[Disclaimer - I not picking on anyone here. This is a generic warning to anyone, because there are sadly soooo many, who just wanna breed for the experience or out of idle curiousity. It ain't personal, but meant to be educational from someone who deals with the all-to-common results of doing so every single day]

If you want to breed sugar gliders "just for the experience" then please consider neutering the male(s) after after one or two joeys are sired. If you don't you'll be dealing with a dozen or more in no time. And then if you freak out, like most wanna-be home/hobby breeders do, they'll all end up in rescue or re-homed. That's not being cynical, that's experience talking.

LGRS (Lucky Glider rescue & Sanctuary) is stuffed to the gills with 6-to-10 member colonies from people doing breeding "just for the experience." I am in no way advocating breeding for profit either. There is an abosolute epidemic of abandoned and unwanted gliders now despite the falsehoods spread by mill breeders and others who don't want anyone to know the truth. It's just inhumane to continue breeding them with all the unwanted ones languishing in small cages and ignored or abandoned.

Consider this. Once a colony gets large, and it happens fast, you'll end up with multiple cages owing to the bad behavior of un-neutered, large colonies. It's a real horror show and we see it all the time. Here's why:

Large colonies do not happen in the wild. Mom and dad drive away the sub-adults and they start their own colonies. But in captivity, large colonies, especially if the males are not neutered, promote early death, maiming, inbreeding and are simply gory and disasterous.

It is not often you can go beyond seven without them tearing each other apart. So what happens is when the mating wounds start, when the tails and fingers start getting bitten off, people finally separate them and then end up with two or three cages. That's when they knock on our door. Or they knock on our door just from freaking out over the volume and the vet bills or because the fad has faded and they just don't want them any more. Please, do the animals a big favor and keep it small. The best way to keep it small is to neuter. Curious? Just have to roll the dice to see a baby joey not knowing if mom is healthy or emotionally stable enough not to cannibalize it? Great. Have one or two and then neuter all the males. Please.

As always well said.

Amen to this post! There are far to many gliders out there who are all looking for a home. I had thought I would need to get a baby to have a bonded glider, but I just got a six month old glider (okay still young, but not a baby) who is the friendliest girl on earth. If a glider is well handled, it doesn't matter their age. I vote for rescuing animals instead of looking for breeders. All of our cats are rescues, and I am a big supporter of getting pets from SPCA or the Humane Society. There are so many animals that need homes, so why breed more who might end up in just the same scenario?

Thanks for the support you guys. Please spread the word about neutering and adopting. I can tell you that adoptable rescues are typically much for friendly and bond quicker than scared-to-death joeys born in mills and sold in pet stores.

Well, ACUALLY! I'm getting my next glider from my local SPCA! I just called them today and they still don't have any but I spoke with a lady a few weeks ago that told me to keep checking cuz many people give their gliders to SPCA..:)

I wouldnt necessairly say shame on them for not being commited and giving them away. You have to think and look at it like this..... At least they cared enough and were commited enough to know that they were unable to take care of them the way they should be, and were thoughtful enough to give them a better place rather than let them suffer in their own homes..... Yes it is sad to hear and see people do this, but you have to always find the good in the bad :-D

You're right, lol I didn't think about that.....I'll change it! haha