Hi! I am looking into buying two sugar gliders and i'd hate to jump into it without knowing its the right pet for me. so i have a few questions!
1. Previously i had a chinchilla, she was a good pet overall but not the type to relax with me and she was always pretty jumpy when i held her. Is it correct that with proper bonding a sugar glider will nap in my shirt or pouch during the daytime? and they are playful at night, correct?
2. I was planning on using my chinchillas cage, but the wire spacing is a tad too wide :(, so it looks like im going to have to purchase a new cage, does anyone have any cheap recommendations?
3. As bedding at the bottom of the cage i have heard many different things, i am looking for the easiest to clean, iv'e seen someone say they use fleece, and take it out and wash it every other day, but im not quite sure what to use, any suggestions?
4. If i leave for say, 3 days on a short vacation, can i leave 2 sugar gliders with pellet food and water with toys in their cage? I'm not sure what else i could do.
5. What are your opinions on diet? Iv'e heard from you need to give them a daily special blend to pellet food and a source of protein and fruit every day. What do you think? Also, can i use freeze-dried crickets instead of live ones?
6. Are heat rocks necessary, my house stays on the low 70 degrees, will the gliders be cold?
Thanks in advance! :)
remember that im still deciding if this is right for me, trying not to buy on impulse!
if you have anything else you think could benefit my decision, please do say :)
-Rachel :)

You've come to the right place to ask questions, welcome!

1. Sugar gliders don't "relax" with you, so to speak. They'll sleep in a bonding pouch during the day, but even when they become bonded to you, which can take anywhere from a few months to a year or so, they are not the type of pet that will snuggle with you. Yes, they are very playful and active at night, and that's why they need at least one friend. The chances of anyone staying up all night every day is slim to one, and that's one of the reasons why they thrive in pairs/colonies.

2. I'm not familiar with the size of a chinchilla cage, but a large flight cage is ideal for a pair of gliders. The more room you can provide for the little monkeys to glide around, the happier they'll be. I have a sugar glider cage from www.martinscages.com and we paid a little over 200 for it.

3. Both of our cages have drop pans which I just rinse frequently. Wood shavings aren't safe, and it's been said that the coloring in newspaper can be toxic to gliders. I've heard that fleece works well too!

4. No, pellets aren't sufficient. I know that I'm going away this weekend, and have my boyfriend's mother( one of the only people I trust both in my apartment and with the gliders) coming over to feed them. I already have their food portioned out and frozen so that all she has to do is plate it and put it in their cage.

5. The ONLY time I put pellets in my guy's cage is when I'm going away as a "just in case" sort of thing. Pellets, in general, aren't favored by many people in the glider community. As a rule, their diet should consist of 25 percent fruits, 25 percent veggies, and 50 percent protein. Their calcium:phosphorus ratios should also be monitored and as close to 2:1 as possible. Calcium deficiency can lead to hind-leg paralysis in gliders. Personally, I feed HPW (High Protein Wombaroo) mixture, a Ca:Ph balanced fruit cocktail and a Ca:Ph balanced veggie relish daily. These little guys can be really picky eaters though, and it may take a little tweaking to find out what they will and will not eat.

6. Heat rocks aren't only unnecessary, they're not safe. They're used and encouraged by millbreeders who try to sell joeys before they're actually ready to be weened from their mothers. Since they're too young to be able to regulate their own body temperature, millbreeders push the idea of a heatrock. There are risks of both burns and since these guys like to chew, there's a risk of them biting through the cord and injuring themselves.

^that