An area that still puzzles me is that a large number of sugar gliders are still being sold as solo pets and misinformation abounds in regards to keeping gliders with buddies of their own kind. From our own research and a tremendous amount of shared experiences, in most cases, I will say unequivocally that sugar gliders are not well suited to being kept as solo pets. Yet most pet stores, flea market vendors, show vendors and small breeders are more than happy to sell single sugar gliders and often advise this is the best way to keep them, saying gliders with glider friends will never bond to you.

You can take my word for it, or we can look at this logically. Sugar gliders are colony animals in the wild. Their tendency is to stay in colonies that interact nearly constantly. If you have ever had the opportunity to see how a colony sleeps together (and that can even be the smallest colony size of two), you can't tell where one animal starts and the other leaves off. They are a clinging mass of fur and tails and noses and paws.

Dogs are also pack animals, but they don't sleep in the orderly tangle that gliders do. And I call it an orderly tangle because my gliders tend to occupy the same position in the giant ball of sleeping fur. Arnold, who is the smallest in his foursome, is always on the bottom of the pile. I can actually put my hand in the pouch and without seeing them, know who is who by position.

When I first started pursuing my passion for sugar gliders, I admit that I did adopt out some of my babies to homes as solo pets. I let myself get talked into it because the person worked from home and was always there, or was homebound or was employed in a manner that allowed the glider to be with them constantly. Unfortunately, more often than not, it doesn't work out well for the single-kept glider in the long run for many reasons.

For example, there is almost always a problem when the primary caretaker human cannot be present. Solo-kept gliders tend to become overly dependent on a single person for all of their needs being met, including those very important socialization needs. You never know when you may end up hospitalized or have to leave town on short notice due to a family emergency.

Even if you have a bad case of the flu and can't get out of bed, this solo glider is highly prone to depression with behavior disorders that can escalate into its early demise. I truly hate to be morbid, but single kept gliders become overly dependent on their primary caretaker, and that person's absence often spells trouble for the innocent little critter. What kind of trouble? Specific behavior patterns we hear about are refusal to eat (leading to death by starvation), over-grooming to the point of self mutilation and a couple of reported cases where the sugar gliders basically committed suicide by disembowelment.

What often happens is that people experience some lifestyle change that makes the relationship with a single sugar glider no longer feasible on a several hour per day commitment. And introducing older single gliders to new companions later in life can be challenging. I think, given enough time away from other gliders, some gliders lose a true sense of their own nature. As social as gliders are, they are also territorial, so getting a companion later in life may not work out. This is a distinct possibility and one that should be considered when the animal is still young.

Fact is, keeping two or more gliders is no more difficult than keeping one. I actually believe that keeping multiple gliders is a lot easier. If they have a large cage, toys for stimulation and each other, they can be quite happy. I don't feel guilty if I can't spend several hours with mine because I know they have each other.

I often get told by keepers of single gliders that they know their glider is happy. But my question to that is "How do you know?" What do you have to compare it with? If you are not familiar with a normal, well adjusted glider's behavior patterns, activity levels and food consumption levels, it is a really hard argument to make about an animal's happiness and contentment.

Even those people who are able to spend many hours daily with their pet, the solo sugar glider is not able to snuggle up with another glider and be part of that orderly tangle of fur and tails. I have strong feelings that this part of nurture is integral to their nature.

Several years ago I found real peace in my position on gliders being kept as solo pets. Mother Nature created these animals as colony dwellers, to live and play and forage amongst their own. Who am I to tell Mother Nature she did it wrong and we can do it better? When it comes to placing our joeys in new homes, we let Mother Nature remain the boss on this topic. We will not sell single sugar gliders unless the family already has at least one glider and is prepared to properly introduce them into a colony.

I have said this before, but it is worth repeating. Keeping exotic pets is a privilege we have, not a right. And if we choose to exercise this privilege, we should do so in a way that honors the animals' true nature. In other words, it is inadvisable to try and make them into something they are not. The risk for depression and behavior disorders is too high and it is unfair to their needs as they were created. The analogy of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole fits well here.

The first issue to consider is whether or not a sugar glider as fits well into your lifestyle and expectations. It is ultimately important to us that our gliders become part of good homes and you should be quite certain that you want to be owned by a sugar glider before making the commitment. Our customers very much appreciate the time we take to teach them good sugar glider care.

Just because a sugar glider is similar in body size to a hamster and other small rodents, please don't be mistaken that its needs are similar. Many people are attracted to the sugar glider because of their exceptional good looks. If you can feel comfortable with the following list of issues, then you are very likely to have no problems becoming a successful member of some sugar gliders' family.

A sugar glider can live up to 12-14 years. The commitment to a sugar glider equals that of dogs and cats. Can you commit to provide the best care for that long?

A sugar glider needs to be fed fresh meals daily. It only takes a few minutes a day. Do you have the time to attend properly to their nutritional needs?

Sugar glider cages need to be cleaned once or twice a week, depending on how large the cage is; do you have the time to attend properly to their hygiene needs?

Are you aware that the sugar glider is nocturnal? You can play with them and handle them during the day, but they will be up playing most of the night.

Do you have enough room to provide a reasonably large cage for your sugar glider and can you afford to purchase them a variety of toys to stimulate their clever little minds?

A sugar glider does not make a suitable pet for young children. Are you willing to supervise constantly while a child is holding a glider?

Sugar gliders are extremely social creatures. If you cannot afford to purchase two (same sex together is OK), can you commit 2-3 hours daily to spend time with your glider?

Are sugar gliders legal in your state?

Do you have someone to glider-sit when you go out of town?

Do you have a veterinarian lined up who is experienced with sugar gliders and do the vet bills fit in your budget?

How will your other pets respond to having a sugar glider in the house, and what will you do about it?

Do you have allergies to animal fur?

If you are comfortable with the answers to these questions, then
congratulations, welcome into the world of the sugar glider.