Hi. I'm new here and my son (15) and I have decided to get us a pair of gliders. I have been researching like mad for the last few days.

We want females. He wants a 'baby'; I'm considering rescue. There's a female on Petfinder that is 30 minutes from me that I applied to get but haven't heard anything about yet. Kiki is 6 months old and they say she is friendly.

I investigated breeders in Texas and found a well-recommended one "Hartland" about 20 minutes from my daughter's house. So we're considering going to see my DD next week and pay a visit to Hartland so my son can pick out a baby female.

We already have a cage, dishes, water bottle, some toys/chains, etc. from when I had parrots and rats. The birds/rats have been gone several years and everything disinfected, cleaned and sun-dried. We already have a tent (we used to camp)-- now we RV!!

Does this sound like a workable plan? I know we have to keep them separated and introduce them gradually. Would it just be better to start off with 2 babies from Hartland?

And cage 'sets'. Some are 6, 7, 10, or 15-piece sets. Which items do you find your Gliders use the most?

sounds to me like your off to the right start!! you've done your research and its nice you can visit the breeder too! I personally think getting two babies from the same place could be easier, introing them could be easier than a baby with an older rescue. I have not been in the older vs. younger situation. I have to girls that i just finished introing and they both are the same age, a day apart actually and are almost 4 months oop. They did not come from the same place though. Im sure someone else with more experience with the older vs. younger scenarios will chime in!
My girls love everything in the sets...the pouches, vines, hammocks, corner hammocks. I just have two of each in my cage for them and they go on it all!!! Good luck and let us all know what you decide on and we all love pics!!!
Dont forget a wheel!!!

Hello and To GliderCentral!

Glad to hear youve been doing your research.

First things first, the cage you have are the bars a 1/2 inch apart? Anything wider and your babies will escape! And is it large enough? These animals need alot of room to play!

I would also recommend getting two gliders from the same breeder. That way you dont have to worry about intros and if they dont get along.... a extra cage. Typically (in most cases) breeders will offer a set of joeys for a deal. So be sure to ask! Dont rush in finding a set of gliders, make sure you find someone who takes good care of them, whether its a breeder or rescue!

Some things you will need before starting up.

Youll need to research a proper diet. Many users here use the HPW or BML diet, but if you click on the word diet you will see a list of diets to choose from. Scroll through and find one that fits you and the gliders.

You will need to find a exotic vet in your area who knows Sugargliders, and having a backup for an emergency is ALWAYS recommended

There are alot of vendors here that are more than willing to help you with a cage set that fits your cages needs. I usually only buy 2 pouches, and a hammock for my cage. I fill the rest with toys.

You will also need a sugarglider safe wheel. Many wheels sold in petstores arnt safe and can brak or deglove there Tail. The Custom Cruiser, Stealth and Fast tracks are very popular, plus a few more out there.

If your unsure if any of your toys are unsafe, I would post pictures in Housing and Accessories and ask for input. Sometimes small parts, and toys with holes or thread can injure a glider.

I highly reccommend reading and asking as many questions as possible. We are here to help!

You've been given great advice so I'll just say Welcome to GC!

Thanks for the welcome and answers! I already have a Wodent Wheel from our 'rat' phase and it's the largest one so I think that will be OK?

Haven't decided definitely on a diet yet. If we go the breeder route I wanted to see what she recommended. I can always change later on but at first wanted to keep the baby(s) status quo.

The old Wodent wheels are NOT safe for gliders. They have to have the new center guard that protects glider's tails from getting wrapped on the center bar in the wheel. Gliders have been severely injured and died from the old wodent wheels.

Gliders have also been injured on the cotter pin that holds the wodent wheels together.

I had the wodent wheel to and after finding this site and hearing how its dangerous I switched to the stealth wheel and the GGR. There are a lot of different safe wheels for them. If you read through threads in housing and accessories you will see all that is available.

Welcome to Glider Central! I'm glad you decided to join us! There is a lot of information out there about sugar gliders which isn't always correct, and there is a quite a bit of correct info that you'll need over the course of a sugar glider's lifetime.


Housing:

It is recommended to have a cage at least 3 feet tall and 2 feet square (2'x2'x3'). Bar spacing should be no more than 1/2 an inch so there are no escapes! In addition to traditional wire cages there are also Glide-ariums, which I highly recommend. http://glidernursery.webs.com/glideariums.htm

toys come in various shapes and sizes. Sugar gliders will happily play with just about anything, but it is important that they don't contain hazardous materials or are able to be ingested. Galvanized and zinc metals are not safe. Wood can be OK, but will retain odor... something to think about. Check out the Housing & Accessories board for more info and ideas!

As for wheels, I definitely recommend Stealth wheels! http://www.atticworx.com/


diet:

An important part of sugar glider care is proper nutrition. There are a few different diets to choose from. Pick one that you are able to follow exactly as directed. Some popular choices are the BML, HPW (Original, Plus, or Complete), Blended, and SunCoast diets.
http://www.hpwdietcenter.com/
http://www.sugargliderhelp.com/links/pag...tion/index.html


vet:

Locating a vet that is familiar with sugar gliders is also important. Check out the link below for a list. You can also try vets in your local yellow pages and see if they are knowledgeable or willing to learn.
http://www.sugargliderhelp.com/links/pag...ates/index.html

Check out info on bonding (building trust between you and your gliders) and sugar glider introductions (the process of introducing gliders with each other), this will help you make your decision about whether to go with rescues or joeys from a breeder. Also, learn about what to look for in a breeder. There are many that sound nice, but are really after profit.