As with any pet, it’s important to make sure that you know how to care for a sugar glider before you take one home with you.
In this article, we will teach you how to care for sugar gliders and provide them with a safe and comfortable environment.
Before you do purchase a sugar glider, make sure that you check it is legal to own one in your state. Some states class them as exotic animals and you will need to have a permit before you can take one as a pet.
How To House A Sugar Glider
Let’s look at how you should house a sugar glider.
Cage
Sugar gliders are pretty small animals but this doesn’t mean they only need a small space to live.
These little marsupials are famous for being able to extend their legs and glide through the air and you make sure that they have enough space to do this in their cage.
You may be given a cage when you purchase your sugar glider but don’t just assume that this will be large enough.
If you purchase a pair of sugar gliders (we recommend buying a pair instead of a single animal) then you should look at cages that are at least three feet high and two feet wide.
This should give your sugar gliders enough room to glide around although the bigger you can go, the better!
The cage should have bars and a removable plastic waste tray at the bottom of the cage.
It doesn’t matter if the bars are vertical or horizontal as sugar gliders can grip onto either, but we would advise avoiding bird-style vertical rectangles for baby and juvenile sugar gliders.
The bars need to be close enough so that your sugar gliders can’t escape and they should be made from mesh or metal.
You can choose a cage that has PVC-coated metal bars but you should avoid galvanized steel. If these rust, they can cause urinary tract infections.
Cage Interior
You will need to line the bottom of the cage. This makes it easier to clean out the cage as the bedding will absorb any waste food or urine.
You have several options when it comes to what bedding to use but we would recommend paper bedding or any other non-toxic bedding such as puppy pads or cat litter.
On average, this should be changed about once a week.
In the wild, sugar gliders are nocturnal and usually sleep in trees. You can try to replicate this in your cage by providing them with a wooden birdhouse or a fleecy pouch to sleep in.
If you do opt for the pouch, attach it to the bars of the cage and make sure it is tightly sewn so that there are no loose threads or exposed stitches for little nails to get caught in.
You should also add some natural decor. This will not only help your sugar gliders feel more at home but can also provide them with some enrichment and stimulation.
We would recommend adding some eucalyptus branches to the sides of the cage as this will also give your sugar gliders something that they can chew on.
You can also put some toys in the cage. Avoid any toys that have wires or strings that the sugar gliders can get tangled up but toys made out of wood and rope are ideal.
What Should I Feed A Sugar Glider?
A healthy and balanced diet for a sugar glider isn’t really that different from what you’d give other pets.
You should aim for a balance of around 75 percent pellet food and 25 percent fresh produce. They may also need a calcium supplement in their diet and this is usually sprinkled over food every other day.
As for water, we would recommend giving your sugar glider both a water bowl in the cage and also a water bottle.
Make sure the water is always fresh and clean and change it at least once a day. You should only use bottled or filtered water.
How To Keep Your Sugar Glider Entertained And Provide Mental Enrichment
Although sugar gliders can be sold individually, they are very social animals and they will greatly benefit from living in pairs or colonies.
If you can, it’s always best to get a pair of sugar gliders instead of just a single animal.
We discussed toys in our section about the cage interior but there are other things you can do. Sugar gliders are sociable and they can even be sociable with humans!
A sugar glider will feel right at home in your pocket so you can take it around the house with you during the day.
As they get more used to you, you can let the sugar gliders out of their cage and play with them and their toys.
Medical Care For A Sugar Glider
Although sugar gliders are relatively low-maintenance animals that don’t have a tendency to get frequently sick, they can still become ill and injured.
Make sure that you find a veterinarian in your local area that is able to treat and care for sugar gliders.
You should take them to the vet once a year for a checkup.
It’s wise to take your sugar gliders to the vet shortly after getting them for a basic checkup and if they haven’t been neutered, it is advisable that you get this done.
Inbreeding is common with sugar gliders and if you have two male gliders, they can often be aggressive towards each other.
Neutering them will prevent the risk of inbreeding and decrease the chances of fighting.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we discussed the main points of how to care for a sugar glider. We looked at homing, nutrition, and enrichment. We hope it helps you take care of your sugar gliders.
Hi, I’m Olivia Kepner and I am a zookeeper here in San Diego. Since I was a young girl I have always been fascinated by animals and species across the globe.
I used to beg my parents to take me to our local zoo every single weekend. Well, I say local – it was more like a two hour drive away. But they took me as much as they could, allowing me to fall in love with the animals again and again.
