Kathy from glidersrus had a place at a local flea market here too but they are gone now......
I had a friend who bought two from there before she knew better and one of them died the next day The other was very sick with giardia.... so after several very expenisve vet bills and 2mnths of scrubbing with bleach and fighting an unbonded glider to take her meds she is doing good

I would recommend SugarGlidersRUs to you. I also bought one of mine from them and she is awesome. I have stated in another post that Kahty invited me to her home when I bought my glider from her so I have been to Kathy's house, and I have seen her gliders and cages first hand.

They are kept clean and she gets a USDA inspection once a month and she always passes it with flying colors. I also know for a fact there wasn't 600 pairs of gliders there. There wasn't even 100 when I was there. I think she told me at that time she had 80 pairs. But anyways, I would recommend her. If you are unsure, call her and talk to her and see what you think for yourself.

they have a pet store close to my house. I have been there when 7 week old joeys were there for sale (no mom n dad just joeys) The cage they are displayed in is not big enough for a wheel or toys and they have 1 pouch and dry pellets for food. I know what I know and I STILL SAY MILL BREEDER.

I don't understand how so much controversy can be stirred up. I would like to coordinate a visit with Kathy in order to see her gliders firsthand. I saw four healthy babies that day at the store, but I want to see the breeding conditions. I think all of us should do the same, and stop giving our own accounts of this woman with whom we have no personal experience nor indisputable proof.

cyndiekb, that is a temp cage that is actually 36" tall. It DOES have a wheel... I saw it with my own eyes, and made a comment to her about how much they loved it, upon which I found out that they had two in their cage at home. She keeps dry food in there, but also feeds them fresh foods.

Mio, my travel cage from her store came with a wheel in it. You're right, it WAS glider safe..HOWEVER, a 5 week old JOEY wouldn't even fit into it!! It was THAT small. And they do NOT sell those separately. The ONLY wheels they sell (at least in BOTH of her shops here) are the wired wheels.

The woman who does the neutering at one of the flea markets here...STILL WORKS FOR KATHY. I just saw her TWO weekends ago!

dont know what store you went to but the one I saw had a small cage. I offered a stealth if they put them in a bigger cage.

Are you sure about this??? There are only a few USDA inspectors for each region and they are very overworked. I seriously question how it is that she can get monthly USDA inspections when they had difficulty coming out even once a year to inspect my premisses when I was licensed

ETA: I'm not saying that she doesn't have very clean premisses - I truly don't know since I've never been there. I'm just questioning the frequency of the USDA visits...

I have been there many times in the glider room, The only thing she failed on was a few fruit flies, and i have them on occasion too. She is inspected and i have personally been at one of her markets that USDA showed up and inspected her there.
She sells her babies at 8 weeks, i know that for a fact too. Everyone formed opinions on Kathy because of one employee in Ohio.
She also buys babies from people and she insists that they be 8 weeks.
I think the world of Kathy and she has helped me a lot with my White Face pair, i would have lost my precious female if not for Kathy.

Thanks for letting me speak my mind

The woman who does the neutering at one of the flea markets here...STILL WORKS FOR KATHY. I just saw her TWO weekends ago!

You are right, she does still work for Kathy at the Caesar's Creek Flee Market. My question is why, why is she still there? I know for a fact she is still neutering the suggies. She now takes them to her motel or up the road to a restaurant and does it. HOW MEAN!!! Shame on her. Please, we all need to get her out of there.

Sorry guys Kathy wont get rid of her she is making to much money for Kathy

I can't imagine buying an animal at a flea market. They neuter them there too!?!?!

I think that my reputation is more important than money. I could not let someone work for me that is like that. Kathy needs to come down here and see what is really going on. I can't stand tha fact that this woman will outright lie to you just to sell you a suggie. I'm sorry but that is not how business is done. I prefer honesty at all cost.

I did not say Samantha didn't work for Kathy anymore, I said i trust Kathy.

WOw, I'd be more careful who I put my trust into that is for sure. But hey, that's just me.

I know that I rescue gliders out of east TN on a regular basis and most of them began their lives with Kathy in some way either directly or through being bought by another party and ending up later in rescue due to health and behavioral problems.

Local vets have had issues with her gliders having ghiardia and other issues for years and as far as USDA inspecting her monthly, either that is a complete and utter crock of bologney or she's had so many complaints against her that they feel she needs watching. I have no doubt she's tried to clean up her act a bit because she has had so many complaints. I don't doubt if you show up at her home that you won't find things out of order, however; there have been many documentable cases showing otherwise and the FACT that she allows her vendors/brokers to continue to practice self neutering is HORRENDOUS and INEXCUSABLE. She is perfectly well aware that it has taken place because the OH flea market broker was reprimanded for it not long ago.

And don't think she's above using unlicensed brokers who don't fall under the USDA radar.

USDA is so understaffed that they rarely even do their mandatory yearly examinations!!

To the original poster: You just have to use your better judgement. If you feel comfortable purchasing gliders from a person with this type of reputation and you're comfortable that you will receive a happy, HEALTHY joey that is what you should do. However; there are several licensed breeders in your area that you may also want to consider as well. Weigh the pros and cons between the choices. Good Luck!

All of the people that work for Kathy work under her license, that is why she has a brokers license.It is my business who i put my trust in, where i live most vets have no idea about gliders.
I purchaed my gliders from Judie but Kathy is the one who helped me when my female was losing hair. I ended up getting my male neutered to fix the problem. Now she is great

I personally really like Kathy, shes a very sweet lady & I have enjoyed doing business with her.. not only are her suggies sweet but I buy the majority of my food stuffs and supplies from her...If she dont have something you want , or if she knows where you can go to get it cheaper, she has told me so many times... now if she was such a awful, horrible person that several has tried to say, why would she do that? She also will not sell to those that are not prepared for what they are getting into. I think many on here confuse her with other venders that DO SET UP & SELL SUGGIES! even as close as 2 spaces down from her & I have heard the horror stories of those people. But I do want to clear one thing up. she uses the same cages I do & my cages are nice Heres my cage & its the same she uses! this stuff about teenie tiny cages is news to me, but I do know her pairs are housed in these.
black listing her based on (she said, he said) is not fair.. If you do go to her facility to check it out (which she welcomes folks in) please go with an open mind & try not to jump to conclusions! she is very knowledgeable, as she has had over 20 yrs experience.. If she was that bad & filthy & awful, then why have so many people came to her defence, not one of you have been to her facility that I have read, (although allow me to be corrected if I over looked it) but it does the person that started this thread no good if she listens to all the negativity & ends up purchasing from someone that will burn her with a sick suggie..and that is somehing Kathy will not do! Get the facts, if she was inspected by the USDA and was a filthy unfit breeder seems to me she would have been shut down by now.Last time I spoke with Kathy she said she had cut way way back..

Anyways this was my opinion & thank you for the oportunity to voice it (it will be my last comment on this thread for sure) as too many have taken it to another level entirely!

Just stating my post was based on facts......vet test and we have reciepts to back what i said.

CricketsKYmomma, i have never seen that cage in her store at Caesar Creek. She sells different ones here. A small temporary cage and a little bit bigger one, which is still not a good size cage for them to live in as adults.

Cricket,

That is also my cage, I purchased from Kathy.
But at the moment people are having a hard time getting that cage, because they come from China and are shipped in.
It is also the cage sold by Suncoast, and local bird shows have them.

Kathy doesn't decide everyone who gets to work at the booths. They aren't even "employees". The main people running the booths are like independent contractors and she's the supplier. The people running the booths decide who they let work there. Yes, it is awful if someone is neutering on site, and I live close enough I would be more than willing to go in with someone with a hidden camera and catch her offering and show it to Kathy and anyone else I need to in order to get that woman behind bars and that market shut down. But she has other markets and those people truly care for the gliders. You should visit all of the markets before making snap judgments. And ANYONE's gliders can get sick, you only make a deal of it when it's a "breeders" gliders.

This topic comes up over and over.

Even a mill breeder can have occasional good practices.

Does Kathy know and interview everyone who buys her joeys? Does she carefully screen people who want gliders? Does she make herself available to answer questions from everyone who buys a joey from her?

NO!

She is a mill breeder, whether you like it or not.

Yes - gliders get sick. But good, responsible breeders actually answer their phones and talk to the people who buy their joeys, and act in a responsible manner when a joey they sold gets sick. She has "independent contractors"???
Enough said!

Edit: I guess the bottom line is: do you want to buy from someone who promotes impulse buying of gliders, and contributes on a very large scale to the Population in Glider Rescues? Yes - you might luck out and get a good baby. You might even get someone who answers your phone calls and supports you. However, as has been stated, Kathy doesn't control her "independent contractors" and takes no say over how they run their "franchises" to sell her joeys.

My recommendation is - buy from someone who is a good and reputable breeder, not a mill.

Yes Kathy has pamplets at her booths they have the phone number of the person working the booth and Kathy's home and cell number. Kathy always answers her phone unless she is at work then she returns the calls when she can, doesn't matter if you bought the glider from her or not she is willing to help, i know this because she helped me and i have known her 4 years now.

I've been to both her markets here in Ohio VERY VERY regularly. There has been a Ron_Wright that registered here on GC to try and do the same thing a few of you are doing - he hasn't been back since. He made false promises. SAid this was going to happen, and that was going to happen, and they were going to fix this, and fix that...

And guess what?

The booths in Ohio are STILL THE SAME.

Oh, and the phamplet they hand out?
... Garbage.

I'm glad you are her friend.

That doesn't change the fact that she is a mill breeder. I'm sure that Mike McGrath has friends, too. He even has people who have bought his gliders who think he is a great guy.

Back on topic here ... the bottom line is, there is enough conflicting information about this person and the "franchises" that I would strongly recommend you buy elsewhere. Buying from a known mill breeder just encourages them to keep doing what they are doing.

I just love it when people try to justify mill breeding in any way. I'm sure some of those same people who in their signature claim to love dogs would flipout if they ran across a puppy mill, but I guess because it's gliders it's ok? I don't get the mentality.

I just hope that anyone who is thinking of purchasing a glider does their research and weighs the pros and cons. I would hope that if nine out of ten people say RUN, don't walk, RUN away from a particular breeder that they pay attention. If not; then they will have to live with that decision and for the sake of the gliders involved, I truly hope they have a good experience and wind up with healthy and happy little suggies.

So tell me, when does someone cross the line, in everyone's eyes, from a "breeder" that everyone approves of, to a "mill" breeder? Seems to me to be a matter of opinion. I mean, if I start breeding my babies and I have 10 pairs, will you consider me a mill breeder? Or am I okay until someone doesn't like something I've done, or a glider that I sell someone gets sick? Then will you consider me a "mill" breeder? I think it's terrible to breed for colors, so one can sell a baby for 2 or 3 thousand dollars. I don't approve of that in ANY species of animal, but I'm not on here bashing anyone that does that.

Come to Kentucky and visit her shops here and talk with the people who run them. Get a FULL picture of everything, not just your area.

sorry - off topic

sorry - off topic

Are you serious? You can't even COMPARE the two!!! Mill breeding and colored breeding? That's apples and oranges.