1. Sugar gliders are not cheap pets. They can sell for anywhere between $100 and $5,000 each. The better the lineage, temperment, and color is, the more expensive the glider will be.

 

2. Sugar gliders are colony animals. It is very important to have at least two. Otherwise they can get lonely and depressed (imagine never seeing another human being again). Having at least two gliders may also make the bonding process easier than trying to bond with a single glider.

 

3. There is a very high start up cost for owning sugar gliders. You will need a cage, cage set, toys, food, that doesn't even include the glider. All the accessories for sugar gliders will most likelly be a few hundred dollars or more. 

 

4. Vet bills will be more expensive. Sugar gliders are exotic pets, most regualr vets won't look at them or if they do, they may not know very much about them. Sugar gliders need to be seen by an exotic vet that has experience in treating sugar gliders.

 

5. They take a lot of time. They can live up to 15 years or more. You need to spend tons and tons of time playing and bonding with them. Carrying them around in a bonding pouch as much as you can. Sugar gliders should be taken out and played with at least once a day. If you don't have time to take them out of their cages for at least a few hours each week, then they may not be the pet for you. Some sugar gliders may not bond to you very quickly, they will take tons of time and patience, some sugar gliders can take months or years to bond, it is a long term investment. 

 

6. They take up a lot of room. Sugar gliders love to jump and glide, they need a large cage. Their cage should be at least 3 feet high, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. Some say even that is too small. Bigger is better when it comes to the cage size.

 

7. They are nocturnal.They sleep all day and are up all night. Their sleeping schedules should not be changed or it can be harmful to their health.

 

8. Not all toys and wheels are glider safe. There are specific types of wheels for sugar gliders. Wheels with the bars in the middle are not safe because a glider could wrap their tail around the bar and get severely injured. I sell sugar glider safe wheels in my store. There are a lot of small animal toys out there that are not glider safe either. Toys with string, rope, pine, glitter, jingle bells, and many many other parts are not glider safe. All of the toys I make will be safe for your sugar gliders.

 

9. Sugar gliders can be messy. They like to throw their food, having a cage cover or glider kitchen can help keep the waste from sticking to your walls. Cages should be cleaned at least once a week.

 

10. They need a specific diet. There are many different diets out there for sugar gliders. The most popular are HPW and BML. I personally feed HPW complete and breeders, it is an instant staple where you add water to the powder and serve with fruits and veggies. Do research and find out which diet best fits you.