Am I ready for a Sugar Glider?

[Misscreant]

I researched Sugar Glider care and made a list of what is needed. Any help, advice, or comments is much appreciated. So, am I ready for a Sugar Glider?


Sugar Gliders:
2 Normal colored about $325

Housing:
http://www.sugar-gliders.com/large-cage-kit.htm
Product ID # 7005
$193.18
One Green Bonding Pouch and
Two Green Sleeping Pouches - you will have an extra one for wash day
3 lbs of Zookeeper's Secret
One Vionate Vitamin supplement
One RepCal Calcium supplement
One Glass Water Bottle
Sugar Glider Stork is Coming guide

PLUS
One Corn-shaped Double Food Cup
One Apple-shaped Food Cup
One Wodent Wheel
One Feather Teaser
Two Rope Toys

Diet:
Each night:

- Leadbeater’s Mix
½ cup apple juice
½ honey
2 boiled eggs
½ cup Gerber baby cereal in dry flakes
¼ cup wheat germ
1 ¼ tsp. Rep-Cal (Calcium supplement with no phosphorus)
1 tsp Herptivite (Vitamin supplement)

Dump everything in a blender and puree until lump free. I pour it into an airtight plastic container and freeze it, so it won't spoil before it's all used. It freezes to about the consistency of ice cream, so it's easy to scoop out a serving of it each night.
One recipe of Leadbeater's Mix will make roughly 50 glider servings, depending on how generously you scoop it.

-Pour approximately 1/3 cup of fruit juice over 2-3 monkey biscuits. Mix in a tablespoon of Pretty Bird softbill pellets and calcium supplement. Add several pieces of fruit and 2 teaspoons of Leadbeater's Mix.





Every third night:

-Meat and veggies
Ground turkey meat, simmered in a small amount of water until fully cooked -- serving size is about 1/8 cup of meat and 1/3 cup broth. Pour over monkey biscuits (2-3 biscuits, or 1/4 cup) to soak adding extra water if needed, and mix in a couple of tablespoons of frozen mixed vegetables. Add calcium supplement and mix (my males seem to eat first, so I don't sprinkle it on top of the food or they would get it all). Spoon into feeding dish, add a couple chunks of fruit and 2 teaspoons of Leadbeater's Mix on the side.

Other foods:
- Variety of fresh or frozen fruits (not canned)
- Variety of fresh or frozen vegetables (not canned)
- Applesauce
- Yogurt with live cultures and various flavors
-Baby foods

Tricks:
- Buy different flavors of concentrated frozen juice (100% real fruit juice, no added sugar) and spoon out small amounts, keeping the remainder in the freezer with plastic wrap rubber-banded over the open end of the can. That way they can have different flavors each night for variety.
- Once a week or so chop up several different kinds of fruit and freeze them flat on cookie sheets, then store frozen in ziplock bags for easy retrieval of individual portions.
- Cook the turkey meat in large batches, and freeze it in portions sized for one night's feeding.
- Feed your gliders in disposable paper dishes, the kind you get side dishes in at fast food restaurants. You can buy them in bulk at wholesale grocery stores. That way you don't have dishes to wash every day but the gliders get clean dishes every night.
- Baby foods can be frozen in party cube trays if you only have one or two gliders, or are feeding babies. Store the cubes in ziplock bags once frozen; that way you can give them different flavors each night with no waste.

General Care:

-Fed fresh meals daily
-Cages cleaned once or twice a week
-Play mostly at night

I got my information from:
http://www.skinhorse.net/gliders/
http://www.sugar-gliders.com/

[LeahPrincess]

Did you research possible diseases/complications?

[sugarmama]

bravo so far! keep looking online and i think you wll do great! i believe you have learned alot u also might want to look into buying a glider care book..i have one by caroline macpherson and i still look into it now and then to double check things :)

[Misscreant]

Did you research possible diseases/complications?

I will, thank you.

bravo so far! keep looking online and i think you wll do great! i believe you have learned alot u also might want to look into buying a glider care book..i have one by caroline macpherson and i still look into it now and then to double check things

I'll look into that too, thanks!

[Misscreant]

Now all i got to do is save my money. ;)

[LeahPrincess]

:)

I know alot about gliders, just not about diets and nutrition which is the most important thing. I would prefer to read a book so most likely I will do so on that subject.

[Misscreant]

I was wondering if there were any behavioral differences between male and female sugar gliders? I still havent decided if I want two males or two females.

[mishalee]

I don't think there are any behaviroal differences between boys and girls, but I do know male gliders let off a musky smell, unlike females.

[Kayl]

All looks great, and I agree about looking into the health. One thing I will bring up, just to have something to think about. When I was looking into flying squirrels (which I found when I was researching gliders, actually) I found that they both have the same calcium defeciency problem. However, I ran across a website that talked about putting the flyers on the Repcal supplement and thought it was a bad idea, since flyers (and gliders) aren't reptiles. They had a list of fruits and veggies that had a lot of calcium and a low amount of magnesium I think, which apparently inhibits calcium absorbtion. I wrote them down, if you're interested. This person has apparently had quite a few flyers and not lost one yet to vitamin deficiency.

[Misscreant]

Actually, yeah I would be interested. I just got a job today and so I should be getting money for them soon. I would like to know as much as possible about them so they can receive the proper care and a good home.

[Kayl]

Cool. Okay, I can't find the site that talked about the repcal, but this is the complete list of fruits and veggies that were included in that site. On this site, this woman runs a rehab for squirrels, so she's got some experience in the calcium defenciency thing.

Fruits and Vegetables: (Supply essential vitamin and mineral requirements) Give 4 or 5 daily -- small amounts, no larger than the size of your thumb end including thumbnail, chunks about an inch high and an inch wide.

Leafy green vegetables (most desirable because of their high Vitamin A and C content):
Red-tipped or green-leafed lettuces (Romaine is preferred)
Endive
Spinach (go easy on spinach because it contains nitrates which are carcinogens)
Small tender leaves of:
Beet greens
Mustard greens
Swiss Chard
Turnip greens
Kale
berry leaves (if you know what a berry tree is)
Broccoli -- (its cousin, cauliflower, has little food value)
Celery, leaves and ½" pieces of stalk, but please don't put the whole plant in their cage!
Other vegetables:
Squash (Yellow, Zucchini, and Butternut-a favorite!)
Cucumber (Peel rind if waxed)
Tomato
Sweet potato
Green Bell pepper
Okra
Sugar Snap peas
Snow peas
Corn --- A 1" slice cut in 4 pieces. (Give only 1 or 2 of these pieces.) Do not put in a whole ear of corn for them to gorge on: Corn sours quickly.
Green beans (1 ½ " sections)
Fruits (all, except where noted, should be a small piece about the size of the end of your thumb including thumbnail)
Avocado
Blueberries (3 or 4)
Blackberries (1)
Strawberries (1/4)
Raspberries (these mold awfully fast so feed only those that are of the ultimate freshness)
Banana (small slice)
Kiwi (supposedly the most nearly perfect fruit)
Watermelon (I consider this nutritionally poor because it is mostly water)
Cantaloupe
Grapes (1 - 2 occasionally)
Raisins (same nutritional value as grapes)
Plum
Pineapple
Mulberries
Fig (1/4 to 1/6th)
Dates (1/3rd is a sufficient serving)
Apple
Peach or Nectarine
Pear
Orange(small piece)
Other:
Mushrooms (store-bought only). Do NOT feed white button or Portabello mushrooms because they contain three carcinogens.
Seeds: (All sun-dried by you)
Pumpkin
Squash
Watermelon
Cantaloupe


Amounts are for the larger squirrels, so you'll have to see what your glider eats and how much. For Kadai, I made a fruit salad of most of the fruits listed, put it in ziploc bags, froze it, and just cut off a chunk every night, so he gets some variety with which fruits he gets and how much. For the leafy veggies, I discovered you can't freeze them, much to my chagrin, because they get all mushy, but the more solid veggies can be frozen--celery, broccoli, etc. They don't stick together as well as veggies, but they still freeze pretty well. Or you can buy just enough to feed fresh every day. I freeze because it's faster, and cheaper, for me. ^_^

[Misscreant]

Ok, I decided to save money and make some of my own cage accessories for my future gliders. I made these:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/Misscreant135/sugarthings.gif
I read that loose strings could get tangled on the sugar gliders and cut off circulation. Would the ribbon ties be a problem even if securly tied. I also think I made the tube too small how big are they normally?
What do you guys think of them?

Thanks, Kayl, for the information! I'll definately consider this.

[Kayl]

Wow, those are really cool. I don't think the ribbons will be a problem--the problem with strings comes in when it's a loop coming out of a piece of cloth, kinda like the strings in scrunchy socks. Ribbons, if you don't tie bows, won't be a problem, and may even offer entertainment.

[Misscreant]

thank you :)

[teejay]

Wow,

I am impressed, Misscreant.

You've finally put your words into actions.

Just remember, gliders take patience and it may be better to wait until your out of high school so you can spend the daytime bonding with them while they sleep.

Also, your job hours may cause a problem if you really want to bond with them.

Maybe wait a year or two until you're out of school so you don't have two shifts of time away from your glider(s)?

Get two females, if anything.

My female Ickerus is adorable and males tend to ferment an odor reminenscent of a ferret. So if you want a not-so smelly couple, get two females.

I apologize for my previous posts in your other thread but I stick strongly to my words about bonding.

[Misscreant]

Just think before you talk. I accept your apology, but i'm still kinda pissed. :mad: I don't have long shifts at work and my mom would be there to care for them while I am away. I actually just started my first day today. It's such a cushie job I can't believe I get paid as much as I do, but I'm not complianing. :p

[teejay]

I wasn't asking for your forgiveness.

Do not hold yourself higher than me. You're still pissed off because what I said is true and is causing you to worry about the glider situation.

It's better if your mom had no part in this.

They will bond to her instead of you.

Do as you wish.

[Misscreant]

God, you apologized, I accepted. I did not say I had forgiven you. I am pissed off because you are judging me and assuming things that aren’t true. I hate it when people judge me. I have enough time for them to bond to me. I wont be away that much. I wish we could just drop this. Its very unnecessary.

[teejay]

I agree, refer to your other thread as I have read over your actions and words and mine...and came to a conclusion that is discussed in the "rodents?" thread.

Please though, do not act like you know more about psychology than me. It's a hobby I take dear and assumption = diagnosis. It's all about the individual's reaction that leads to probable cause to illness. I am not feeble-minded but read the thread. Be more kind-hearted and I will do the same.

[Jennie]

I have to disagree with the Repcal comment. The Repcal is with Vet D3, which is important cause without it the calcium can not be absorbed into the body. Humans get our D3 from Sunlight but gliders don't go outside so they don't get any D3 unless it is supplemented. Plus Repcal has been used for years and years and no one has had a problem with it yet.

Also green leafy vegetables are not recomended because they have little to no other nurtitional value.

But when looking into vegetables and fruits make sure they have the right about of Calcium to Phosporus ratios. Gliders should have high calcium and low phosporus.

You should go onto the GliderCentral board and they have a list of fruits and veges that are really good for gliders.

[Misscreant]

I have another question. I've read that plastic plants with plastic leaves make a good accessory for thier cage, which is cool because I work at micheals, a craft store, where I get a 25% discount on everything and there is TONS of fake plants there. My only concernt is coulnd't they chew them up and could chokcing on the chewed off pieces be a risk?

[Misscreant]

Whoa, sorry about my spelling and grammar!

[Jennie]

They can, but it really depends on the glider. Some are chewers and some aren't. If you are going to get them make sure they are non toxic. If you get gliders that are chewers then tree branchs are great for putting in the cage. But they can't be branches from outside because there maybe pesticides on them that you don't know about. I will have to look but I know there are some people that sell apple branches for gliders. Also rope is good and I use plastic links. I have not had a problem with any of my gliders chewing on them.

[Kayl]

I have to disagree with the Repcal comment. The Repcal is with Vet D3, which is important cause without it the calcium can not be absorbed into the body. Humans get our D3 from Sunlight but gliders don't go outside so they don't get any D3 unless it is supplemented. Plus Repcal has been used for years and years and no one has had a problem with it yet.

Also green leafy vegetables are not recomended because they have little to no other nurtitional value.


On the flying squirrel board, most of the people there use repcal and I think I'm going to start. I just thought I'd toss it out, as a piece of info to research and decide for yourself. The person who disagrees with repcal rehabilitates squirrels and feeds them a specific diet that the majority of people would have a problem with--some of the ingredients in her recipes can only be found in a health food store. It's because of this that she doesn't need to use it, and she doesn't think it's a good idea. That's her choice. A lot of other flyer owners, and most glider owners, use repcal, or rather glider-cal for gliders, and, like you said, have no problems with it. I like to share info, for people to weigh for themselves.

About the leafy veggies--iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value. Neither does cauliflower. They're like feeding water. Romaine lettuce and the like have vitamins and other nutrients that can be used.