I have heard from many glider owners that during the winter time they place a heating pad in the gliders cage. Well I live about 4 hours from the Great Smokey Mountains and I was wondering is now to early to put a heating pad in her cage? It gets chilly outside at night and hubby hates to run the heat at night. So would it be wise to go ahead and put a heating pad into her cage?

Never, ever place it inside the cage! I use a ceramic space heater, it works wonderfully.

DO NOT PUT A HEATING PAD IN THE CAGE - your suggie could chew the wires in the heating pad. If you need more heat you could use a small room heater set very low - but not close to the cage.

There are also ceramic heaters that can be place near - but outside the cage to provide heat that the suggie can get near but not come in direct contact with.

Bleh. Heat pads are horrible horrible things and normally, the only people that use them are people who know nothing about gliders or people who had to make an incubator for a rejected joey. The pad can get too hot, the glider can be drawn to the heat and not want to leave it thus dehydrating it, or it could get electrocuted from chewing on the cord. There's only 4 "safe" heating sources that I know of...your heat source (furnace or fireplace if the cage is far far away), space heater, ceramic heat emitter, and one of those bird heating panals that you hang on a wall nearby.

It is not exactly in the cage. The cage she is in has a pullout tray and I placed it there under a piece of fleece fabric. It was placed so that she can't get to the wires and it also does not give off to much heat to harm her in any way, shape or form.

That is still IN the cage. Mine will reach through to the tray and get treats they dropped. So, yours can still get to the heating pad.

She never does drop any of her treats because the fleece i layed in the cage catches all of the food she drops.

But she could still probably reach the heating pad. Even if she can't, think about how risky a heating pad is. Not only can they overheat but it does run the chance of malfunctioning and starting a fire. That would mean a fire IN the cage.

If you are worried about the cold, a ceramic heat emitter outside the cage is a much better option.

It probably all depends on the kind of heating she uses. She's just trying to keep her glider warm in the winter! I'm sure she'll figure something safe out!

Good luck on it!

We know. Nobody is saying to not keep her glider warm, just that there are safer ways of doing so.

She as in you:sugienewby

XP

well ok. can you list of them? it might help a lot of people.
oh and how hot can the safe other ways get. like for example a heating pad can probably be get up to 102 degrees.

Your best option is either turning up the heat in your house or using a ceramic heat emitter near the cage. It gives off heat but not light, and it's not directly touching the cage, so there is no way for a glider to get hurt on it. A space heater can also work (just a normal one that you would buy for any room). You can control the heat on both of these, so it won't get too hot... and if it did, it wouldn't be close enough to matter that much!

Here's a post with some more options:
http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/...Warm#Post661389

In addition to the ones I've listed, it also talks about keeping the cage warm with a cage cover, and keeping the pouches warm with extra blankies and double-fleece pouches.

I use a space heater in my glider room to keep their room at a steady temperature. It has a built in thermostat and oscillates to where it can blow heat to all the cages as it turns.

but the heating pad gives off more heat. and so if there is a way to use a heating pad so that the glider won't chew and touch it. I'm sure it's ok. And there might be something like http://www.futurepets.com/Cat_Heating_Pad.htm
<- that. and maybe use a cover to keep the heat in. It might work out. idk. I might test that one out in a few days. but of course my suggie won't be in there

I cover to cover the cage..not the pad.

oh jeez

"I mean* cover to cover the cage not the heating pad"

Honestly, I doubt you need that much heat. Remember that, in general, if you are comfortable with the temperature then your glider is, too. I just don't see why one would need 102 degrees of extra heat, or anything even relatively close to that.

But to each his own. If you have a way that you've found to be safe, then go for it.

the space heater gives off plenty of warmth (keeps the glider room at 76), and is a whole lot safer than a heating pad

well my place isn't really warm all the time. in the winter it will get freezing cold (in the summer it's super cool :P) . My basement isn't done yet and thats where I live. but I'm just trying out new ideas and testing things out for the on coming winter. I mean you really don't know what will happen in the winter.

oh and 102 degrees is just the surface area...so it'll probably give off like 90 degrees of heat. and most of it probably won't stay very long.

i once read somewhere that if they are around air that is too hot, they can easily get dehydrated. i have a heat emitter, & i have it set @ 70. i have a cover on the cage, & the cover goes over the emitter, so, it doesn't get any hotter than 80.
i know that temperature plays a big role in their food metabolism, too hot & too cold will really mess them up.
that's about all i know on the subject.
someone mentioned , also, some time ago about a wall heater, that you could get from ace hardware. i went there,
here in perry where i live, & they didn't have one, so, i am going to look further until i find one. des moines is just 1/2 hr away.
josefine

Well just keep in mind that if you use a heating pad you are putting your gliders life at risk.

I use Oil Filled Radiator type heaters in the glider room. They are set on 600 watts and on low. When the temp goes down to 10 degrees or lower I usually flip the heaters to 900 watts each.

The beauty of the oil filled heaters is there are no heat spots in the room as the temp stays even.

A couple of years ago a breeder used an electric blanket over a cage to keep the gliders warm. This practice had been done for years with no ill effects. That is... until a wire broke and the blanket burned. Sadly the gliders died due to the smoke that filled the room.

90 degrees is too warm for a healthy glider, the only time you need that much heat is for a rejected joey incubator..

oh. I thought 90 would be good for them, since they are from Australia. I'll keep that in mind. But I will probably do some testing this weekend because I ordered my heating pad... the ones for the bunnies. it's pretty small. So I'll see what happens if I place the cage and everything in an area thats freezing cold and cool. I'll let you guys know how it turns out this weekend.

BeckiT is right. 90 degrees is more suited to a pinky (furless prem) joey! Heat pads are only suitable for the too young or too sick (and then only in the hands of someone who is experienced in their use!)

I am not sure where everyone gets the idea that Australia is always hot!! I have wild gliders in my neighbourhood and the current outdoor temp is 45 degrees(top temp today here is supposed to be 73 with thunderstorms). The gliders you see on the sugarglider cam are only half an hour from me and they are quite content in their nestbox at the same temp.

What you really need though is a companion for your single glider. It is amazing how much heat two or more sugar gliders can generate between them. I can put my hand in a nestbox outside in the middle of winter (and I wont scare you with how cold it is) and its like an oven with the heat generated from a group of gliders.

With a single glider, just provide lots of thick fleece and up the temperature of the room rather than just the cage. Best solution though..get a friend to keep your girl warm (after quarantine of course)

I have an oil filled heater ($34 at Lowes)That keeps the glider's room at 76* in the winter. They use very little electricity and are safe. I do have a thermometer in the room I check once a day to make sure it's working properly.
Heating pads are dangerous period. As a nurse I saw many burns on people from heating pads. I don't recommend them for people or animals.

I use the same type oil heater works great for the whole house, & save on gas bill. An electric heat pad is no differrent than that stupid heat rock you know who hands out. And we all aready know how bad that is. There has been at least 10 people here (some of which are highly respected members of the glider community, one lives in Austrailia around wild gilders) say that a heat pad is a bad idea, & still people refuse to listen. A small space heater is your best bet, they are cheap & you can buy them anywhere.

Well I have taken the heating pad back to the store and will look into less dangerous methods of heat for my little girl tomorrow while I am out at Walmart.

I dont know if it's been mentioned, but I cover my guys up with a blanket. Just a cheap blanket. Like the heated ones. Un heated though.
it really keeps the heat in.

How long have you had your gliders? And how well does it keep the heat in?

So thats what I've heard. But you don't always have to use them as pads! it might work as a small size heat generator. As long as it generates heat and make sure the glider won't be able to touch it. I think it'll be fine. You guys just don't like Pocket Pets, it's like a taboo here. Jeez. Sure they give out heating rocks probably because the gliders are too young. I'm not going to say any more on Pocket Pets. I don't really know anything about them except from what I've heard. ANYWAY I'm testing out the heating pad in a cage with thermometers and stuff this weekend...if I get the heating pads by then.

people don't listen maybe because they "might" have a reason to or they some how figure a safe way out to use it. You never know how smart someone can be

OOPS

my reply were meant for Daron (not all him/her but you get the idea), I didn't know there are 2 pages >.<

90 degrees is really too hot for gliders.

A cool room of 70 degrees is just fine. Just put several large sqares of fleese into the sleeping pouch to hold the body heat of the glider.

Over the years, and I have owned gliders for over twelve years, a few times my glider room got down to 60. However, with double fleesed pouches and two large square fleese blankies and two gliders or more in a pouch.. everyone was just fine. Have to admit though, I was in a panic mode for a bit as my glider room is usually kept at 80 degrees all year round.

If the house is warm enough to keep you comfortable then its warm enough to keep your gliders warm. Put an extra tiny blanket in there pouch & or cover the cage with a blanket. I found my rect from lowes, I paid $25 for my oil heater & it keeps my glider room at 73 degrees. They actually sell the same heater at Lowes for $15 that doesnt have the decorative plastic cover but still the same heating capabilites. Im an Insurance Agent, & I cant tell you houw many house fire claims my agency has paid over the last 12 years. To my knowledge none of them were being used for pets, but they were being used for humans in bed while they were sleeping(not uncommon). One was in the boonies & by the time the FD got there the family lost their entire home & all posessions and the homeowner has 2nd & 3rd degree burns(rare situation).

It's not that we choose not to like them, it's the fact that they give out wrong information, sell joeys way too young, are mill breeders with sick, inbred gliders and only care about the $$$ they are making. People here care about thier pets and will give you the correct information to keep them happy, healthy & safe. If you don't want the truth, don't ask.

Well put. Thank you.

Just using a cage cover doesn't help with my kids since it gets down to around 60 in my room in the winter.

I have a heat emitter that I left on 24/7 last year because I didn't have a fleece cover and the blankets I was using didn't keep the heat in. Now though, I have a fleece cage cover over the top, sides, and front of my cage, 4 pieces of fleece on the top, and a comforter over the front, sides, and top. I only have to leave my emitter on for maybe 30minutes (gets the cage to around 78) then I turn it off and close 'er up! Fleece is an excellent insulator. But, so far, the coldest my room has gotten is 65 so we'll see for this winter...I also have a blanket over one of my windows because you can just feel the cold air coming off of it...brr! And this year, the cage is against an inside wall near my tv so I can get some heat off of my tv for them too. But, if you decide to use a heat emitter, make sure you put pouches in different areas of the cage. Ex: a pouch in a colder area and one in a warmer area.

Aido, I still think 90 is wayyyy too hott though once you factor in the fact that they're sleeping in fleece pouches. Initially, that would make it around 95 in the pouches...talk about a cooked sug. Anyone up for suggie pie? (ya, I know most of the heat won't stay in the cage but it'll stay in the pouches since they're fleece and fleece is an insulator)

I never said that I support them ((PPP) Perfect Pocket Pets) and I never asked questions about them. I was just doing my research and people just happen to talk about them. I never saw them before, and never met them either. Oh and a friend of mine did tell me about people getting burned from heating pads. But I will test the heating pads that I'm getting before I use it in the cage. It's not like I didn't do my research or anything! Oh and if it wasn't for (PPP) Perfect Pocket Pets selling gliders at the fairs in different states, not much people would of known anything about gliders! Everyone who is selling gliders here are making money too! But they just happen to care more about the gliders that they are selling. Which is good! I'm not going to say anymore on (PPP) Perfect Pocket Pets, I don't know a lot about them and I DON'T plan on getting anything from them.

AND what if I support using heating pad/rocks? [censored] is wrong about that? You don't really have to use it like it's suppose to! The main reason why I use it is because it's "small" and it generates "heat"! and ok fine 90 degrees would be too hot, I'll fix it so the temp of the cage would be around 80s. And I do worry about my glider's safety and health. ONE of the top reasons why I will test everything out.

"Oh and if it wasn't for (PPP) Perfect Pocket Pets selling gliders at the fairs in different states, not much people would of known anything about gliders! Everyone who is selling gliders here are making money too! But they just happen to care more about the gliders that they are selling."

People that buy gliders from fairs still don't know anything about them! And most of the people here that sell gliders, only do so to knowledgeable homes and yes they charge for them-it costs money to take care of them properly.
As far as the heat rock & heating pad, it seems you have already made up your mind to use them, so why even ask? They are not safe, not necessary and not recommended. That should be enough. We don't make things up to give people a hard time. Most people here are very experienced and know what they are talking about. I learn more all the time!

Aido A heatpad is not for the use in which you want to use it.

I do not even live in the same country as (PPP) Perfect Pocket Pets and I don't sell my gliders or even any glider products so I have no vested interest in this like you seem to think everyone has.

I do however proudly volunteer with a well respected Australian wildlife rescue and rehabiliation organization. I also have just completed a University course on the above as well as attending numerous short courses and training days with top Australian wildlife vets and experts on all facets of wildlife care and health management. I have been very lucky to be able to do all this and it has enabled me to learn so much more about sugar gliders as well as other native Australian animals.

Bottom line that comes out of all these, is heatpads DO have their uses with experienced care and constant observation for only orphaned or very ill animals who cannot regulate their own temperature correctly. Even with these animals, the temperature range must be monitored all the time and concerns of overheating, dehydration etc are very real. They should not be used to keep a healthy animal warm. Not only can an electrical item be dangerous, creating an artificial heat source so close to an animal that doesn't normally require one, can possibly cause health issues in the long term.

If you have more than one glider, nice thick fleece pouches or blankets, a cover to prevent draughts and perhaps a room controlled heater is all that is needed. They have an ability when in a group of two or more, to generate an amazing amount of heat in a pouch or nestbox. Gliders can acclimatise well to temperatures providing it isn't extreme changes and that they have companions to warm up with.

Most of my gliders live outside. They live in wooden nestboxes in aviaries which are fairly well weatherproofed but still outside. In Winter, they get fleece blankets with their euc leaf bedding but in Summer it's just leaves. The heat that generates out of a nestbox on a Winter morning is outstanding! I can promise you it gets way colder than any inside room. I have few concerns at all with the cold and my gliders. Summer and overheating are more of an issue.

I not saying the people know a lot about gliders. I'm saying that they wouldn't have known that gliders exist as pets if it wasn't for (PPP) Perfect Pocket Pets (some people anyway)

And yes I had already made up my mind. But I never asked anything about heating pads. Since I'll be using one I like to read more about them. People are saying they are not safe to use in the cage with the gliders. I AGREE! The glider "might" get burned. But like I said they generates heats and they are small so it probably is safe and sometimes necessary to use outside of cage.

Oh Marz. Since your gliders are outside in a wooden nest, how cold does it gets outside?

like how cold in the winter can outside of wooden nest get. And how warm is the inside in that cold?

A little information about heating pads.. while I don't advise using them, for those concerned about uncontrolled temperatures (especially in incubatord) owning a rheostat can be a great measure of regulating the heat emitted. It works by setting a maximum temp that the heat pad will emit and not allowing it to go above that. ZooMed sells them:
http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryD...SI7czoxOiIwIjt9

my glider room stays btween 72 and 78. I use a safe space heater like Becki..................in fact Im thinking we have the same one.................anywho I just skimmed through this but noticed some folks were keeping their gliders a little on the warm side!! Good Luck!!

our power was off the other day (they had shut it off for like 30 minutes in our whole area to repair a damaged line). I wasn't home at the time and didn't think anything of it until I went to feed the gliders a few hours later - the heater wasn't on. But, the gliders were up early, playing hard, a lot harder than they normally do. So, I turned the power back on for the heater and the room was 66*. Seeing how happy they were out playing at that temp, I set the heater to 68* instead of the 76* where it had been, and just offered extra blankies if they want them. It's nice having 2+ extra hours of play time each night

Becki I have also found that keeping the room around 70 degree's seems to make the gliders come out and play more. I have kept my glider room around this temp for well over a yr now and if the temp should get up 72-74 they sleep more.
One of the key factors is to change temp gradually so they can acclimate to it. Sudden temp change does not let them adjust well. I heat my house by wood pellet stoves one up stairs and one downstairs my entire house is set at 68-70 degree's. I keep a small space heater in the gldier room set at 70 degree's just in case it gets cold in their room.

I would say if you use a heat rock or a heating pad you are asking for trouble. If you have never seen an animal that had bitten an electrical cord before you have no idea what they go though and what the consequence's are. It is not pretty and it almost always has a death sentence to it. I have seen it (not any of my pets as I know better). Also if they lay on a heating pad that is too hot it burns the skin and it becomes necrotic and sloughs off leaving no way to to stitch it closed and it is very painful. It has to slowly regrow skin to fill in the area IF the animal survives.

As for Pocket Pets/heat Rocks/and anything else they have to offer = If you saw them and the poor gliders they are selling you would have things to say about them also.
If you research on here and read about the people who have no idea what they offer and the heart break they went though with sick dying gliders you would understand.

Aidolove I must ask you do you whom do you use for an exotic vet and are they available 24 hours a day?