Sugar Glider: good pets?

[ukulele4you]

I have wanted a sugar glider for at least 15 years. I held off because they seem like a HUGE commitment and I do not want to be irresponsible. Ethically, I also have a bit of an issue with them since I am not sure if I can trust breeders (the minimum requirement for USDA breeders is shockingly low)/ I have noticed many adoption organizations are a scam. I figured this would be a good place to ask people what they think of SG's as pets. I have read up until I am blue in the face, but I have yet to talk to anyone who actually has one. Any ideas?

[YYWW]

Ask @sugarselections


Crabbers unite!!!

[hermitcrab101]

They're good pets for certain people, but they're not for everyone. They aren't considered a domesticated species, so they still are wild animals which seems to slip people minds a lot. They're diet is more complex then a lot of small mamals kept as pets, so don't think feeding all and only pelets will be okay. I cared for 2 for a short while and they do smell, it's not unbearable though so that's good. Theres this place that I see pop up a lot selling sugar gliders under then name of "sugar bears" I would definitely avoid them, they're products aren't the best and I've read stories of people buying very sick gliders from them. Sugar gliders do form very strong bonds with they're owners and can be very sweet and loving. If you don't mind the extra work and cost then they're worth getting in my opinion at least.

[wodesorel]

Ask sugarselections

This! She's had them for years and she's extremely well educated on their care and the community.

[sugarselections]

I just sent you a very long email about gliders and will be happy to help in any way I can. I've owned gliders for over 9 years and love them but they are a huge commitment. My avatar is my 9 y/o old boy, Nocturne. He's a dollbaby but also a major brat.

The term "sugar bears" is used by certain mill breeders/mill brokers to purposefully mislead new sugar glider owners. The companies use the term so new owners will google "sugar bear" and get the horrible lies told by the company about glider care instead of being able to tap into the real knowledgeable online sugar glider community.

Intact male sugar gliders do have a musky type of odor. I had both my boys neutered at around 12 weeks out of pouch so I never had to deal with their scent glands. A normal female or neutered male should have no real odor at all. The first time my sister smelled them she described it as a very clean animal smell.

[sugarselections]

Nocturne & Lark


They really are the cutest things ever to exist.

[ukulele4you]

I just want to smoosh my face into them! They are soooo cute!!!

[CallaLily]

The first time my sister smelled them she described it as a very clean animal smell.

My sister used to have a few. I always thought they sort of smelled like puppy breath.

[sugarselections]

They actually do tend to smell a little sweet. Most of the staple diets developed for sugar gliders include a significant amount of honey to approximate the nectar they eat in the wild. I think they often have a tiny bit of a honey smell. Also, gliders are pretty fanatical groomers of themselves and their colony members so a healthy glider shouldn't smell bad. Although they do occasionally do things like pee on each other, so they definitely don't smell good all the time.

[ukulele4you]

When I had two dogs my little female (Pickles) would always pee on my other dogs head. It was so weird. She would just walk over to him and pee on his head! I was constantly giving him baths.