Sugar glider craze...pets are NOT toys!

Jellicat

I totally agree funky, some sort of licensing would be great. Its bad for dogs and cats, but the little things that get stuck in cages always upset me, because they are just trapped in their own dirt and smell day after day. Makes me sick. I love my ratties, one of them is just like a little dog and chases you around all the time lol.

Foxxy, not necessarily cruel, the ones I know seem very happy...and gliders can be prone to depression. But in the wrong hands, yes, pretty cruel. Hence my annoyance.

Baldy

I have owned a pair of suggies for the last 8 years and from what you say it would appear that no one on here actually owns them.

Yes they can be noisy at times. Especially when they bark for either my wife or me at 3am (doesn't happen that often) and sometimes when they crab (noise made when scared or when feeding with the other glider).
Regarding mess, they don't make much mess, nit as much as claimed here. All I can say is perhaps bad house keeping by the owner is to blame.
On the very few occasions they have bitten (normally my fault) it doesn't really hurt. I had two rats 15 years ago and their bite was much worse.

The ones we have were bred in captivity and not smuggled our of Australia as some might suggest.

To sum up - Yes they can be noisy, yes at first getting their diet right is a bit of a pain and yes the more space you can give them the better and yes you MUST give them at least 2 hours a night love and devotion. However what they give back is more than enough.

Please don't depend on The Sun for true, well thought out news or thought provoking articles!!!

I do worry, more than most, about people who buy animals on a whim. I didn't speak to my brother-in-laws wife for three months because she gave her dog away after only 8 weeks (it clashed with the new carpet apparently). However if you do your research and know what you are getting into then they are great pets... sorry, family members.

I understand peoples points of view but couldn't the same be said for ALL pets? That said, people could tell me until they were blue in the face that caged birds are fine. However I HATE caged birds and always will do!!!

One last point. Unless you are willing to LOVE them for AT LEAST 10 years then please please please don't buy them. They deserve much more than that!

Jellicat

I am merely warning people of the potential downsides here...of which there are many. My friends gliders are very much full of the downsides I talked about, and yes they are noisy, they yip all night sometimes. Please re-read my post, I have no problem with people owning them, with any pet if you are prepared for the downsides the love you get in return is well worth it if you invest the time and effort, but that doesnt change the fact that sugar gliders are not pets for everyone!

i1189

Baldy wrote: »

I have owned a pair of suggies for the last 8 years and from what you say it would appear that no one on here actually owns them.

Yes they can be noisy at times. Especially when they bark for either my wife or me at 3am (doesn't happen that often) and sometimes when they crab (noise made when scared or when feeding with the other glider).
Regarding mess, they don't make much mess, nit as much as claimed here. All I can say is perhaps bad house keeping by the owner is to blame.
On the very few occasions they have bitten (normally my fault) it doesn't really hurt.

I have a pair of Suggies - I have had them for nearly 3 years now.

The noise doesn't bother me too much, as they have their own room, so I can shut the door at night.

I find that mine do make quite a lot of mess though. They spit food all over the floor and wall (I have covered the walls in their room with sticky back plastic so it is easy to clean). They also knock mess out of their cage, and you can't potty train them. Also they have a fondness for chewing the carpet so that looks a bit sorry for itself now.

I would also emphasise the time commitment - they need time out of their cage with you EVERY day. They also need a suitable environment. Mine have an obstacle course built on the ceiling in their room to keep them amused. Plus it is very difficult to find a "glider sitter" when you want to go on holiday.

Another factor is vets - both finding one and huge bills. There are few vets who even know what a sugar glider is, let alone how to treat one, so you will need to find a good exotic vet. And they don't come cheap. I had a bill for nearly £1,000 last year when one of mine got an ill.

Yes, they are very rewarding, lovely pets, but they are a HUGE commitment, both in terms of time and money.

mutley_muppet

Jellicat wrote: »

The last thing rescues need is more rats and exotic creatures like sugar gliders to look after. If you hear anyone talking about how "awesome" these little creatures are or parents talking about buying rats, gliders, clownfish or other "cool" pets for their kids, please inform them of the downsides! It's bad enough finding shelter dogs a home without having to worry about finding homes for animals with very specific needs...

I agree Jellicat. I wish people would think very carefully before taking on any pets and especially pets kept in cages which are often neglected.