Babies for Sale

Baby Leucistic joeys for sale. Cutest little babies ever.  One male and one female. Out of pouch date around 8/30/2013

Ready to take home end of October 

SugarglidersNY@gmail.com

The Difference Between Males and Females as Pets

Male or Female?

First off, for the average person it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between a male and
female sugar glider especially if the male has been neutered. Probably the easiest way
is that a non-neutered or “intact” adult male usually has a bald spot on its head, and
another one on its chest. These are just the scent glands that they use to mark their
territory, which also includes their females, and once they’re neutered, these bald spots
will usually fill right back in.

Now, intact males also have a large scrotum located just in front of where they go to the
bathroom. With that in mind, one thing that male and female sugar gliders have in
common is that their reproductive organs and rectum are all together in the same place,
called a cloaca. This basically means that they urinate and defecate from the same place.
About the easiest way for the average owner to tell the difference between a female and
a neutered male is by the female’s pouch. Since they’re marsupials, the females have a
little pouch, just like a kangaroo, where they carry their young. It’s located right about
where a “belly button” would be and it looks like a little slit.

Now, when it comes to the differences between males and females as pets, as long
as the male is neutered, there really aren’t very many. For example, if a male sugar
glider is not neutered, they will usually have a strong odor and mark their territory quite a
bit once they enter puberty.
My Sugar Glider Scent Marking

New owners wonder if there are any personality differences between males and
females. Well, I am constantly amazed at all the differing opinions on this – because
some people will swear up and down that males are sweeter – and just as many people
are absolutely sure that females make better pets. Like any pet, every sugar
glider has a slightly different personality, but as long as the owner spends enough time
with them and properly trains them, they all pretty much end up with the same sweet,
affectionate disposition. In other words, the amount of love you get out of an animal is
usually directly in line with how much love you give them. :)  The bottom line is that if the owner takes the time to properly bond with and train the animal, a sugar glider can be a wonderful pet. If they don’t, it probably won’t be. There’s no mystery here, and from that standpoint, again, they’re really fairly similar to a lot of other pets. I have three males, two neutered and one intact and two females.  All five of them have different personalities, but are all so sweet and loving.

So either way, whichever sex you decide to go with, both have the potential to be loving pets.

Sugar Glider Products

Sugar Glider Toys/Wheels/Bags:

The best kind of toys for sugar gliders are ones that stimulate their mind and keep them excited, interested, and occupied!  Some of my gliders favorite toys come from the bird aisle at my local Petco and Pet Smart.  They love the foraging toys, which I hide little yogurt drops and dried fruit in for them to find.  Plenty of branches and perches are great for them to jump from place to place.  I also keep a little basket of silly toys in there that I usually get from the dollar store like rings, puzzles, bracelets, and whatever else I can find.  There are also a few places that sell mini treasure chests that barely fit anything in them, but they are perfect for sticking a little treat in.  Once your glider figures out how to open it, you will be amazed at how fast they do it the next time!  People I know even buy toys that are made for toddlers and small children, which also happen to make great glider toys.  Some great places to order toys are The Sugar Glider Superstore, Spoiled Rotten Suggies, and The Sugar Glider Store (I own almost everything from here!).  Again, I know there are tons of websites out there that sell great products, I just know that these websites are great from my own experience.  Comment and let me know about any others you know of!  I like to have enough toys to switch them out about every 2 weeks.  It keeps my gliders excited and stimulated.  They are such smart animals!

Just remember to make sure that whatever kind of toys you buy your glider that it is safe for them to have! 

There are plenty of kinds of wheels out there, but you have to make sure you buy one that is made specifically safe for gliders or animals with long tails.  Honestly, I bought a few different wheels before I found one I really liked.  I am sure there are others out there that are just as good that I did not get a chance to try out yet, but so far my favorite is the Raptor Wheel.  I love that you can choose to have a side mount or a stand and you can pick custom sizes and colors!  I also like it because it has a netting that feces can fall through, because my little guys love to do their business in their wheel (I have no idea why!).  You can also get the wheel with inserts to trim their nails, which is a life savor for me.  It is also silent... which is a great plus!  All around, I think it is a great wheel and is made well too.

One more product I would love to talk about today is from http://www.go-fast-track.com/spinzone.html
The Suggie Walk About Bag is amazing for us women.  It is worth every penny.  Not only is it really well made, and you can choose the fabric, my gliders love it!  It makes my life so much easier.  I call it my diaper bag. I can not only carry them around while they are nice and comfy in their pouch, I can also hold everything else I need for a day out.  There are other bags and bonding pouches I have not ordered yet, but I am sure they are just as amazing.  This website also sells exercise wheels very similar to the Raptor Wheel, I haven't tried it, but I assume it is probably good too.  The wheel cozy on their website was also a great idea that works well.

   

 

What Should I Keep My Sugar Gliders In?

Cages are an important part of having a sugar glider.  When I first bought my baby snickers, I kept him in a smaller cage for the first couple months.  But, they love to jump and practice gliding.  You really need a nice big spacious cage for them!  Now I keep my babies in the smaller cage until they get comfortable and then switch them to a bigger cage.  You really need a cage specifically made for a sugar glider because they are natural chewers.  Some cages are made out of things that can harm your babies!  My favorite cage so far is the Brisbane cage from the Sugar Glider Super Store.  It is nice and roomy for them to jump and play and has enough room for their wheel and toys!  It is also really easy to put together (which is always a plus)!  The smaller cage I have is from Cheeks Custom Cages.  When comparing prices, it would be cheaper in the long run to just buy the bigger brisbane cage, you really do need it!  And hey, if you want even bigger, I am sure your suggie babies won't complain!  I also love the Brisbane cage because it comes with that extra storage area under the cage where I keep all my foods and vitamins and extra toys (as you can tell from the picture).  It also has wheels, so it is really super easy to move around and clean.

My next post I am going to tell you all about my favorite sugar glider toys, wheels, and other products that are out there!  I have gone through tons of things that I love, hate, and are just plain... ehhh.  I want to tell you about them all!

Brisbane Cage

Cheeks Custom Cage

Responsibility of Owning a Sugar Glider

Snickers (First day) 8 wks oop

How do you know if you can handle this great commitment to taking care of a sugar glider?
I bought my first sugar glider last year when I was on vacation in Myrtle Beach.  It was the most random thing in the world.  I am with my boyfriend Keith, walking through a random mall, looking to buy brass knuckles and swords (what, you don't do that on vacation?).  All of a sudden, we pass a pet store and there's a huge sign, "Home of the Sugar Glider."  At that point, I honestly had no clue what it was, but Keith did and he wanted to see them.  We go inside the store, The Spoiled Pet, ask the guy working in the pet store, and OMG.. I fell in love.  How could you not fall in love with a baby sugar, they are so gosh darn adorable!  I talked to the shop guy for the longest time, learning everything I could about this amazing creature.  I wanted one, I knew it right there that my life, as I know it, would not go on if I didn't buy it!  But, Keith, who is less impulsive and more realistic than I, convinced me it would be a better idea to go back and think about it before making any rash decisions.  I listened to him, but I was not happy about it at all!  All day I thought about them, I could not even enjoy being on vacation anymore!  We went back to the vacation house, I went online, and I stayed up all night learning everything I possibly could about sugar gliders, and I mean EVERYTHING.  I read the good and the bad about having them as pets.  I barely slept, Keith thought I was a maniac!  I was so heartbroken that I did not come back with one.  I had to go back the next day, I had to.  And I did.  That is when I met Snickers.  The love of my life (sorry Keith)!  Everyone thought I was crazy, but I could not help it.  He amazed me, I loved him so much.  I did not even want anyone else holding him because I didn't want to let him go.  I have come a long way since that day (besides me not wanting to let him go, he's sitting in my shirt as I type), and now I have four.  I don't know everything, but I try my best to learn and know everything about them.

Oggie 

So, this brings me back to my question, how do you know if you can handle the commitment?  A very smart man told me once, if you know all the bad things about a situation and still want to put yourself in that position, then it is the right thing to do.  I agree, if you have done research and know what owning a sugar glider entails... and you are fine with it, then it just might be the right pet for you.  I brought Snickers into work with me one day, and of course all my co-workers fell in love (again, how could you not?).  One woman loved him so much, she decided right there that she wanted one.  I explained to her the pros and cons and what it entails, and she still wanted one.  Fast forward just a few months later to today... she hates it.  She went and found someone who was selling theirs and she bought a female.  She did not listen to me about caring for one and how it was a lot of work.  She fell in love with the baby part.  Just like kittens and puppies, sugar gliders grow up too.  Now she has an adult female that she doesn't want.  Guess who might be taking it off her hands... If you guessed me, you are correct.  So now I may have 5 in just a few short weeks.  I made her take a week or two to think about it and make sure it was the right decision.  It is so unfair to these animals to get used to one way of life and then have to change everything.  They get depressed very easily.  I am forced to weigh the good and bad though, because her sugar glider is all alone, and that might even be worse.  They are colony creatures, they really need to have a mate!  I adopted my second very shortly after I got home from vacation, Oggie.  The two of them bonded very quickly, and now they are inseparable.

Oggie

Snickers (8 weeks oop)

The point of this post is that you must recognize the responsibility of owning a sugar glider, or any animal in that case. You can't throw them in a cage with some food and expect them to be happy, I would not do that to any animal!  You have to understand that they live 10-15 years and picture where you will be in that time of your life and if you will still be able to take care of it.  I heard of one person who bought one, got accepted to go away to college, and couldn't bring it.  This animal will love you and be attached to you, and then all of a sudden taken away.  Imagine how that feels.  You must take everything into consideration before making the decision to own one.  Just google sugar gliders and there is a plethora of information out there to learn about the pros and cons to ownership.

What is that?

Snickers & Oggi

What is a Sugar Glider?

A Sugar Glider is a small animal in the marsupial family.  The first questions I always hear are, "OMG, what is that" and "Is that a mouse!?"  No way!  They are not a part of the rodent family, they are so much cuter!  Then the next question is, "OH COOL, do they fly?".  Well, they don't fly, they glide, hence the name sugar GLIDER.  And yes, they do glide, all over my house!  They have loose skin which extends between the fifth finger of each hand to the first toe of each foot.  This skin gives them their ability to glide, and it is quite magnificent when you get to experience it (except when they are still learning and land on your face!)  Oh yea, did I mention they are nocturnal?  So, if you are not really a night person, a sugar glider really isn't for you!

Khaleesi & Drogo

What do you feed these little dudes?
There are many different people out there who recommend all different types of diets.  There is no one correct way of feeding them, but there are necessary items they need in their diet.  For one, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables is a must!  Or if you can not get fresh, frozen will do. Protein is another important aspect, I give mine either mealworms or boiled turkey and always have pellets available for them.  Then, I use Bourbon's Modified Leadbeaters Mix, which they get every single night.  It is very important to concentrate on their calcium to phosphorus ratio, it should be 2:1 to prevent hind leg paralysis.  I will talk more about that in future posts though!  

Snickers

Do they make good pets?

Yes YES YES!  The sugar glider is the best pet I ever had in my life!!  But of course, they are not for everyone.  I would take sugar gliders over a dog any day... and I love dogs.  You really have to have at least two of them, because they get depressed very easily and need a buddy around to play with.  Plus, they need lots of love and attention from their owner, but thats not hard at all.  Once you have one you never want to let them go!  Once they are bonded to you, they love to be around you all the time.  I carry my guys around with me in my shirt.  They like to hang out in my pockets and the hoods of my sweatshirt.  I have four of them all together, three males and one female.  I love them all very much.  They each have a different personality, but they are all loving, playful, and social animals