Sugar Glider Care

Gliders are omnivorous so feeding them a healthy variety isn't too tough to accomplish.  I don't follow a set weekly receipe when feeding mine but each week I feed them fresh fruits, vegetables, baby cereal, meat, eggs and the occasional treat like a bite off of a  muffin.  I feed meat or baby ceral twice per week sometimes, three times depending on what jar I grab off the shelf first.  The rest of the week I split up the fruits and veggies pretty much evenly.  When I make the baby  cereal I use fruit juice or water added to the dry cereal with around a teaspoon (not measured just guessed) of Nekton-Lori.  For the people not familiar with birds Nekton-Lori is basically a dried nectar formula used to feed lories.  Gliders although omnivorous do need a pretty high nectar/fruit intake compared to the protein intake of the meats etc.  The Nekton-Lori is a very important part of the diet and should be given at least twice per week.

What I do is give the cereal with Nekton-Lori in it at least once every week and if I don't feed cereal again I mix it in some fruit babyfood or sprinkle it on the fruits and veggies.  Gliders love NeKton-Lori and will eat it like candy.  Each morning our gliders share breakfast with my wife, either scrambled egg or some banana nut muffin.  Our gliders eat about one full large sized babyfood jar of food  per day.  Having only one pair this is a great source of fresh totally healthy food choices for them and cost is about $0.50 to $0.75 per day for the pair.  Like I said be creative.  Our gliders love variety and eat sandwich meat, Honey Bunches of Oates, and cheese among other things.  Pretty much if it is good for you it's ok for them.  I would avoid oily, spicy foods though,  I always give my gliders plain food.

Where housing is concerned make sure the spacing on the cage bars is small enough as gliders can squeeze through some pretty small gaps.  Give them bird toys to stimulate their interest  including swings which they love to play on.    They also benefit from  the exercise and fun provided by a large hamster wheel. Be sure to get a 12 to 14 inch wheel so that it is large enough they will not catch their tails in it.  They will also need a water bottle and a cup for fresh juice and also one for food.  I do not let my gliders have the run of the house.  Some people do this but in my experience, just like the people who like to take their unclipped Blue & Gold Macaw outside, letting your glider run loose is an accident waiting to happen.  There are simply too many dangerous things around the house for someone to effectively glider proof it.  Another very important warning is to keep them away from water.  Apparantly from what I have read on of the most common glider fatalaties is the combination of an inattentive owner and an open toilet.  Gliders do not need to get wet and they do not swim.  If they get in the water they will most certainly drown.  Keep gliders away from water, stovetops, other pets, and anything else that they can jump onto or into and get hurt.  A little prevention and common sense goes a long way towards keeping your glider healthy and safe.  I do not mean to imply that one should not give their glider adequate time out of the cage, just don't let them go unsupervised.  On the glider pages I have visited  there are many stories of life ending accidents in and out of hte home.  So far all of these deaths I have read of could have been prevented by simply being aware of the dangers around and paying attention to ones surroundings.  When I read about a glider getting flushed down the toilet or jumping into the deep fryer, I can't help but think of the terrible preventable waste of one of the most fantastic animals in the world. A glider is a curious and energetic animal by nature.  Not unlike a small child.  You wouldn't let your child play in the yard alone unsupervised so don't let your glider either.

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