kyro298 Glider Sprinkles      CO, USA
15262 Posts
viciousencounters Goofy Gorillatoes NM, USA 2907 Posts Here you are Erica: Lindsay Kus FOX 17 News "10:17 p.m. EDT, March 27, 2012 ROCKFORD, Mich— Sisters Jessica and Brenna Sims from Rockford got two sugar gliders for Christmas after they saw them at a mall kiosk in Ann Arbor. "I was like, oh, my gosh, they are so cute," said 16-year-old Jessica Sims. The girls were ecstatic when they both got one for Christmas. The tiny creatures, marketed in pet stores and malls across the country and in Michigan as the perfect pocket pet, are exotic animals. Native to Australia, 'sugar gliders,' or 'sugar bears' as some call them, are no bigger than a small hamster. They have the ability to glide through the air, usually to catch insects. But owners learn right away that these cute baby creatures were much more than an easy pocket companion. "They urinate all over the place and drop little gifts everywhere," said Brad Sims, Jessica and Brenna's father. "And the midnight barking, I didn't know they barked until we heard them barking when we got them home." Sugar gliders are nocturnal, so when owners want to play with them in the day, they usually are sleeping. When the lights go out, they are all over the place. "They jump all night long one does a black flip, the other is running on the wheel, they are really hyperactive," says Jessica Sims. Some animal experts want to see this exotic pet trend go away. "They are best left in the wild," said Shannon King, a keeper at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids who has experience with the species. She says sugar gliders should not be pets. The fact that they require a strict diet for their tiny bodies and lots of space are just a few of the reasons. "Even a six foot cage, even though it's big to us, it isn't for them," said King. "They can't glide like they are meant to glide, and it's just not a good area for them to be in." "People think they are cute, and they are, but there are a lot of people who buy them and have them for a year ... realize they can't take care of them." Experts worry the animals can get sick or die easily if they don't get the proper care. The Sims says people interested in sugar gliders should do their research. "They require a lot of time, a lot of care, do your homework," said Brad Sims. The creatures are sold at VI Pets in West Michigan for $250 each. Store workers say they are cute, but very high maintenance. Some animal rights groups are working to get the sell of sugar gliders banned in the United States." StellaAnLuna Fuzzy Wuzzy 1063 Posts <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by viciousencounters</i> <br />Here you are Erica: Lindsay Kus FOX 17 News "10:17 p.m. EDT, March 27, 2012 ROCKFORD, Mich— Sisters Jessica and Brenna Sims from Rockford got two sugar gliders for Christmas after they saw them at a mall kiosk in Ann Arbor. "I was like, oh, my gosh, they are so cute," said 16-year-old Jessica Sims. The girls were ecstatic when they both got one for Christmas. The tiny creatures, marketed in pet stores and malls across the country and in Michigan as the perfect pocket pet, are exotic animals. Native to Australia, 'sugar gliders,' or 'sugar bears' as some call them, are no bigger than a small hamster. They have the ability to glide through the air, usually to catch insects. But owners learn right away that these cute baby creatures were much more than an easy pocket companion. "They urinate all over the place and drop little gifts everywhere," said Brad Sims, Jessica and Brenna's father. "And the midnight barking, I didn't know they barked until we heard them barking when we got them home." Sugar gliders are nocturnal, so when owners want to play with them in the day, they usually are sleeping. When the lights go out, they are all over the place. "They jump all night long one does a black flip, the other is running on the wheel, they are really hyperactive," says Jessica Sims. Some animal experts want to see this exotic pet trend go away. "They are best left in the wild," said Shannon King, a keeper at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids who has experience with the species. She says sugar gliders should not be pets. The fact that they require a strict diet for their tiny bodies and lots of space are just a few of the reasons. "Even a six foot cage, even though it's big to us, it isn't for them," said King. "They can't glide like they are meant to glide, and it's just not a good area for them to be in." "People think they are cute, and they are, but there are a lot of people who buy them and have them for a year ... realize they can't take care of them." Experts worry the animals can get sick or die easily if they don't get the proper care. The Sims says people interested in sugar gliders should do their research. "They require a lot of time, a lot of care, do your homework," said Brad Sims. The creatures are sold at VI Pets in West Michigan for $250 each. Store workers say they are cute, but very high maintenance. Some animal rights groups are working to get the sell of sugar gliders banned in the United States." <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> Thank you VE!  I also dont like the banned part. ~Erica~
TJones09 Goofy Gorillatoes 3524 Posts As a keeper of a couple different "desert dwelling" lizards, I feel that there are ways to keep these & some other exotics as pets in captivity. I believe that everyone should "research" any & every pet they plan to take care of, so they can provide the best environment for that pet. We take responsibility for the lives of any pet we choose to keep, from fish, reptile, bird or "fur" variety. Sadly, there are cases where any type of pet gets picked up on impulse, not just exotics. Some people should never have any pet, and some should limit their pets to their capabilities, meaning: quality & quantity of time & effort. Others who have the desire to dedicate their selves to the care of a "more complicated" exotic, should have the right to. Unfortunately, we can't control the people who buy, again, any kind of pet, that doesn't take into account the full responsibility, and does the proper research, but as I said, this could be a kitten, puppy, bunny (popular this time of year), birds, & you get the idea of where I'm going. So banning the sale of SG's doesn't have to be the answer, other wise they'd ban having any kind of pet. Personally, I've had a bunny, a dog, goldfish (don't laugh, I loved him for many years) at school age. A Leopard gecko, Rankin's dragon, and a another dog & now 2 sugar gliders in my adult hood. (My LG, passed away of old age 2 Springs ago). Point is, every pet I had, I either had experience or researched. I would never take the responsibility of the life of any animal otherwise. That's why I there are some pets I choose not to have, at least up to this point in my life. I know there are many out there just like me, and the ones that aren't are going to ruin it for everyone. One day they may not let you keep any pet, and that is unacceptable to me. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it. cupcake Glider 136 Posts videos like that make me so mad!!!!! of course they show owners that do not know what the are doing. i have my hamster in a cage bigger than that. and that wheel is WAY to small!!!!! and plus sugar gliders are the best pets i have ever had!!!! they do not need to be telling people that they really belong in the wild. if they were not ment to be in our houses then why do so many people have them and spoil them to death???????? just ask anyone who has a sugar glider, i gurentee that they will tell you that they are the best pets in the world and that they love their sugar glider to death. and the people in the video should not have gotten sugar gliders. i bet that they did not even do any research about sugar gliders!!!!!! they are a lot of work but once you have done your research, know everything about them, prepare to get them, put the time into bonding and everything, and you are willing to spend the money, they are the best pets in the world. in my opinion they do NOT belong in the wild. they are like on the bottom of the food chain in the wild. people like that make me SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO mad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rukiya Glider USA 121 Posts IMHO as a total newbie, who's suggies have yet to even come home, what saddens me the most is the fact that those gliders are crammed into that little cage. The back flips say to me "I am distressed! Get me out of this too small cage and give me the time and attention I need!!" The shot of the glider on the wheel made me cringe!For dad to suggest people do their research flat out ticked me off! The laundry list of things he complained about, he would have been fully aware of IF he had taken 2 seconds to visit a single suggie website or forum! I am still bombarded with the cons of owning a glider at every site I visit for my glider supplies! I am afraid that the most useful part of this entire clip will be skipped because they are work! You as the person with the payment have the responsibility! I digress....the steam from my ears is messing up my hair!
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