Sugar Gliders for Pets
It is more than likely that you have heard of the sugar glider, or the sugar bears that people are starting to keep as pets. These exotic little creatures come to us from Australia and some of the surrounding islands of that country. They are indeed very cute, very small, and very popular, but how are sugar gliders for pets?
You will actually be delighted to know that these creatures make quite good pets. They are not overly aggressive on average, they require very little in the way of housing and feeding needs, and they are not even very noisy. So they are good pets to have in an apartment, or in a situation where you have roommates and do not want a pet that would disturb them.
A dog or a cat need to be taken outside for exercise and to be able to do their business, but when you have sugar gliders for pets that will not be necessary, but it will be necessary for you to clean their cage. You also have to worry that while you are away at work the dog or the cat is going to get into something, or destroy something and when you have sugar gliders for pets this will not be the case because they will remain in their cage.
These creatures are nocturnal, meaning they get up during the night and that is when they eat, and play. If you are one of the people who goes to bed very early and gets up very early these may not be the best choice for you to have as a pet. If you are someone that frequently stays up late, then you will more than likely get a lot of entertainment from watching them.
Sugar gliders for pets may not be the best idea for homes with very small children. The sugar glider is about thirteen inches long from tip of tail to tip of snout. Their actually body length is only about five inches, because they have a partially prehensile tail that is very long to allow them to use it to grasp branches with. Small children often are very rambunctious and they can frighten the small creature causing the animal to do things like scratch the child or even to bite the child. These animals have claws on all five digits on their feet, the only digits that do not have a claw is the thumb like digit on their hind feet. So these little guys can scratch with these claws.
The sugar glider as a pet for the college dorm or for a teenager is an excellent idea. Both of these age groups generally stay up later at night, and they are both at an age when they have the time to invest in a pet like this. The sugar glider will require its new owner to create a bond with it when it is very small in order for the owner to be able to do things like remove them from their cage without scaring them. To create this bond the new owner will have a bond pouch that the glider will fit into and they will carry the glider around in this pouch frequently. The animal will become familiar with the scent of the individual and will become familiar with the sound of their voice, and with the motion of being carried. Familiarity breeds trust so once the animal has been carried awhile it will begin to trust the person that has been carrying it. This bonding is very important and must be done while the Joey is still very young.
Once a bond has formed between the pet and the owner then the sugar glider will trust the person enough to come out of the cage without the pouch. Remember that the pouch is a security measure and you should take it with you anytime that you think the animal may become frightened or alarmed, like when they are introduced to a new person. If you have their bonding pouch then they can safely retreat inside it if they begin to feel stressed. This can prevent the animal from doing things that would seem aggressive.
If you are considering getting sugar gliders for pets just remember they do not like to be alone. You need at least a pair of them in order for them to be happy in your home.
