Fifth Night: Dry Food* and Leadbeaders Mix (see recipie below) * Approximately 10 - 15 pellets of dry food per Sugar Glider.
Keep them on this diet and they will be a happy healthy glider. Also, you will need to purchase a product called Booster from us. Booster has Calcium and other vitamins that the glider needs to prevent it from getting Hind Leg Paralysis, which can result in death. You need to sprinkle the Booster over the glider's dry pellet food every time you give it to them. It is also important to give them extra protein. You can find this in boiled chicken, raw nuts (only a few every now and then as they are high in fat and can constipate them), and eggs (hard boiled or scrambled - do not add anything to the eggs). Sugar Gliders also love baby food chicken, fruits, and veggies. We also offer a variety of treats you can give your glider, but only as treats. Please stay away from preservatives, don't give them anything canned. - You will need to give them fresh filtered or bottled spring water every day. Do not give them tap water because it has too many contaminates. You can give them nectar as a treat drink and you can purchase it at your local grocery store. Please dilute all juices with filtered or bottled spring water. Do make sure they have fresh water every night.
- Do not give the gliders any citrus foods. The acid is hard on their stomachs. Grapes are ok, but too many can cause diarrhea, which can dehydrate them.
- DO NOT FEED THEM ANYTHING FOR BIRDS!! You can buy treats that are specified for small animals. They also like mealworms and crickets. They are very high in protein. Buy these from the pet stores or you can purchase freeze dried ones from us if you don't like to handle live bugs. Do not give the gliders crickets or other bugs from your yard or from bait/tackle shops as they can have sprays on them that can harm the gliders. Never give your Sugar Glider chocolate!
- Your new Sugar Glider will get defensive every now and then. Do not back down and give into them. If you do, then this will let them know that it has won and can do this anytime it is bothered. You want to bond with the glider, so just scoop it up no matter if it is fussing and talk gently to it. Offer them a treat if you have any (this way they will know that being held is a good thing). No matter what, do not hit or be mean to your Sugar Glider. This will only result in making the glider mean and more inclined to bite. If the glider is biting, then gently blow in its face. They do not like this and they will eventually give up the biting. Be consistent when doing this.
- You can take your glider out during the day and play with them, but make sure that you offer them treats and fluids because they have a high metabolism. If you want to take them with you, do it every other day. This will give it a break to rest. Please carry filtered water with you and offer it to them when you notice them beginning to stir. You do not want them to dehydrate because this can result in death. Also, if you are going to take them out during the wintertime, make sure you keep them extra warm in their pouch. Never leave your glider in your car during the hot summer months or the cold winter months.
- You will need to handle and give your Sugar Glider attention anywhere from two to four hours a day (this can include carrying them with you in its bonding pouch). They thrive on human interaction; therefore, bonding to you and becoming your best friend is very important. If you do not interact with them, they can become depressed and not come out of their pouch, which can result in dehydration and ultimately death. So, please be a responsible, loving pet owner and give your glider a lot of love and attention. Your Sugar Glider will live anywhere from 12 to 15 years if taken care of properly. Caring for them is very simple. Just line the bottom of their cage with new paper towels (no newspapers as they can be printed with harmful ink, but recycled newspaper made for bedding is ok), give fresh filtered or spring water, and fresh dry glider pellet food sprinkled with booster. Remember to give them fresh or de-thawed fruits or vegetable on the proper evening (see # 3) before you go to bed at night.
- Please supervise small children when they are handling the Sugar Gliders. Do not let them step on it or hit it over the head. Supervise your glider around other pets. Do not leave the toilet lid up or leave standing water in the sinks or tubs if you let the glider roam freely, as they cannot swim. Do not take your glider out in direct sunlight as this can blind them.
- Leadbeaders Mix for Sugar Gliders
- 1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Apple Juice
1 Hard Boiled Egg (Shelled)
BLEND - 1 Jar Gerber Baby Juice With Yogurt
2 Teaspoons of Glider Booster
BLEND - 2 to 2 1/2 Stage 1 or 2 Baby Chicken
1/4 Cup Wheat Germ
1/4 Cup Baby Cereal
BLEND - Put mixture in a freezer safe container and freeze. It will freeze to the consistency of ice cream. Serve every 3 to 5 days to the Sugar Gliders. Approximately one melon ball sized scoop per glider.
- 1/2 Cup Honey
Happy Gliding!!!