I need Info!

[blondegoofball]

I'm not a frequent visitor to the Sugar Glider forums, but I think I might start to come around more often...

I was at work today, and someone came in asking about Chinchillas. Then she asked if I knew what a Sugar Glider was. I told her of course I do, and she opened up her purse, and VOILA! (sp?) This little head popped out of a pocket in her purse. Of course, I flipped out cause I think they are THE cutest things on the planet. I've always wanted one, but now since I played with her, I REALLY want one.

I know a bit about them, but not nearly enough to PROPERLY take care of one. What I need, is for those glider experts out there to cram as much information as possible down my throat. I know websites are good too, but I like hearing it from people. Plus my computer is slow and it takes like 10 mins to load a page :p

[FemaleCheetah]

Hi!

Well first off I want to say that gliders are not for everything they have a complex diet and can be expensive if a medical issue should arise because they are an exotic animal.

I see you live in Las Vegas, so do I :)

I currently only own a male sugar glider and will be getting 1-2 more suggie joeys in a few months. Also if u do some more research etc I have a friend who has a male joey who she may sell to you.

Anywas, first off u need to see if a glider is even right for you. MY glider doesnt come out until maybe 10-10:30 at night and he comes out for maybe 2 hours (however long he wants to be out of his cage) but right when he wakes up he wants to eat. You have to be willing to be up late for ur glider and if u have a lone glider he will need u even more because u will be his playmate and companion. You have to feed them a proven diet and u must feed them EVERY night. My glider is on the BML diet which is a proven diet and its one of the easiest and most commonly used. If u have 1 glider, 1 batch of the BML that u will make will last you 1 1/2-2 months and it cost about $50 when u 1st buy ALL the ingredients but now since I have the vitamins etc I spend about $16 at the store every 1 1/2-2 months on the BML mixture ingredients. You will also need fruits, veggies, and insects such as mealworms in the diet including the BML mixture.

You will need a LARGE cage, I would suggest buying one off of ebay and getting a cage that is atleast 30" long X 18" deep X 55" high.. that is the minimum that I would have for ONE glider. Your glider will need atleast 2-3 hours out of his cage every night. Most people get a kids pop up tent to play with their gliders in because its REALLY hard to glider proof a room OR u can use the bathroom but make sure all vents are closed, all drains are covered and the toliet seat is down.

Gliders need comfy fleece pouches, ropes, toys, etc. You will need to have hiding places and things to climb on, alot of people such as myself use bird toys and ropes or chains which work great.

Also a lot of people have a pouch purse that they carry their glider around in a few times a week or everyday and some carry their gliders in a bra pouch (well the woman lol). Its a fast and simple way to bond with ur glider.

Sugar glider nails are like velcro they are SUPER sharp and cling to u like velcro, u can pull them off u unless uwant pain lol They also will poop and pee on you while they climb on you. What I do to help with his is I wake my male up and let him climb around his cage for 10 mins so he can poop and pee (they usually poop/pee when they 1st wake up) but he still pees on me lol but not as much.

if u need more information www.glidercentral.net is an EXCELLENT forum that is just for gliders, its where I learned everything I know and they have all different sections and have VERY helpful people and even breeders on their so if u think a glider is right for u after researching then u might be able to find one near by.

good luck!

anymore ?s just ask :)

[GliderBlowout]

First of all, if you make the BML diet plan and follow it as writte, one batch will last one glider only 1 month. (not 1.5-2) It makes about 15 cubes and you are to feed half a cube per night per glider. The website FC is trying to give you is actually http://sugarglider.net I HIGHLY suggest getting a glider from a licenced breeder if and when you choose to do so.

[FemaleCheetah]

Well I make my BML in a tuberware container and not an ice cube tray and it does last me 1 1/2 months. And www.glidercentral.net does take you directly to www.sugarglider.net so its the same thing since they take u to the same place.

[blondegoofball]

Well, I'm a night person, so I think the whole nocturnal thing is covered. I think I am nocturnal myself sometimes.

As for the food, I will probably have no problem with that. I make the Suebee's rat mix for my rats/mice, and my rabbits get their veggies every night. I actually find myself having a lot of fun making their food and preparing it, and seeing what else I can give them. My parents think it's all the same and think I should feed the the cheapest thing there is, but I see the exact opposite. I work at PetSmart, so getting a couple things (like birds toys, hammocks, dishes etc) shouldn't be a problem.

The cost also shouldn't be a problem. I have rats, and rats are VERY prone to URI's and can be very costly, but so far I am managing just fine. Nevertheless, I will make sure I save up some extra.

FemaleCheetah- Where abouts Vegas do you live? I live in the SW, and I work at the PetSmart on Ft. Apache and 215 (or Tropicana). I would LOVE to get some more info about them from you.

[blondegoofball]

What's inside the food? Is it stuff like grains, nuts, etc? If so, I know exactly where to go to get it. There's a REALLy good and REALLY cheap Trader Joe-ish store near me. All of the grains, cereals, pastas, and even some premixed seasonings are in bulk. I only spend about $10 making the Suebee's rat mix, and it lasts me about a month. If I buy a bag of rat food at a pet store, it costs about the same and lasts me a week, if that. I used to feed them the regular rat/mouse food, but have since then come to my senses.

[GliderBlowout]

Here is the BML diet mixture. You put it into ice cube trays and feed half a cube per glider per night along with the recommened amounts of fruits, veggies, and meal worms.

1/2 cup filtered honey

1 4oz bottle PREMIXED Gerber juice with yogurt (Mixed Fruit or Banana)

1/4 cup Wheat Germ

1 Teaspoon of Rep-Cal HERPTIVITE vitamin suppliment
Blue label on a white plastic container, DO NOT SUBSTITUTE this suppliment.


2 teaspoons Rep-Cal Calcium Suppliment non-phosphorus with Vit. D3 in it. Pink label on a white plastic container

2 2 1/2 oz jar of Stage 1 or 2 Heinz, Gerber or Beechnut Chicken baby food

1 Egg (boiled or scrambled)

1/4 cup of Apple Juice

1/2 cup dry baby cereal

Blend well in the blender.

The rule of thumb per glider is..
1 Tablespoon of the BML basic mix,
1 Tablespoon of fruits, (apples, grapes, watermellon, cantalope, melon, frozen pitted cherries and blueberries)
1 Tablespoon of veggies (corn, peas, carrots and green beans)
Insects (feed in the morning as dessert)

[blondegoofball]

I know I can find most if not all of that in 2 stores (a pet store and a bulk grocery store). I know exactly which Rep-cal bottles it talks about too, and my PetSmart ALWAYS has them (they don't sell well I think).

Does it matter what size the ice cube is? (they CAN come in a couple different sizes. Some can be the same size as half another.)

[GliderBlowout]

The ice cube trays need to hold 2 TBS in each cube. That way half a cube equals 1 TBS

[FemaleCheetah]

I live off of Craig and Nellis, near nellis air force base. So I live in the North part of Las Vegas. I was supposed to work at petsmart and I still want to but I really need the medical benefits that I get at starbucks.

If you want to know anything else just let me know :)

[FemaleCheetah]

blondegoofball - I think petsmart sells the wrong kind of rep-cal.

Here is a picture of the rep cal and herptivite u need
rep cal is in the pink/white container and herptivite is in the blue/white container.
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=11574
http://www.repcal.com/supp.htm

You can get both super cheap at www.toandfrogliders.com just click on the suggie supply link and then click the treats, hygiene, and nutrition link and scroll down and find the repcal and herptivite. I get my supplements from that website and the they last ALONG time.

And u DONT have to put the mixture in ice cube trays, I put mine in a tuberware container and freeze it and take out 1 tablespoon each night for him.

[FemaleCheetah]

This is another way to make the BML diet, this is for the gliders that perfer their food sweeter, its Judies version and works great.

I copied it exactly from her website at www.toandfrogliders.com

You can find more diets at www.glidercentral.net under the food diet link.

1/2 cup Honey
My Gliders Do Not care for Sue Bee at Sams-I
purchase Walmart Brand with a Jug Handle

2 ounces Gerber Yogurt Juice
This comes in two flavors; Mixed Fruit or Banana Juice. If you can't find it, look on the bottom shelf in the Babyfood Section for the 4-packs. (Walmart carries it) If your grocer does not carry it, ask him to order it. You will have to throw away the other half of the bottle unless you double your recipe

1 ounces of apple juice
Treetop is great - Try not to use off-brands

1ounces of cranapple juice
Any Brand will do - You may also use Cran Cherry or Apple Cherry by Old Orchard

2 jars (2 1/2 ounce each) Chicken Baby Food My guys like the Heinz and so do I as far as the smell, but the Gerber and Beechnut work fine too.
1 Small Jar Stage 2 Sweet Potato
This is what they really love - Any Brand Works. If doubling your recipe, use Stage 3

1/2 cup Mixed Cereal (Dry Baby Food)
You may choose any Type like Rice, Wheat, etc., - My guys Like the Mixed.

2 teaspoons Repcal Phosphorus Free - A ToandFro Item - No Substitutes

Then Add and Blend Thoroughly

1/4 cup WheatGerm Comes in a Glass Jar and Can usually be found next to the Cream of Wheat in the grocery store

1 boiled egg
These may also be scrambled with no butter or margarine - The reason these are added last is because they cause the BML to be thick if whipped in too much

1 teaspoon Herptivite Vitamin Supplement
A ToandFro Item - No Substitutes. - The last thing you should add should be the Herptivite - Turn on Blender for 15 seconds after adding the powder and then shut off. - no more blending!

And of course 1 tablespoon fruits, veggies, and of course mealworms.

[FemaleCheetah]

Here is a link to the other proven diets, just choose which one best suites you :)

http://www.glidercentral.net/links/pages/Glider_Care___Information/Diet___Nutrition/index.html

[GliderBlowout]

FC: The recipe you are referring to is NOT BML! Anything other than what Bourbon herself posted is NOT BML and should not be reffered to as another version of it. Also, The ice cube trays are much easier to make sure your gliders are getting what they need since 1 TBS of frozen BML does not equal 1 TBS melted BML. (it expands when it freezes, so your glider is not getting enough food, thus why yours lasts WAY too long for one batch!) Also, PetSmart DOES sell the correct vitamins. Any petstore can get it for you and I actually get mine at either PetSmart or PetCo.

[blondegoofball]

I live off of Craig and Nellis, near nellis air force base. So I live in the North part of Las Vegas.

Wow that's really far from me. I actually live right across the street from the PetSmart I work at. Technically it's Grand Canyon and Sunset. I think two of my managers live out there though lol.

[blondegoofball]

I see the pictures of the bottles, and I know exactly which ones they are. I never see anyone buy them, so I am always looking at them. :p

So what I'm going to do is take all this information and put it into a notebook/folder. I still need way more so keep throwin' stuff at me :D

[GlidinBy]

Please read http://www.sugargliderinfo.com/ It is a very comprehensive website that is up to date and covers all the basics.

[2SugaKids]

I dont do the ice cube trays cause some of them arent even good measurements. I just go by my gliders and how much they eat. My Starr eats less when shes not pregnant and my apollo eats just the right amount so its all on your gliders and how much they eat. One batch of BML usually lasts about 12-15 days. (with 2 gliders) Some gliders just dont eat as much as others.

[FemaleCheetah]

ignore this post

[FemaleCheetah]

gliderblowout - its another version of the BML diet, Judie has talked to Bourbon herself. All it does is add sweet potatoe for gliders that like sweeter food. No I DO feed 1 tablespoon BML, I let it melt into 1 tablespoon before I serve it to my glider.

I was just saying that petsmart MIGHT be selling the wrong vitamines since there is another rep-cal that I have seen.

[FemaleCheetah]

2sugakids - thats how long urs lasts? when i had 2 gliders the BML lasted me between 1-1 1/2 months but it depends on how much they eat.

[HandcuffedAngel]

I wanted to thank Blondegoofball for making this since I have also been looking for good information on the care of gliders since I plan to get gliders myself.

One question [sorry for the hijack], how many gliders would you put in this cage (http://cgi.ebay.com/Large-Double-Bird-Cage-Cockatiel-Ferret-Sugar-Glider_W0QQitemZ250023576827QQihZ015QQcategoryZ462 89QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting) [it can be used as one large cage]?

[2SugaKids]

HA- it looks like a 2 level cage, so 2 gliders per part... not really sure.
FC- yes, my Starr is pregnant again. Trying NOT to get my hopes up about it though. Its the LAST time she'll be pregnant if it goes wrong... hopefully. My Apollo is a hog!

[melissabigler]

Ok you dont have to feed BLM, talk to Cliff at www.animalsexotique.com i have 11 gliders an never had any problems with illness or anything tell him melissa sent you

[GliderBlowout]

melissabigler I just read their site and their diet info... SOOO wrong! It's common knowledge gliders are sap suckers which means they only extract the liquids from their foods. Thus, dry and/or pelleted foods give them NOTHING (except maybe a cut jaw) The "maramoset diet" is just that. A diet for monekys and in no way should be a part of a glider's diet. (ask them if it has been nutritionally researched by a sugar glider nutritionist) Also, these Glider Mills are the worst places for info in general, as they have thousands of gliders, sell wholesale or buy them whoesale and the joeys are like 4-6 weeks oop. (and yes, this is a WELL known glider mill)

[blondegoofball]

What about something like this cage?

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444177 7050&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302047888&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023695&bmUID=1157270244569&itemNo=23&Nao=12&In=Small+Pet&N=2047888&Ne=2
(sorry, I dont know how to make a it smaller)

This isn't the exact one I'm thinking of, but it's the closest one I could find. The one I'm thinking of has the spacing made for mice, its 3 whole levels (including the bottom). I measured it at work, it's
30x30x14. Is this too small? I think it's a nice cage, and I was trying to get it for my rats... but I dunno.

[melissabigler]

First of all i dont feed marmoset diet an second cliff isnt a glider mill, he cares i get my gliders from jolly gliders, plz no need to be rude an attack people that you havent delt with my gliders love there dry food as well as fresh food i give nightly

[GliderBlowout]

melissabigler PLEASE read that site. At the very top and throughout the site, they mention wholesale sales. YES this means there ARE a glider mill and are doing the horendous things glider mills are known to do. They are well known in the glider community as being VERY bad!

blondegoofball Glider cages should be open, with no levels and such so that they can glide and have room to play and jump.

[HandcuffedAngel]

The cage I posted can be used as one large cage [you can take out the divider].

In any case I have been doing research and found a few great sites that tell and show me how to make a large glider cage myself, which I prefer because it's cheaper and gives me the chance to utilize the space I have.

And thanks for the Glider Central links. I joined the forums and posted in the Introductions section and even printed off a lot of the information there. The Hazardous Toys, Safe and Toxic Plants, Michigan Breeders, Michigan Vets. All that stuff.

[Sorry again for the thread hijack].

Oh and in case Bolndegoofball wants these ... these are couple links I bookmarked on how to make glider cages.

Mya's House (http://www.geocities.com/bmxgirl777/MyasHouse.html)

How To Make A Sugar Glider Cage (http://www.angelfire.com/tx/facehugger/cageplans.html)

[FemaleCheetah]

melissa - ITS BML not BLM... obviously u dont know ur diets very well.

And I agree with gliderblowout 100%, gliders ARE sap suckers and should NOT be fed a MONKEY diet, THEY ARENT MONKEYS!

[FemaleCheetah]

And again that is a GLIDER MILL do some research on it and join glidercentral, u will learn a lot and learn how to properly care for ur gliders.

[HandcuffedAngel]

Wow.

I might just be on the hush hush about my gliders. People are feisty over the little guys.

[blondegoofball]

I didn't think they could have levels, but I was just asking. It's a nice cage :p What about Martinscages? I think they have some glider cages on there. They make excellent rat cages.

[2SugaKids]

I agree with femalecheetah and gliderblowout. There are too many BAD sites out there!

[melissabigler]

i like the suncoast cage i have its 64 inch hexagone its great, oh ya guys thanks for picking on my typo since ya know its hard to type working 13 plus hrs days 7 days a week , i have 11 happy health gliders fed glider food an they eat better then myself ,they live in homes that they love, oh an buy the way my gang thinks i make a great tree lol , so thanks for picking out my typos maybe next time you can find another lol

[2SugaKids]

i like the suncoast cage i have its 64 inch hexagone its great, oh ya guys thanks for picking on my typo since ya know its hard to type working 13 plus hrs days 7 days a week , i have 11 happy health gliders fed glider food an they eat better then myself ,they live in homes that they love, oh an buy the way my gang thinks i make a great tree lol , so thanks for picking out my typos maybe next time you can find another lol


Oh chill! :rolleyes: You act like none of us work. In fact I worked almost 15 hours 5 days a week for the past couple weeks cause people are quitting. (thank god im done with that!) On top of that I have my gliders and a 2 year old at home to take care of too. So my question is where do you find time to take care of your gliders in your oh so busy schedule? Sounds to me that between sleep and work you dont have much time to do anything else. Do you think thats fair to your gliders?

[HandcuffedAngel]

*Hiss*

I'm glad I'm making my own cage and all I have in life is my animals. I'll never have to hiss and claw over things like this.

In any case, good luck to blondegoofball in her search for suggie knowledge. I suggest you go to sugarglider.net as they have stickies in the forums full of great articles and I information that I printed out and I hole-punched everything and put it in my binder. A page on how to make my own glider cage, breeders, vets, directions to get to those vets and their phone numbers, hazardous toys, safe and toxic plants, a guinde on nesting boxes and tree branches, the self mutilators article along with the emergency contact numbers if I have an SM, the glider medicine kit list, the photos on how to give syringe medications, the BML diet mixture, all that stuff. The information is fantastic and I have it all with me so I'm prepared. Also, the people on the forums are very veyr nice and were attentive and supportive of me when I left my introduction thread.

Plus, I thought it was pretty fun. After I did a day's worth of research, I checked out the Photo of the Week album. It's adorable!

[melissabigler]

Who said i sleep? I play with my guys every night im a human tree from about 12 midnight till about 4 when they get drowsey, sometimes they come to work with me an spend the day with me when im home there ussally out with me doing house work unless there sleeping they like to sleep in my pocket when i vacume oh i volenteer at my local humane society here the fundraising site my goal 2000 buy sept 24th

[melissabigler]

www.firstgiving.com/biglermelissa