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Originally posted by BYK_Chainsaw

I'm really wanting something to keep me company.

Gliders sleep ALL DAY LONG, they will be very little company to you, other then sleeping in a pouch or your shirt. gliders are good company from 10pm to 6am.

1. pellet food. glide r chow is happy glider, just renamed for Pocket pets.
THESE pellets are fine for gliders, healthy and good for their teeth. They are best as a side dish, you keep them frozen then put some in cage every 3 days or so. throw away after about 3 days. these are NOT a great only diet.

2. dont put the cage in a drafty area, you dont want cold air blowing into the cage area. your bedroom is fine if you can take a small amount of noise. put them in closet and leave the door open? you dont want cage in direct sunlight, a small amount is ok, but if they come out during the day for something some shade would be nice.

3. cleaning isn't a big deal, clean out bottom of cage, then clean parts of cage once in awhile. take out pouches and toys and wheel, clean them off and put back into cage.
BUT food!! is the bigger issue, they need a good diet, you need to buy and make the food then have it ready EVERY NIGHT. PLUS giving the glider some variety in the cage and his life is good, different cage toys, setups, to keep it interesting for them, also 2 hours of out of cage time at night is great so they can run around. this requires a glider safe environment, tent, room, bathroom.

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Originally posted by alicat32

I am sorry if I am being a downer here, but getting a high maintenance pet is a big responsibility, and shouldn't be taken lightly. Please do a lot of research before you buy. Getting sugar gliders shouldn't be the answer to a problem. Like BYK Chainsaw said, they are a very lengthy commitment, and it is always sad to hear stories of people not having time for their babies anymore. There are many other things you can occupy yourself with if you are having trouble. Constructive hobbies, exercise, high school sports teams and clubs, volunteering, etc.

I simply urge you to research them, think about it carefully, and if you do go through with it, be prepared to spend time with them and their care each and every day.

Good Luck!

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Originally posted by Wynos

*SOB STORY SKIP IF YOU JUST WANT TO HELP ME ANSWER MY QUESTIONS*

I really need a pet guys. I am allergic to almost every animal with fur, and that includes rabbits, hamsters, dogs, cats, the whole bunch. Dogs and cats that are near hypoallergenic also are too big for my small home, so they're a no go. I break out in hives, my asthma kicks in, my eyes get all itchy and I feel like garbage. I'm really lonely and live with only my mom who is usually not home, and it feels like I'm depressed but I'm not when I'm with friends.

People can be allergic to sugar gliders too. What makes you think you are not? If you search the forum there are people who've had to give up their gliders for the same symptoms you just listed.

Getting a pet will not solve your emotional issues. It might help you feel less lonely but it won't fix your problems. If you're depressed you should see a doctor, not make an impulse buy.

Sugar gliders can take months or even years to bond to their humans. So you may end up with a pet that doesn't like you. It may bite you and flee in terror from you every time you go near it. Are you prepared to deal with that, and to be patient and compassionate towards it? Are you prepared to try to see things from the glider's POV, where a giant creature has taken it from its family and friends and keeps grabbing it, and adjust your interactions until the glider is comfortable? If it gets lonely the glider may start to chew on itself until it dies. Would you be ready to take that loss?

Also keep in mind that you should get TWO sugar gliders, because keeping a single can make it very depressed and lonely, leading to the chewing itself to death.

So on to my worries and questions. First regards diet.
1. Are pellet foods (specifically made for gliders such as Glide-R-Chow , Happy Glider, things like that) good for a PRIMARY diet?
I'm worried that my culinary skills (terrible) are not able to do a TPG diet and I'll horribly mess up and end up getting my suggie sick or something.

No. Sugar gliders cannot be kept on a pellet only diet. They need a fresh diet and if you cannot provide an animal the proper diet you should not own it. Feeding it a pellet only diet will definitely make it sick. Making fresh diets like TPG isn't that hard.

2. Where would you guys recommend to NOT put a cage? Barking at night would probably disrupt my parents, it doesn't bother me but I'm afraid if I put a cage in my bathroom or closet and close the door it'll end up badly.

I thought you said you live with your mother only?

3. I'm going into high school, so my question is for any person that has a normal life outside of sugar glider care, if it's possible to care for your sugar glider, have school and homework (or work), and still have spare time to do hobbies and things that you enjoy.

Depends on how much you do. Sugar gliders are nocturnal so you'd need to dedicate some time late at night or early in the morning to play and socialize with them while still finding time to sleep.

4. How hard is cleaning? Is it like doing the full laundry or more like do a quick wipedown?

I may add on to this if I remember something else, but I have a breeder here in my home city and they can supply everything. I'm really wanting something to keep me company.

I don't know that a sugar glider is going to be the companion you're looking for. There's no guarantee a glider will bond with you, they're unpredictable and if you've never had animals I would definitely not recommend getting them.

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Originally posted by Aspeakma

If you feel that your house is unsafe for a glider, you can buy a pop up tent. Also be aware that gliders will pee and poop on EVERYTHING, including you. They also do cost money to have- cage, toys, food, more toys, vet visits. So make sure you are able to pay for vet visits, even just for checkups.

Gliders don't take much more work than any other pet, imo, besides fresh food every night. I got my glider during my first year of college, and was still able to do homework and such because they're only up at night, and I tend to stay up later anyways.

As someone else said, if you're allergic to most furry animals, you'll most likely be allergic to gliders. You could consider getting a reptile instead such as a turtle, tortoise, skink, lizard, etc, instead.

Good luck.

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