By Otto Rodríguez
PetLifePro.com
Have you ever wanted to have a kangaroo as a pet? The truth is that unless you own a large piece of land and have a very special permit it’s impossible to have one.
But you surely can have a kangaroo or a koala cousin as a pet. Indeed, sugar gliders, contrary to popular belief, are not rodents but marsupials, just like kangaroos. And they can be as social as a dog or a cat.
The sugar glider is a small, omnivorous, arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass. The common name refers to its preference for sugary foods like sap and nectar and its ability to glide through the air, much like a flying squirrel.
Is it allowed in your State?
Sugar gliders are originally from the rainforests of Australia and Indonesia and have been domestically bred as household pets in the United States for the last 12-15 years, though some states prohibit them.
They like to eat almost anything that is sweet, especially fresh fruit & vegetables and have a gliding membrane (similar to a flying squirrel) that stretches from their wrist to their ankles, allowing them to glide from one tree to another tree.
One of the most unique things about sugar gliders as household pets is how strongly they bond to their human families. Bonding with your glider does not happen overnight. You need to be patient and keep them in your hand for long periods of time, especially when they are babies when they are between eight and twelve weeks old.
Be patient
This bonding process can take anywhere from a few days – to two or three months – and just like human children, and you need to know that no two gliders are exactly the same.
Gliders are so social that when brought into a family setting with children and other pets, they will normally consider everyone, including the pets, to be their “colony”, and will bond to that group for life.
While they bond to every family member, gliders will almost always have a favorite person, usually who holds them the most. They can also be very vocal and loud and bark much like a small dog.
One of the great advantages of owning a glider is that they keep themselves extremely clean and never require bathing.
Sugar gliders can live up to 15 years in captivity. They do need fresh fruit daily and a reasonably larger cage is necessary for their home. Although they do require some work, sugar gliders can make fun, enjoyable, and loving pets.
