Hi all,
I was at our local mall and the “Pocket Pets” people were there selling sugar gliders as “Sugar Bears.” The marketing was clearly targeted for kids/families; there were 3 guys and each had 3 or 4 sugar gliders in various pockets in their uniform. The cost for the set-up and one baby sugar glider was $595, $300 for an additional sugar glider, plus the various toys, etc., that they sell.
My kids were immediately taken by this and to be honest, I had never even heard of these animals before, let alone as pets, or know anyone that has one. My son is 6 and I think that’s probably a good target age because they got him hooked right away and then tried to sell me on how maintenance / hassle free they are. I have to admit it sounded appealing, so we went home and did some general research.
I would be grateful, however, for any feedback on:
1. Is the company, “Pocket Pets” reputable? The price seemed high but I don’t have any real comparison for what a suger glider would cost elsewhere.
2. Do they make good pets for a young family (we have a 6 and 4 year old) and are they as hassle free as they state? Is it true that there is virtually no smell?
3. I understand that there diet is pellets, that they don’t need a companion mate (but it is recommended) and that they don’t bite (or initial bites are limited, as they get to “bond” with you).
I would be grateful for any information you can to this or that you think would be helpful. While I didn’t see anyone purchase a Sugar Bear during our visit, they were giving away a lot of flyers out and had a decent-sized crowd. Their marketing seemed to be a bit too polished, I thought if there was a pet that was so low-maintenance, certainly it would have come up before and/or be more widespread. Perhaps I am too much of a pessimist, hence why I thought I’d post this for feedback.
Many thanks!
James

You are not a pessimist, it is too good to be true. They are not a reputable company and sugar gliders are not hassle free pets.

They are also not good for kids, because they do bite.

Pellets are not a good diet, you have to give them a protein based liquid diet, and fresh fruits and veggies every night.

They are also nocturnal, so they will be up playing all night long.

Good for you for not buying on impulse, for leaving and doing your research.

~Michelle~

1. No- I've seen mill breeders at flea markets more reputable than Pocket Pets.
2. No- I wouldn't let anybody younger than a mature teenager deal with them
3. NO no no no no pellets- this makes them terribly ill and you will kill the glider. They need special diets of fresh fruits and veggies and a very complex ratio of different minerals that are found in popular captive diets (LGRS, BML, HPW). They do the best with a companion mate and can get very depressed and just willfully die from depression.

ALL of the information that you were given is completely false and just a marketing campaign to sell gliders... I'm so glad you came here first to do some research instead of going with what they suggested or you'd have a very ill sugar glider on your hands that may or may not be appropriate for your family.

Gliders can and do bite....HARD...and it can get badly infected.

Pellets are a no no. Gliders are sap suckers and do not live on a dry diet in the wild. They have dietary needs that can not be met with a pelleted diet. They have to have the proper calcium:phos ratio to avoid hind leg paralysis.

They are nocturnal. Mine don't get up til about 10pm and are up until about 7 am. They are NOT good pets for young children. They are delicate, do not like being grabbed, and can not be potty trained.

They need large cages for plenty of room to exercise and play. The do need a cage mate since they are colony animals and can self mutilate, starve, etc if they are alone. No matter how much time you devote to them, you can not take the place of another glider in their lives.

You need to research a reputable exotic vet that has experience treating sugar gliders.

Pocket Pets are mill sellers. They do not care about the well being of the gliders, market them as easy to care for, non biting, and even say they do not need vet care. They push heat rocks/lamps because they tend to sell joeys to young. A glider old enough to be sold regulates their own body temp. They are not reptiles.

So here are some questions to ask to see if you are ready for glider ownership:

1. Are you okay with being a toilet? Being peed/poohed on and marked without warning?
2. Are you prepared for bonding to take days/weeks/months?
3. Are you prepared to have a glider that may never be "friendly?"
4. Can you commit to them for around 15 years?
5. Do you travel alot? If so, these are not the pets for you.
6. Are you prepared to be bit? Multiple times? Maybe requiring antibiotics?
7. Are you prepared to learn how to trim nails? Or pay a vet to do it for you?
8. Do you have space for a large cage? Can you afford to get two gliders?
9. Are you prepared to keep other household pets totally seperated from your gliders?
10. Are you aware that gliders do have an odor? You can lessen the odor by neutering males, rotating what gets cleaned on what days?
11. Are you prepared to have an animal keep you up all night, barking, crabbing, other vocalizations, sounds of the wheel and toys being played with?
12. Are you prepared to sew sugar glider safe bedding/cage pieces or are prepared to buy from those who sell such items?

Answer these questions and you will better be able to tell if you are ready for sugar glider ownership. They are not easy, inexpensive pets to keep. If you get them, they will need to be for the adults of the house, NOT the young children.

You can also click on the tab up top that says "Resources" and read more about the nutrition. There is also a "gliderpedia" that is a treasure trove of information.

We are passionate about our gliders here, but do not "sugar coat" what being owned by these tiny marsupials entails. It's better you have a truer sense of what life with them is like, rather than let you believe what Pocket Pets says and have you overhwelmed, discouraged, and ready to get rid of them when you find they are not what you were told.

Welcome to the forum, by the way! Utilize the search feature. Ask questions. There are wonderful peopel on this board who will not lead you wrong!

Michelle is right. I was a sucker for it and after losing one baby and having my other one get sick, I went into a frantic search to see what I could find out about my suggies. This is a GREAT resource for all things sugar gliders! They are NOT easy to care for, it takes a good while to get them bonded to the point of them being 'cuddly' and even at that, it still depends on each glider's personality whether or not it wants snuggles. Our family has spent TONS of money we didn't really have to spend on these guys just so they will be happy and healthy... don't get me wrong, I LOVE them... but I wasn't properly informed because of the PP stories. If you have the time, patience, money, and persistence, then GREAT a glider just might be good for you- just as long as you get at least 2. As much as I love my babies, it's not that I try to discourage people from getting sugar GLIDERS (they aren't bears and have no relation to bears, by the way) but people should be WELL informed about the decision to make them family members.

Also in regards to bonding-

Are you willing to spend 2-4 hours each day/night with them? They need to bond with a human and ignoring them for several nights in a row can be devastating to the glider. They require a lot of time and patience to bond with a person and even more so to bond with others once bonded. (I'm having that problem with my husband and my two since they prefer me they crab and panic around him, most especially if I'm not near by).

Are you willing to be pooped on, peed on, clawed up by tiny little claws, bitten, buy a small pop up tent for "tent time", buy plenty of toys, buy bonding pouches, buy AND handle insects (they love bugs- but you can't just catch them outside because they are very sensitive to chemicals and pesticide residues), spend money on somewhat exotic fruits for certain diets and plenty of fresh vegetables, have to find someone to 'baby sit" at home for even one night out of town, have a musky glider smell in the room, and have space for a very tall 'bird flight' cage? If you said no to any one of those you might want to reconsider.

They are a lot of work, and for the work you're well rewarded with a companion animal (I say that because they're not really pets but part of your life) who once bonded is very loving and will literally miss you (and call out for you via barking when they're lonely or scared).

first off Pocket Pets is NOT reputable they are a mill breeder.
second they are not hassle free the take quite a bit of time everyday preparing food(which pellets are a big no no)and you have to be willing to put hours in everyday bonding with them.

they are not recommended for children as they bite and have long claws.
as said earlier they will poop and pee on you all the time.

they really need a friend as they are very social animals
welcome to the sight if you guys do decide you want gliders I would find a local breeder rather than ppp

sugar gliders are not good pets for small children.

They are nocturnal - mine get up between 9:00 and 10:00 pm. Your children are not likely to see the gliders doing anything other than sleeping.

Sugar gliders need supervised play time out of their cage - most of us use either a screen tent or glider proof a bathroom to play with our gliders for a few hours each evening.

They also need to be fed each evening, they eat off and on all night. If you enjoy going out with friends or even "date night" with the spouse, you need to make arrangements to get home to feed the gliders. They are very much like having an additional small child that needs your care and attention - but in the evening and at night.

They can also be noisy at night - running in their wheels and barking like a small dog, just because they can.

If you or your children are light sleepers, gliders may not be the pet for you.

Sorry your first introduction to Sugar Gliders was a pocket pets sales man. Yes, they are slick salesmen. Their sales pitch is totally scripted - memorized - and for the most part they misrepresent the care needed by sugar gliders.

I am glad you came here to ask before jumping in to glider parenthood. If you do get gliders (at least 2) I hope you will get them from a reputable breeder and not from a mill broker like pocket pets.

Yeah these two are the most responsibility I've ever had. I got them because I heard they were simple to take care of. I've fallen in love with them and don't mind the work but they are expensive and tough to care for and you have to have lots of time and patience in most cases.

One more thought to add - if you decide to get gliders now keep in mind that you children are still small and their schedules are pretty light.

When they get a bit older and become involved in sports you may be out several evenings a week at various sports practices and games. This will make playing with your gliders more difficult.

I raised 5 boys and there is no way I would have had the time or energy to play with gliders each night after baseball practice and games that often had us coming home and eating dinner as late as 9 pm.

Well cared for gliders can live up to 15 years.

I have to say something about children and gliders.
My gliders interact with children on a daily basis. This is not for every glider or every child and I take the primary care and responsibility for my gilders. My nephew is wonderful with animals and helped me hand raise Rocky who is now 2. They have a special bond. He loves to play with all of my gliders in the tent and has been interacting with them since he was 9. I don't think that they should be gotten as a pet for a child but having a child should not mean don't get gliders.

Gliders are a wonderful pet, but are a lot of responsibility. They require a unique diet, interaction and knowledge. I am so glad that you came here before you purchased.

I learned about gliders through Pocket Pets and found much of what they told me to be untrue. I didn't purchase but did a lot of research before buying. I am so glad I did and that I found a wonderful breeder close to me to purchase my babies from. Keep learning and don't make a rush choice. Take you time and learn all you can. They are a long term commitment and can live 10 or more year in captivity.

You came to the right place! We love helping out, and good job for doing your research!

1. No. Pocket Pets is as terrible as a mill. I got my 2 suggies for $300 from a nearby breeder.
2. They aren't as hassle free as they say. Gliders take a lot of work with their diet, cage nessacerities, bonding time and so on. If you have the time for them and responsible kids they may make a wonderful pet for your family. If you get the males neutered they smell less potent, and depending on what you feed them but gliders do love their own smell and you may not.
3.DO NOT FEED THEM PELLETS. There are their specialized diets of the main page of this site. See there. Gliders are colony animals and need a companion plus love from you. Every animals bites, and yes gliders can nip you if they so choose.

Disgusting PP with their marketing schemes. And I've never them heard them called sugar bears...

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by graciedawn</i>
<br />I have to say something about children and gliders.
My gliders interact with children on a daily basis. This is not for every glider or every child and I take the primary care and responsibility for my gilders. My nephew is wonderful with animals and helped me hand raise Rocky who is now 2. They have a special bond. He loves to play with all of my gliders in the tent and has been interacting with them since he was 9. I don't think that they should be gotten as a pet for a child but having a child should not mean don't get gliders.

Gliders are a wonderful pet, but are a lot of responsibility. They require a unique diet, interaction and knowledge. I am so glad that you came here before you purchased.

I learned about gliders through Pocket Pets and found much of what they told me to be untrue. I didn't purchase but did a lot of research before buying. I am so glad I did and that I found a wonderful breeder close to me to purchase my babies from. Keep learning and don't make a rush choice. Take you time and learn all you can. They are a long term commitment and can live 10 or more year in captivity.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I agree that gliders and children can interact, but they are not a good pet for kids. I think PP promotes them as such.

~Michelle~

pp promotes them as the hassle free pets your children can have they make them sound easier to take care of than hamsters which they most definitely are not

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jjmurph</i>
<br />pp promotes them as the hassle free pets your children can have they make them sound easier to take care of than hamsters which they most definitely are not
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Agreed. The most hassle free pet I've ever encountered is a land tortoise- and even then they have some requirements and work.

Mammal wise- small rodents like mice tend to be relatively hassle free- but again, the caveat of not being completely hassle free.

Really- anything alive is not hassle free.

Don't get me started on pet stores claiming that fish tanks are relatively easy to maintain... >:C

i have a fish tank and they most definitely aren't easy to maintain lol

I think everyone has pretty much answered your questions (and I agree with what has been said), but kudos to you for going home and doing a bit more research, rather than buying them on impulse. :)

Thank you very much to indeed for everyone's very thoughtgul and insightful feedback. We're not yet at the point where the addition of a suger glider would make sense for us nor would it be fair to the glider, but without your guidance we would have likely never been able to reach a meaningful conclusion.
Many thanks,
James

your welcome maybe someday you can come to the world of gliders

And if one day, you find yourself in the market for a glider, we can point you in the right direction and give guidance if you need. <3

I am so glad you found this site and did the research before you bought from them. You found the right place to get the information you need and when and if you are ready you can find the right person to adopt your gliders from.