Sugar gliders can be good pets. They are lively, inquisitive, playful, and intelligent. Socialized sugar gliders enjoy cuddling and often will curl up in the safety of a shirt pocket. If given lots of attention, they will bond with their owners.

Feeding:

In general, 75% of a sugar glider’s diet should consist of a variety of fruits and vegetables and 25% should be protein.  As previously mentioned, they tend to prefer sweet fruits and veggies. They also very much like treats included in their diet! Here are some examples of appropriate fruits, vegetables, proteins and treats you can feed your sugar glider:

  • Fruits & Vegetables: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, cantaloupe, carrots, cherries, sweet corn, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruit, honeydew, mangoes, oranges, papaya, peaches (*NOT the pits – they’re toxic), pears, pineapples, sweet potatoes, plums & raisins.
  • Proteins: meats (small pieces of cooked lean cuts of turkey, chicken, etc. with no added spices or sauces), hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu & peanut butter.
  • Treats: live insects (crickets, mealworms, earthworms, etc; high in fat and should only be given as treats and not a main part of the diet; **don’t feed insects you collect from outside – may be contaminated with pesticides) & raw and unsalted nuts
  • Sugar gliders can be picky eaters so they don’t always get all of the nutrients they need. Because of this, it is recommended to add supplements, such as a reptile multivitamin or a calcium supplement with D3, to their diet.
  • You should always have fresh water available to your sugar glider, however they get most of their water intake from their food so don’t be alarmed if they are drinking very little.
  • Some sugar glider owners feed their pet once a day at dusk and some twice a day, morning and night. This really depends on your sugar glider’s preference. If they seem hungry again in the morning, you can try giving them a small amount of food in the morning or giving more food in the evening.
  • *** Sugar gliders should NEVER be fed raw sugar, sugar substitutes, candy, or chocolate!

Housing:

A sugar glider’s cage should be as large as possible, the taller the better. They need a lot of room to climb. For one sugar glider, the recommended size is 20″ x 20″ x 30″.  The cage should have wire mesh or metal bars, and they should be close enough together that your tiny glider can’t squeeze through. Their habitat should also be in an area that is not busy in the daytime so that they can sleep. Avoid direct sunlight, but make sure there is enough light in the room to distinguish between night and day. The room should ideally be 15-30 degrees Celsius.

Health:

Some may think a small pocket pet like a sugar glider won’t need to ever go to the vet for a check-up, however there are many potential medical issues a sugar glider can be faced with, including:

  • Calcium deficiency: If your sugar glider does not have a calcium-rich diet, they will show symptoms of lameness, paralysis and difficulty moving. If you think your sugar glider is not receiving enough calcium, you should consider adding in calcium supplements to prevent these symptoms.
  • Constipation & diarrhea: If the diet does not contain enough roughage, you may see a hard, distended stomach, difficulty defecation and hard dry stools. On the other hand, if your sugar glider is stressed, eats too much citrus fruit, or many other causes, you may see diarrhea. Diarrhea is dangerous because sugar gliders can quickly become fatally dehydrated if not treated.
  • Injury: This one is pretty obvious, but common sugar glider injuries include torn claws, open wounds, and broken bones.
  • Parasites: Sugar gliders can get parasites just like a cat or dog, such as ticks, fleas, mites, lice, roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm, etc. If you suspect your sugar glider has a parasite, ask you veterinarian for treatment options.
  • Stress: Sugar gliders can get stressed from a poor diet, an illness, a dirty cage, a cage that is too small or overcrowded, overhandling, loneliness, boredom, excessive heat or cold, and plenty of other possible reasons. Signs that your glider is stressed include loss of appetite, excessive eating, excessive sleeping, and frantically circling the cage.