Hi there. So I want to know how I can convince my parents so I could get a sugar glider. I am already going to research and I'm already saving up 500 dollars and I already take care of my pets. If you could also tell me how much you spent for the start that'd be great. I'm trying to have a $500 or less budget. Thank you!

Honestly, the most important question someone in your situation must ask is "Do I know what I will be doing in 5 years, or 10 years?" What would your gliders be doing?

Thanks. I would for sure still have them by that time, and I'm sure they'll be doing normal sugar glider stuff. However I will be in school. Although, I may move during that time but hopefully not that far. Also, is it okay to have one sugar glider? But I will spend more time with them and always be with them, and then eventually get another in the future? As I said, I'm trying to stay in a $500 budget.
Edit: I may need to raise it to a $600 budget. Oh man, it's gonna take me years now.

By the time we bought the cage, toys, safe wheels, and 2 gliders etc. we were over $1000. Vet costs must be considered as well and may come up immediately from injury or illness and that adds up fast. Getting 2 gliders at separate times is actually more expensive than getting them together as you should have a 30 day quarantine period in a separate cage before even trying introductions and after all that the two gliders may not get along with each other.

Okay thanks. I think I can stay in the zone of $600 or $700, maybe $800. On Kijiji I noticed pairs are going up for $500 and $350. I saw cages were $160 or less on various sites and toy sets were $23 or less. So I should be good.

you came to the right place to learn about glider care....so many newbies are mislead:/ start looking at proper diet, housing etc in the gliderpedia above. if you have any other questions, just comment below or start a new thread;)

You must also count in the ongoing cost of feeing your gliders.

The fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables you will need will cost $15 - $20 dollars each month. For your gliders' entire life time.

The supplies to make a well balanced nectar like staple that provides the protein, vitamins and calcium gliders must have will also cost you about $30 to start out and possibly that much monthly depending on the feeding plan you choose.

Gliders are nocturnal animals and require your attention in the late evening hours. If you need to go to sleep before 10 or 11 each night - Gliders are probably not a good pet for you.

If your family travels - you might need to pay someone to come in daily to care for your gliders.

It is possible that you will not be able to take your gliders with you when you go to college - Your parents need to be able and willing to care for them for the 4 years you are away at school.

Glider pouches can be purchased on line or you can make them yourself if you know how to use a sewing machine - This is also an ongoing expense as many gliders dig holes in their pouch so you have to replace them every few months.

If you buy a male glider - you will need funds to have him neutered - two intact male gliders are likely to fight. A female glider and an intact male glider will produce joeys which you will need to separate from the parents when they are 4 months OOP to prevent inbreeding - this means you will need to buy additional cages or you will need to find someone to take the joeys.

You need to be able to financially provide for your gliders, have the extra time needed at night to interact with them. Gliders are not the right pet for everyone and may young people get gliders and are back here within a year looking for a new home for their gliders. Make sure they are right for you both now and for the next 15 years of your life before getting them.

I have researched them already, don't worry!
And yes, I know the ongoing cost of sugar gliders since I own other pets like a rabbit and he will need more food once in a while. I'm also aware of all of those things you told me. I'm sure I'll be fine though!

Hi! I actually spent around $900 on them in total. My pet store actually gave me a cage and toys, food, pouches, etc for a lower price because they give me it in a bundle. See if your pet store has a deal for you! Hope that helps!

a pet store that sells a cage bundle? like online?

If you go to the online sites where people put up things for sale/free(not companies)you might find gliders for cheap with a cage. If you have old clothes, you can let them sleep in them. My sugar gliders have a chain that they don't use and a wheel as toys. I bring them out of their cage so they can climb around too, sometimes.

Get on you tube and there is a lilly bell looks. She shows you a good way.

I spent $200 for my first two by them selves on craigslist and 750 for my joey twins because they are creaminos and shipped from minasota from terrispettingzoo, she is legit and 175 for my joey piebald mosaic on craigslist, the people were nice enough to give me cage, wheel and toys, no charge.

i spent $80 for my cage on amazon and get a cage setup for 70 on there too. but i have to say that you will be spending well over your buget because of food and the supplements are the most spendy to me and vet bills too if they get sick. i have to take my twins to the vet to see if they are getting sick. since they wont really show signs until they are severe.

I would advise to do research on costs and crack onto a calculator and is a matter of looking.

There are two new posts asking for help to convince parents to allow them to get gliders. Now Personally I have no issues with responsible young folks having gliders, however I feel the parents need to be involved and want them as well. If the child presents it to the parents, have researched and shows the parent why the gliders are a good fit, and the parent agrees.... perfect.

Having said that, it is NOT our place to help minors convince their parents, for many reasons. We do not know the families financial status, and the kids may not either. We do not know if the parents are willing to transport and pay for vet care if they need it. We do not know far to many things about these situations. If the parent is hesitant to let their child own gliders, perhaps there is a good reason for it.

I have seen gliders in desperate need of medical attention and parents refuse to take them to the vet for the child. The child is then force to beg for help from the online community, mean while the glider is suffering, waiting for help and often passes away before help can be arranged.

Children may be asked to surrender the glider by people trying to help, and they may agree, without fully understanding just WHAT that means.

On the flip side, I have mentored teens who are fabulous glider owners, with their parents assistance. Their parents are involved, are committed and make sure their child is committed. They are prepared for medical emergencies and have done their own research as well as making sure the child has as well.

But again, it is not for us to make these decisions for unaware, unprepared parents who have not researched gliders on their own. Parent's who's vehicle, credit card, finances, time, will need to be utilized to care for these gliders for their child.

To the kids asking for help convincing your parents.... Invite your parents to educate themselves about gliders, research them, ask people in the community who own gliders questions. Ask your parents if they would be willing to obligate themselves to the gliders and whatever they may need, whether it's food, vet, transportation for those things, using their cc to buy glider safe items that are NOT in normal pet stores. You WILL need the help of your parents and they WILL need to be involved.

You do not want to find yourself begging the online community for help at 2 am because your glider is sick or injured or dying in your hands and your parents refuse to take it to the vet. If you think it won't or can't happen to you, You are WRONG and I can get real life, emergency 2 or 3 am posts begging for ANYONE to help them. I can post entire conversations of real life, trying to help the glider. Of real people spending 4 or 5 hours talking to the owner, trying to get the parents involved. I can also show you how helpless the ones feel when trying to pull of a miracle from 1500 miles away. Frantically finding a vet anywhere near the owner.


I can show you that without the assistance from willing parents gliders suffer and die. I can so you how the owner is nothing less than devastated when it happens.

I can show you how people that try desperately to help and are to far away to do anything other than comfort and console the owner and if they CAN manage to arrange help for the glider, then they get slammed for dealing with a minor who is legally NOT able to surrender a glider or buy or sell gliders, all because they want to help the glider when the parents refused.

So Please, do not put US or Yourself or your parents and most importantly any potential glider in this situation. If your parents say no, accept that and wait until you are out on your own and able to provide your OWN transportation, your OWN credit card, Your own vet fund, etc. before risking the life of a glider who didn't ask to be in your care. This is not meant to scare you, this is meant to make you aware of what happens on a daily basis. Your parents need to be on board with this decision and if they aren't then your putting gliders in a unstable environment.

Your asking us to give suggestions on convincing YOUR parents, it really wouldn't be very responsible of us to do that. Personally, my responsibility is to the potential gliders your parents don't seem to want. It is Your responsibility to explain to them why YOU want them and what YOU are going to be responsible for and what you will need your parents help with.

No, my local pet store had a cage bundle

Before I got my sugar glider I wanted it for a long time. I think it's important to wait a month and see if you still really want one because having a sugar glider is a big responsibility. Like you I needed my parents permission so I did lots of research and looked at pros and cons of having them. And showed my parents all the research. Another thing that helped me was my mom also was interested in getting a glider so maybe show your parents videos online or if they sell in a pet store near you go look at them with your parents to try and them to want one too. Although if you do buy one I would recommend getting him/her from a breeder. I got mine from a petstore and I lucked out because she is beautiful and healthy. Currently I only have one but I'm saving up to get another. But I would definitely think it would be better to get two right away. Getting a sugar glider is expensive but some places are more expensive than others and don't be tricked by places that tell you you NEED a certain really expensive cage or something like that because although there are lots of requirements for caging and stuff like that some people will lie to try to get you to buy their really expensive products. And look around a lot to try to find some less expensive cages and cage accessories but make sure they're still good products. I hope this helps!