A: Now that you’ve got your sugar gliders home please give them a few days to get used to their new environment. After a few days now you’re ready to start the bonding process. They’re likely a bit nervous about their new surroundings, so just take it slowly. You should still make yourself a part of their daily life through brief visits, treats, and their meals, but you want to avoid overwhelming them. Once a day or two has passed, you can move on to the next steps to bond with your new friend.

A: That’s an excellent question, and will often depend on your glider itself. Some may be perfectly calm when you bring them home, and others may be nervous about the journey and unsure of their new surroundings. Our best advice is to “listen” to what your sugar glider is telling you, and take it at a speed that they’re comfortable with. Don’t push yourself on them, or confront them directly in their face too soon, as that can be pretty frightening at first. After all, you’re a giant to them! As they have a very strong sense of smell, a small piece of clothing with your scent in their cage can help them become used to you. They can also become used to the sound of your voice, so speaking calmly to them will help them get to know you. If they’re ready for it, after a few kinds, of soft-spoken words and some encouragement, a treat offered from your hand would be a great way to start. That way, you become associated with good feelings and treats, and it gives you a chance to gently pet them while they snack! Something to consider is a Bonding Pouch, a Heart Bonding Pouch or a Glider on the Go Bag, from our store. It lets you hold them close to you, allowing them to get used to your smell and the beat of your heart while keeping your gliders snug and secure.

A: The ideal temperature range for a sugar glider is between 72 and 76 degrees, with about 45-50% relative humidity. They are comfortable in their sleeping pouches with a few little fleece blankets and a little sugar glider friend to cuddle. Heat rocks are should not be used! They are very dangerous, leading to dehydration, burns, or death for the little glider. Caution: there are companies that would sell you heat rocks for sugar gliders, do not take their advice. These are the same companies that recommend feeding them pizza and letting them sleep in your old shirt on the cage floor.

A: For the new glider owner, the first time they hear a scared or annoyed sugar glider can be a surprising one. One of the most common noises when discussing sugar gliders is called “crabbing,” which can be described as sounding somewhat like an electric pencil sharpener. It signifies that they feel threatened or scared, and is usually a sign that they want someone to “back off.” It can be more common during the early periods of bonding, as they are still getting used to their surroundings, and there’s a rather large person that’s trying to handle them. As they become more comfortable and see you as a friend, their crabbing should decrease and cease. Another interesting sound is a “barking” sound, which can be a way of communicating with their fellow gliders. It can serve as both a “here I am” as well as a “where is everyone?” It can also mean they are scared. Leaving a very dim night light on may help them feel more comfortable.

A: Sugar gliders in the wild have very specific dietary needs, and a glider raised in captivity is no different. There is no generic “glider food” as there is with cats and dogs. Dedicated glider lovers enjoy putting together a great diet of variety and nutrition, providing their sugar gliders with the food and vitamins they need to live long, healthy lives. Primarily, gliders need a diet that is high in protein, moderate fat, low in phosphorus, and loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables. TPG vitamins, which contain essential calcium important to their diet, are added to their fruits, veggies, and protein. We highly recommend our own diet, Glider Home Diet, (also known as the Priscilla Price Diet). The TPG Diet has been used with thousands of sugar gliders and is specially formulated to provide them with the nutrients they need and a taste they love. It’s used in conjunction with our custom vitamins, Glider Home Complete Vitamins with Calcium, which is mixed into or sprinkled on top of their food. Calcium is especially important for pet sugar gliders. As far as “eating anything,” this is not true at all. Just as with other pet animals, there are certain foods that are off-limits, which include chocolate, onions, scallions, garlic, foods high in phosphorus, and more. If someone is telling you that they can just eat a pelleted diet or “just eat pizza or whatever you have laying around,” they are misleading you. While it may not immediately kill your glider, it will have a great impact on their health, longevity, and quality of life.

A: There are certain snacks that are safe for gliders, such as the various treats that we sell in our store, approved fruits and veggies, and live giant mealworms. Gliders especially love live mealworms! Live mealworms can be excellent to teach tricks, reinforcing good behavior, and enhancing quality bonding time. We recommend no more than 8-12 mealworms per day per glider, depending on your glider’s amount of exercise outside the cage. Feed plain yogurt treats sparingly, the Yoggies made from fruits, veggies, and eucalyptus are the best! After all, you want to keep your sugar gliders from being too heavy to glide!

A: Sugar gliders are naturally very clean animals, grooming themselves and the members of their colony regularly. A healthy sugar glider should not require bathing unless there is a particularly messy incident, such as a drink spill or other outside influence. That being said, they can be messy eaters, so the area around their food bowl will require regular cleaning. One recommendation is to create a “food igloo” using a modified, upside-down plastic container with a hole cut in it to cover their feeding area. It helps keep the food particles contained, while also being a stylish little glider cafe!

A: There are four parts to cage maintenance: their cloth sleeping pouch with blankets, their accessories (toys & glider safe exercise wheel), the pan under their cage, and the cage itself. The pan under their cage should be cleaned daily, or at least every other day. You can line the pan with newspaper or one of our colorful fabric cage liners. If you have one of our colorful fabric cage liners you can simply shake it out every day and wash it several times a week. It is nice to have a least two fabric pan liners so you can switch them out. Do not use cedar or pine as they can cause respiratory problems. Regular cage pan cleaning reduces odor and leads to healthier gliders. Glider accessories, such as toys (glider-specific, bird-safe, or child-safe), fleece pouches, water bottles, etc., should be cleaned weekly. Fleece sleeping pouches can be washed with regular laundry detergent, do not use fabric softeners. For the cage, pan & toys, plenty of hot water is recommended (soap is fine if rinsed well), and avoid any cleaning agents that are toxic or have a strong odor. As gliders rely heavily on their sense of smell, you don’t want to irritate them with a strong, unfamiliar odor. Their cage itself should be cleaned roughly once a month, depending on the number of gliders you have. While the cage is being cleaned, you can move your gliders, in their sleeping pouch, to a small travel cage to keep them safe from other family animals. Vinegar and hot water are non-toxic cleaning solutions that will help clean your cages safely. If you have access to a pressure washer, that can also be used with gentle pressure. Gliders like their home to smell like them. So, we recommend not cleaning everything at one time. For example: clean the cage but not the toys once a month, when you clean the toys, don’t clean the cage at that time. Clean their sleeping pouch several times a week.

A: Using either a nail clipper designed for small animals, you can trim the tips of the glider’s nails. You will likely have to hold them securely in a towel or small pouch with one leg extended at a time. If you look closely at a glider’s nails, you can see that there is a point near the edge of their nails where it changes color, which is the “quick”. Do not cut down to this point, as that can cause bleeding. When it is doubt, it’s better to trim too little than too much. Click here for a video guide on trimming your sugar glider’s nails! The custom-designed, glider-safe, Raptor Wheels that we sell come equipped with nail trimming patches on the wheel’s track, to help keep their nails trimmed as they run.

A: While your glider is on a flat surface, place your hands in a cup shape on either side of the glider, scoop gently under its stomach, and lift. Sugar gliders do not like to be grabbed with a grip hold.