|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
1. |
 |
NEVER buy Sugar Gliders from the Internet |
|
|
| |
|
2. |
|
ALWAYS meet the people you are buying
from in person. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
1. |
|
This is an
“all-or-nothing” question. The breeding of Sugar
Gliders is strictly regulated by the
Federal Government,
and the USDA imposes high standards of health and safety
on those who qualify to get a breeder’s license. Due to
an outbreak of unscrupulous internet merchants
disguising themselves as small “mom & pop” breeders,
many states are now requiring that owners can only
purchase Sugar Gliders directly from a USDA
Licensed breeder. If the person you’re talking to can’t
show you a physical copy of their USDA License, walk
away. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
2. |
|
”
Any reputable breeder will already have a formal
“after-the-sale” education program in place for all its
new parents. The best ones include a wide range of
written material covering every topic related to the
animal’s care and well-being, and a convenient way for
you to contact them whenever you have a question. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
3. |
|
This is the best possible way to
tell if the people you are talking to really know what
they’re doing. Any reputable breeder will gladly let
you hold any of their adult animals without hesitation.
The animals should be friendly, tame, and affectionate.
They should demonstrate obedience without being tied to
a leash or restrained in any way. Also, check to see if
the animal has a strong odor. Healthy Sugar Gliders
(when fed the correct diet) should not have an offensive
smell. If the one you’re holding does, then they are
probably not being fed a healthy diet, and you should
walk away. NOTE: Reputable
breeders normally will not let strangers hold young
babies. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
4. |
|
The
correct answer to this question is somewhere between 8
and 12 weeks out of the pouch. The “bonding phase” of a
Sugar Glider’s life takes place primarily at this age,
and it becomes much more difficult to bond with an
animal if the process has not at least started by this
time. QUICK TIP: The best way to tell a Sugar
Glider’s age is to look at its tail. It should be
“bushy”, not slick or flat. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
5. |
|
Any reputable USDA Licensed Breeder will already have a
written health guarantee and replacement policy. The
industry standard consists of: 1) a short “free”
replacement period (usually 2-3 days) if the animal dies
for any reason, PLUS 2) a slightly longer “reduced
cost” replacement period if the animal happens to die
after that (usually an additional 1-2 weeks). |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
6. |
|
” The
average female Sugar Glider only has 2-3 babies per
year. Combine that with the fact that Sugar Gliders
have become so popular in the last few years – and it’s
pretty easy to see why most people have never actually
seen one in person before. That being said, it’s not at
all unusual to have to “order” your animals and then
have them hand-delivered a few weeks later. If the
people you are speaking with have babies right there
that you can take home with you great, but if not,
ordering them directly from a Federally-Licensed USDA
Breeder helps ensure that you’re dealing with reputable
people, and quality animals. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
7. |
|
The correct
answer to this question is that they will be “driven” in
and hand-delivered. Again, there are many hidden health
and safety problems associated with shipping Sugar
Gliders on airplanes, so don’t risk it. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Sugar
Gliders as household pets:
Separating
fact
from
fiction.
In the last 15 years, Sugar Gliders have gotten extremely
popular across the USA as “companion pets”. Along with
this increased attention has come a wide range of good – and
bad – information about them; most of which is published on
the internet where it is difficult to tell fact from fiction.
Not all animals are right for all people, and if you are
thinking about getting a Sugar Glider as a pet, the following is
a list of short, factual answers that will help you make the
right decision for you and your family.
FICTION:
Sugar Gliders are abandoned by the thousands each year by
overwhelmed owners who got in over their heads. Rescues
are flooded with abandoned gliders who need good homes. Adopt
rather than buy..."
FACT:
** BEWARE ** No
legitimate Sugar Glider "rescues" exist anywehere in the U.S..
Sugar Glider "rescues" are simply an old internet scam
perpetrated by persons who are actually trying to sell animals
they have usually bred themselves (often illegally and against
Federal Law). They often play on the well-meaning emotions of
others with phrases like "Think Rescue/Adoption First" - and
sometimes even have the nerve to ask for donations to help fund
their cause. Check with your local animal shelter - and you'll
see that most have never seen a single Sugar Glider come through
their doors.
FICTION:
The diet of a Sugar Glider is very
costly and it’s a time consuming
effort to arrange for its daily meals. If you don’t feed
them live insects and mice every day, they’ll die.
FACT:
The three components of a healthy Sugar
Glider’s diet are: 1) fresh fruits and vegetables, 2) a
Veterinarian-approved protein-based pellet food, and 3) a
Veterinarian-approved multivitamin . The typical monthly
cost of this type of diet normally does not exceed $10 per
animal.
FICTION:
Sugar Gliders
stink and are messy.
FACT:
Sugar Gliders only exude an offensive smell when
fed a diet consisting of “live” foods such as insects and
meat. Commercially available pellet foods that eliminate
this problem have been available for years. Additionally, Sugar
Gliders are actually very clean animals and do not need bathing.
FICTION:
Sugar Gliders
make a lot of noise at night.
FACT:
All pets make some kind of noises, and Sugar
Gliders do not make any more noise or less than other household
pets. They are capable of making several kinds of sounds, but
usually only do so when they are scared or hurt.
FICTION:
Sugar Gliders are vicious and they
bite.
FACT:
The simple fact is that any animal with
teeth can bite. However, like most household pets such as
cats or dogs, well-cared-for Sugar Gilders will usually only nip
if they are scared or being hurt. It’s important to note
that a Sugar Glider’s teeth and jaws are designed to scoop out
fruit and insects, not bite down. As such, a “nip”
typically feels more like a firm pinch, and there has never been
a single documented case of a Sugar Glider bite ever requiring
stitches.
FICTION:
Sugar Gliders can get very
lonely and will die if you do not have at least two.
FACT:
Sugar Gliders are very social animals
and – like any other household pet – are happiest when they have
some type of companionship. It’s always best if you have
more than one Glider, but it’s almost never a “life & death”
issue. If you can only afford to get one Joey, then just
try to spend as much time with it as possible, playing and
enjoying its naturally friendly nature.
FICTION:
Sugar Gliders need spacious
cages
occupying a lot of your living space.
FACT:
Veterinary studies show that a 2ft x
2ft x 2ft cage is appropriate for up to 2 adult Gliders.
Larger cages are fine for adult gliders, but Joeys are more
active (and bond faster) in a cage roughly the size of the one
noted above. Cage wires should be coated either in PVC or
a high-grade epoxy resin to avoid toxicity poisoning.
FICTION:
Sugar Gliders require
expensive health care.
FACT:
Sugar Gliders require no
vaccinations of any kind. They also require none of the
monthly Vet care treatments common to other house pets like cats
and dogs. As with any pet, an annual “checkup” is
always a good idea, and any small mammal veterinarian will be
familiar with these popular little animals.
|
