Sounds like you're doing a good job researching all your options. Since sugar gliders are illegal in California, it may be challenging to find a breeder who will sell to you. There are many breeders (www.petglider.com for example) who will ship throughout the United States (not sure about California but it's worth asking). The out of state breeder I purchased a glider from a few months ago didn't ask where I was from so it wasn't an issue. One option is to drive to a state where gliders are legal like Arizona, Nevada, or Oregon and adopt from there. I ran across several obstacles in my search that led me on a journey from Seattle to Florida and many places in between. It was emotional and frustrating at times but so very worth it! Wishing you all the best!