Sugar Gliders are not a craze or a fad, they are delicate and unusual pets that need extensive care, they can be very expensive and time consuming to keep.
They need a specialist diet, you cannot pop into your local pet shop to buy what they will need.
Oh yes, they look so cute, and sweet...
and fluffy...
, but don't be fooled! They are ferocious predators, in the wild they will easily catch small animals, they are natural born killers! This gives you a clue that they can and will bite, they have very small, very sharp teeth as well as very strong little feet with claws.
A forum I use calls them fluffy Cobras...
sounds funny doesn't it? I mean, they are so sweet, so small and cuddly looking..
well trust me on this, Snuggie owners know exactly why they have this nickname, it is a very good description.
They are fast and furious and the noise they make will make you jump out of your skin.
If you are thinking of breeding these fascinating creatures, ask yourself why, then consider if anything upsets the parents they are quite likely to kill and eat their own Joeys.
If their diet is wrong, again they are likely to turn cannibalistic.
Could you cope with that? You think you could? Fine, how about their rather delightful toilet habits? They cannot control their bowel or bladder and will mess everywhere they go...
and they can get to many places you couldn't.
They are aromatic little critters, they will wee all over you and rub their scent over everything, if you scrub and clean, they will simply scent mark all the more, a vicious circle.
Sugar Gliders are not for the squeamish I've read of stories of owners sadly finding one of their much loved pets has died, if that wasn't horrible enough, these devastated owners have found their companions have eaten the eyes from their dead mate..
Not something you'd want your child to find one morning really is it? Still reading? They need a large cage, the bigger the better, they need time out of that cage for the essential poop spreading they are so good at, they also need plenty of toys and things to do, they are clever little things and easily get bored, so buy safe toys and change them often to keep them occupied, yes...
more expense! make sure the cage is secure, they are fantastic escape artists! They love live insects and during feeding you'll see just how lightning fast they can be...
amazing to watch, fairly gross when they take great pleasure in throwing bits of insect back at you.
They are nocturnal and have very delicate eyes, you cannot keep them in a brightly lit room, that would be very cruel...
can you live in semi-darkness? No bright TV's or fancy lights please, that's just nasty.
So you think you can handle all that? Yeah you think you want a Glider? No, sorry again you are wrong, you cannot have a Glider, they are social animals that live in colonies, if you try and keep one, alone...
it probably will die.
They need other Gliders, without company they are highly likely to self mutilate and die very quickly never ever consider keeping a Glider on it's own, that is selfish and cruel.
So we've got this far and you're still reading...
that's good, however I am no expert and would highly recommend you reading and digesting all of the information you can get hold of.
Also make sure your local Vet knows about and can help you care for your Gliders.