Sugar Glider Pocket Pets

I am a pocket Pet, have you met me yet? I will fit in the palm of your hand or your pocket, which do you prefer? I prefer your pocket. My typical name is sugar glider. I am not a rodent or squirrel, I am a marsupial. We have been in the United States for about 20 years. My home is natively in Australia and New Guinea.

If you adopt me and I move in with you, I want to be treated like family. I will adopt you as a member of my family or colony. When I am a baby keep me in your pocket, but give me a piece of apple to keep me hydrated.

For me to stay in good health. We need a veterinarian that specializes in our species or small animals. If our teeth get bad we could end up real sick or worse. We have teeth that are sharp and painful if we bite you. Take us to a veterinarian often to make sure our teeth are healthy. This is important.

I am safe with pets but be careful of me around your cat. Cats like mice and other small animals and they might just eat me too. If I am in a cage and I can’t get out than I will be safe around your cat. However, never leave me alone with your cat unsupervised. Cats can play tricks on you to get you to trust them around me, but don’t. The minute you turn your back I will be their dinner and that is a proven fact.

My temperature is also very important to me and my health. I do best in temperatures of 80 or 85 degrees, I like it warm. It is usually warm when I am in your pocket because I feel the warmth of your body next to mine. If you have bought a starter kit than you should have a heat rock that comes with it. I can stay warm inside my cage if you have a heat rock or just against your skin in your pocket. On cold days in chilly weather please keep me covered up good? I don’t thrive well in the cold weather. My heat rock works just by plugging it in an electrical outlet, this way I stay warm.

I hope after reading about me that you understand me a little more. I can be a great addition to your family or I could be your nightmare. I want to be your friend and a member of your family. If you treat me well and take care of me I should be able to live a long time. I just need love and care.

I love pets and I am safe around children. We love to play but mostly at night. I have a gliding membrane such as a squirrels and it runs from our wrist to our ankles. I don’t fly, I only glide, and we can sometimes glide very high. I can live in a cage if you like, but don’t leave me both day and night. Take me out and play with me, I like a lot of attention. I love to nestle at the top of my cage, I am ok, this is normal for me.

Some of us are considered as exotic animals or pets. I am sold in some stores but others are not allowed to sell me at all. I sometimes cost as much as $300.00, and I am usually sold in pairs. We are also a big investment in your time and money.

We don’t like to be left alone. I need a mate or a friend or I will hurt myself. We will eat our feces, bite ourselves and chew our tails off. I don’t want to bite you, so just let me have a friend or two. If we are lonesome we will get stressed out a lot.

We can live up to 15 years in captivity but if you plan on buying me, make sure you can take care of me. In the wild we can only live 5 to 7 years. I will be scared when you first bring me home. It may take a little time to bond with me. I love apples, yogurt, honey and pudding. Place it in your hand or on your finger and I will lick it off, than I know I can trust you .This is how our bonding process works; I have to trust you too like you and then I am happy. I can bond with you and every member of you family, if you wish. I hope we will all be a happy family. . I also need plenty of water and especially when I am young or first born.

We can make odd sounds, so each different sound also has a meaning. We can bark, kind of like a dog. Make screeching sounds, hiss or even cry and other sounds also, if you learn my sounds, than you will know what I need, and why or if I am angry or sad. To learn my sounds is important to keep me happy!

I can also glide from high up places and land on you; however this takes a little patience from me and you to master. If you are gentle and patient with me I can learn to glide to you, rather quickly. I need time and patience most of all. Remember, you and your family are new to me and we all take getting use to each other. We are not going to all be able to get along right away together with each other. Does any family or blended family get along right away? No, so don’t expect me to get along with you right way or your family.

There are many different kinds of pocket pets and we are all a little different. Rats, mice, hamsters and gerbils are all considered as pocket pets. We have a lot of teeth and we need to make sure they stay in good health.We need a veterinarian that specializes in our species or small animals. If our teeth get bad we could end up real sick or worse. We have teeth that are sharp and painful if we bite you. Take us to a veterinarian often to make sure our teeth are healthy. This is important.

I hope after reading about me that you understand me a little more. I can be a great addition to your family or I could be your nightmare. I want to be your friend and a member of your family. If you treat me well and take care of me I should be able to live a long time. I just need love and care.

Last but not least, please make sure you name me after all I will be a new member of your family.

By Rhonda G Waits Nov/6/11

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