You are walking through the mall when you spot a crowd of people around a kiosk. When you approach, a man whips a tiny, adorable, fuzzy creature from his coat!
How cute! Is it a boy, or girl you ask, to which the man replies: Oh, there's no way to tell.
This little animal eats the PPP pellets, and only an apple slice a day! They don't need a second glider, they do fine by themselves. They don't need much exercise and can be kept in a cage about the size needed for a hamster.
No.
No, stop.
I am posting this topic do to the spike in SugarGlider deaths in my state. Why the rise? PPP has recently set up in the malls in the big towns here and now, many people are purchasing these little babies without knowing anything about them. The worst thing? PPP will tell you NOT to do research! They claim anyone else is just trying to sell you stuff that /Isn't Safe/. They sell wheels can cause EXTREME damage to a glider's tail, and cages way too small. Their diet can kill a once healthy glider in a matter of weeks, and that's saying the glider you got from them was healthy. They will sell sick, and under-aged joeys to unaware buyers!
It may seem like a hate topic so far, but don't worry! I'd like to share with ALL of you some information on these adorable pets!
Sugar gliders are called Sap suckers. They tear the bark off of trees and lick the liquid inside. They catch and eat insects, and love nibbling on fruits and veggies! Of course, this means you can't feed them JUST pellets and an apple. They need a wide variety of food and a LIQUID or insectivore base! Otherwise, they can develop infections and break teeth; and that's very painful!
Gliders must be kept in pairs, as they are social, colony animals. Otherwise, they can stop eating, become depressed, and SM (Self mutilate) Which, in bad cases, can lead to death.
They need a large cage, so they can jump and glide; and must have several HOURS of out-of-cage play. They also should have a wheel to play on. The wheel CANNOT have an axel bar, as they may wrap their tails around it. When the Axel get's dirty, it gets sticky, and they could have their tail torn off!
Sugar gliders are Awesome pets, but require a lot more work then PPP says, and they're also quite expensive. If you ever come across a mall kiosk selling them, I would suggest that instead of purchasing a possibly sick glider, instead investing in a healthy, weaned joey from a breeder in your area or a glider from a rescue near you.
Thanks for reading!
