After a fair bit of research and a couple of ads on websites, I’ve finally found someone near me that keeps gliders who has agreed to let me come and meet them :). I’m really keen to visit some of these little guys so that I can get a clearer idea of the kind of care they require. I’m quite keen to find out a few things;

• Do they actually smell THAT bad?
• How is mess aroiund the cage contained?
• Ideas for ‘glider proof’ areas
• Food preparation

I suppose I just want to make sure that I know what I’m letting myself in for - I want to make sure they are absolutely the right pet me for before committing to anything.

I’ll post back after the visit this weekend!

This is one of the main aspects of glider ownership that I think is going to cause the most problems between myself and the other half! lol! I can just about get away with hamsters as they are not really in the habit of throwing food out at me and peeing everywhere :P.

I have however thought about and found a range of solutions that would help to minimise the mess.

Wall Covering

Covering the walls in something easy to clean would seem like a sensible plan. Wallpaper is a definite no no, so walls would be painted, and a reckon it should be easy enough the fasten a sheet of perspex around the walls surrounding the cage (presuming the cage was in a corner). This would be quick and easy to wipe down and would avoid splattering the walls. It might be worth looking into some way of fastening ther perspex on without marking the walls…

I could also put up some sort of fleece wall covering which could be washed and changed as required, which would avoid having to mark the wall, but would be a bit more fiddly to keep clean and might harbour bacteria or smells… Not sure how the other half would feel about random bits of fleece on the wall either! lol!

Cage Coverings

This bothers me a bit as I would be concerned about ventilation, but covering three sides of the cage with some sort of backing paper (like you can get for fish tanks) would work, although on second thoughts any old (plain!) paper would probably work just as well. I’m sure there are examples around, I’ll try and find links to some pics. This could be changed really easily and wouldn’t involve washing or scrubbing anything, although it wouldn’t stop the little darlings from throwing stuff out the front of the cage!

Glider Kitchen

Having somewhere specific for a glider to eat sounds like a great idea and I’ve found several examples of a ‘glider kitchen’, i.e. an enclosed space where food is put and where the glider will eat, the idea being that the food will be thrown around the ‘kitchen’, rather than outside of the cage.  I’m not sure what would stop a glider just carrying the food out and throwing it round the cage though…

Floor surrounding the cage

Carpet would be a disaster. Any room I’m going to keep gliders in would have to have laminate or lino flooring to make it very easy to clean. I suppose you could get away with surrounding the cage with newspaper, but that could easily be trashed by an over curious suggie.

That’s all for now!

Very brief, but I’ve been thinking more about gliders and how best to house them. The accepted theory seems to be that the cage should be as large as humanly possible, with height being the main requirement. Most people who buy cages (there are loads of people that made their own!) go for bird aviaries (specifically one’s made by Ferplast such as the Brio Special , Brio Medium or the Brio Maxi.)

Basic cage requirements for suggies

• Very tall (5ft plus if possible)
• Bar spacing of 15 mm or less
• No gaps at the bottom of the cage or where the tray comes out
• Plenty of areas for the suggies to climb

More to come when I’ve had a bit more of a google and found some more examples. My immediate feeling is that I’d get a shop bought cage, as I’m not the most ‘handy’ of people, and a shop bought cage is probably going to be easier to clean and maintain in the long run. Not sure how the other half would feel about a cage of that size in the house though! lol!

Being a hamster owner, I was quite suprised to read that Sugar Gliders also enjoy a good run in the wheel when they are awake overnight. as with any small animal, there are plenty of warnings out there about buying the right wheel. The general consensus appears to be to avoid runged wheels at all costs, as a gliders tail or feet could easily get suck in the wheel and injured.

The two main types of wheel universally recommended in the ‘gliderverse’ are the Wodent Wheel and the Stealth Wheel, both of which are solid track wheels (although the stealth wheel does have holes to allow for pee and poop!)  that enclose the glider to some extent.

Wodent Wheels

I use these with my hamsters (although a glider would require the ‘Senior’ version, with larger holes in the front) and I think they are the best wheels you can (easily!) get in the UK for small animals. They are the only ASPCA approved wheels and are relatively easy to clean (once you learn how to take them apart). You can also purchase sandy inserts for these wheels to help keep your pets claws trimmed. These wheels can be purchased at several UK outlets online, or ordered wholesale from the distributors. As I only have a couple of these, I’ve always used EquineCanineFeline without any issues.

Stealth Wheels

 I’ve never owned one of these, or indeed heard of them before I embarked on my suggie research, although having had a chance to read up on them a bit more, I think I would be inclined to go for this over a Wodent Wheel for use with Suggies. The only big snag that I can see with these is that they are a bit of pain to find in in the UK. Thankfully, this is where Shropshire Exotics comes in.  As far as I can tell, they are the only place in the UK that sells these wheels. I’ll let you know if I find anywhere else!

Right, I’m thinking the first step towards researching Gliders properly is to investigate printed books on them. I’ve always been one to like having books around to refer to when needed (my bookshelves at home are evidence of this!). A quick search on Amazon has found a acvouple that look particularly interesting. Both are written from an American perspective, but the reviews seem positive and they should be useful as a starting point.

Sugar Gliders: Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Behavior, and Breeding by Caroline Wightman

Sugar Gliders: Living with and Caring For Sugar Gliders Is This the Right Pet for You? by Peggy Brewer

I’ll report back once I’ve had a bit of a read!

-  Lou

This website is basically my research into Sugar Gliders collected in one place that just so happens to be accessible to anyone on the internet. There is a lot of conflicting information regarding these little guys on the ‘net, and I was hoping to get all the info I thought was good together in one place to make things easier for myself and others.

The one thing that I have learned so far about Gliders is that you can never do enough research. They are certainly the most complicated pets in terms of day to day care that I have come across, and I have realised it’s going to take years to put together a decent portfolio of information. As I don’t yet own a pair of gliders, I was hoping this site could act as my first point of call when I finally take the plunge!

This site is most definitely a work in progress and will hopefully grow as I find more information.