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Care
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Housing
Have an appropriate cage ready before you bring your sugar glider home. The cage should be a MINIMUM of 36 inches tall and the wire spacing should be1/2 inch or less. The wire must be pvc- or powder-coated. Uncoated wire is an irritation to sugar gliders’ feet and can lead to injuries. In addition, the combination of urine and food deposits on uncoated wire will cause toxins that are dangerous to sugar gliders.
Do not use a cage made from aluminum.
If you wish to house multiple sugar gliders in one cage, please consult with Chicago Sugar Gliders to make sure the cage is large enough for them to live comfortably. Also, it is important that each glider has its own feeding station. If they are forced to share, one could become dominate and not allow the others to eat. Try to have the feeding stations at different levels in the cage, and on opposite sides. You will also need to hang a small mouth water bottle that can be hung from the outside of the cage Glass is better than plastic.
You should add perches of different levels and sizes to the cage as well. These will allow your glider to exercise its feet muscles. Sugar gliders love natural branches, but if you choose to get them from outside, they must be sterilized by baking or boiling in order to avoid introducing parasites to your pet. Some good choices for natural perches are elm and apple.
Exercise/Play
Sugar gliders require exercise. Lack of exercise can cause obesity and this can lead to medical problems. A good way to help your sugar glider keep fit is to have a tall cage and add a couple of branches for climbing. A plastic hamster running ball will also allow your sugar glider to move around your house and still be safe.
Another way for your sugar glider to get exercise is to teach it to glide. When the babies are born in captivity, they often do not realize that they can glide yet. Put it on a perch of some type and stand far enough back that it is unable to reach you, but can jump onto your arm. Start with
a short distance and then gradually lengthen the distance/height.
Soon you will have a sugar glider that can glide across the room
right onto your lap.
Sugar gliders are very interactive animals. They should have enough toys in their cage to promote interest, curiosity, and movement. Most bird toys and some cat toys make wonderful toys for sugar gliders.
A toy that we highly recommend is a “wodent wheel”. Sugar gliders naturally seek out holes, and instantly go for this toy.
Bonding
Bonding with your sugar glider is the most enjoyable part of owning one, but it takes time and patience. When you first adopt your sugar glider it will have been tamed by Chicago Sugar Gliders, but to make it your best friend you need to spend quality time with it so that it becomes familiar with you. Just be patient and do not force anything. The more you gently handle it and make your presence known, the quicker it will become used to you. Bonding may happen immediately or it could take up to several months. One way to help speed the bonding process is to send us a piece of clothing that you’ve worn, and we will place it in the sugar glider’s cage a few days prior to your adoption. This will get your sugar glider used to your scent. Another method of bonding is to carry the pet in a shirt pocket all day and have small treats to give it when you try to work with it (called "Pocket Training"). During the day you can pet and bond with your sugar glider even if it is asleep. Your pet will get used to your scent and touch at the same time.
Chicago Sugar Gliders will ensure that your new pet is tamed and used to human contact before you adopt it. But you still need to be aware that these animals can bite if they’re angered. If your sugar glider does bite you, do not try to shake it off as it will bite harder and will probably get hurt as you jerk it around. If you get bitten, try to brave it out and continue to handle your pet. If you give up and return it to its cage, it will understand that each time it bites you will let them go, and therefore it will continue to bite. If you stay with it, the sugar glider will eventually give up after it realizes biting will not cause you to leave it alone.
Chicago Sugar Gliders strongly suggests they you do not let children handle your new pet until you’re sure the children will be safe with it. Children should be taught the proper way to hold and handle the pet
to ensure the sugar glider’s safety as well as the children’s safety. Children should know that even though the glider is cute
and cuddly, it is not a toy.
When Bonded
After your sugar glider bonds with you, you will find that you have a new best friend. You will be able to freely handle it and let others handle it with ease, as it will trust your judgment. Each sugar glider has a different personality and will act differently. One of the first signs that the sugar glider is bonding with you is that it will tend to bark less often at night. This can mean that it is starting to get used to you. It will also come to you if you let it down on the floor. It may not come right away as it will explore its new surroundings, but it will come eventually. A male may even start to mark you as his by rubbing his head against you.
This is his way of saying that you are now his personal friend.
Training
Sugar gliders can be trained to a certain degree that will amaze you
and your family. Our breeder, Jose Aviles, was able to train his sugar glider to obey verbal commands! This is extremely unusual but can be accomplished with much dedication and devotion to your joey. You
can train yours to the extent that it can stay with you at all times or
roam your house freely, depending on your preference.
If you want your pet to stay with you at all times, or be a personal glider, then you need to teach it that it cannot leave your person. To do this, you should carry it around on you and if it jumps to something else, gently pick it up and put it back on you or in a pocket. It’s fine to let it jump from person to person, but it should not jump down and run away from you. After 4-5 months of training, you will have a pet
that does not leave your side.
If you want your sugar glider to be a house pet, start in one small
room and let it explore its new surroundings. Try to lure it back with treats and then let it explore again. After you have mastered a small room and it responds when you call it back, you can move into a larger room. After awhile you will have a pet that will run off and explore, come back to you, then go off to explore again. If you choose this method,
be sure to supervise your pet closely to protect it from
potentially dangerous situations.
Companionship
Sugar Gliders make wonderful pets after becoming acclimated to their new environment. They enjoy people, and seem to prefer their main caretaker but will explore and let others handle them for a short period of time. If you decide to let someone else handle your pet, let them know it’s possible that the glider may bite. Also keep in mind it has sharp claws and will cling when picked up roughly. Take every opportunity to work and play with your sugar glider, as it will become your best friend in time. It’s important to remember that if your sugar glider is not handled on a daily basis it could experience depression due to loneliness. As time passes, you will find that it will come
to you to play and cuddle.
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