Bedding And Pouches
Every captive sugar glider needs suitable bedding to sleep in during the day. Most people provide a pouch, or several, depending on the size of their colony.
Proper material for the inside of pouches is fleece. Fleece will cause the least snagging of glider nails as well as being warm and cozy for your furry friend.
The outside of a pouch can be another layer of fleece, or some people have used cotton, denim, and other fabrics. Be very careful choosing this fabric. Your glider will be walking or climbing on it often so it needs to be durable and not snag their nails. If you see a frayed place on a pouch, seams coming undone, etc., repair it or throw it away and get a new one. Sugar gliders have died or become maimed for life because of stray strings getting caught around their limbs or necks.
Many of us do not have great sewing skills. One alternative is to buy a pouch from a vendor. But what should you look for in a vendor? The quality of work is important. Ask for pictures of what they are selling. If you see large stitching, bows and ribbons, zig-zag stitches, or anything you think a glider could get their nails caught on, ask that the item be removed or changed to remedy this. Ideally, as many seams as possible are hidden on the other side of the work, so that there is even less stitching for you to even see.
Bonding pouches are pouches designed to carry your glider around in while they grow accustomed to your scent, voice, and being handled. Some bonding pouches can be left in the cage with your gliders. Others cannot. Bonding pouches need a mesh screen for ventilation, since they will be closed at the top. This screen needs to be durable so your pets do not chew through it. If the bonding pouch cannot have its straps removed, it should not be left in your cage. Neither should a pouch with a velcro closure. Velcro can snag glider nails. Buttons have been used as a closure for bonding pouches, but spaced too far apart will simply come undone. Also, many gliders are capable of figureing buttons out and undoing them. For this reason, the most recommended method of closing a bonding pouch is with a zipper.
Both cage/sleeping pouches and bonding pouches should have boxes corners. This gives the glider a little bit of a floor and it is easier for them to move around and change position during sleep so that they don't suffocate. Pay attention to the rings on your pouches. If you can fit your thumb in it, a glider can put their head into it. You want the ring to be big enouch to get the head back out, or too small to put it in there in the first place.
These fabric and stitching guidelines hold for anything else put in a sugar glider cage - hammocks, swings, and other toys. They may be even more important for these things, as your glider will be more active in jumping and climbing while awake and playing with other items in the cage.
Link to video on How to Sew Pouches:
[1]
See also:
Projects
Nestbox
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