Contact Tina and Don of Granite State Gliders at mail@granitestategliders.com

They should be able to help you find a good home.

I have two neutered males that are under 7 months old. I want them to go to a better home that will have more time to spend playing with them. I feel they need a lot more attention and room to play then they are getting with us. I am looking for an experienced owner who knows what they require for care and are committed to the well-being of these babies. Preferably a home without young children.

We at Granite State Gliders would like to wish you and your furry families a wonderful day!

Each experience is different. I know a couple people who's gliders bonded in less than a week.

I would say if you put the time in, follow Tina's advice, and spend lots of time with them, (even if they are just sleeping in a pouch under your shirt) you should be on schedule for bonding quickly.

It's really up to you and how much time you put in.

Thanks!I am just really worried about bonding with them and how long it will take, I'm getting them in August, and I was wondering if the sugar gliders will be pretty much bonded to me by the end of August?

Rosie,

I got my first one, Foster, from a different company, and he was already several months old, which makes the bonding process harder. That said, I'd say it took 6 months with Foster.

Now, we got Hazel from GSG about 3 weeks ago and the experience is completely different! Hazel is still in the bonding process, but she is leaps and bounds ahead of where Foster was at this point. It's 3 weeks in and my wife and I can pick Hazel up and handle her with no crabbing or issues at all.

The difference really is the personal attention that Tina and Don give to each little Joey as they are getting ready to go to their forever homes.

Oh they are just adorable! Thank you for clearing up some things for me. How long did it take you to bond with your sugar gliders?

Jerry Cindy Goodman

If you ever decide to get a sugar glider as a pet, dont hesitate to visit Tina at gsg. She is the most knowledgeable and caring person you could ever meet. I bought my first glider from pocket pets ( i know. I didnt know any better) i got my second one from Gsg, and i will get another one soon. The difference is immeasurable, the bonding was amazing with my gsg glider compared to months of intensive bonding attempts with the pocket pet glider. Tina, you are amazing, and i treasure you as a friend for life!

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Nancy Comstock

Tina knows her stuff! I would recommend her to anyone looking for gliders!

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Michael Bachler

The lady is very nice. The stor is also very nice. the prices are just right.

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Steve Bucknam

After making the wrong choice in where to get my first glider, I met Tina at GSG and I'll be a loyal customer for life! Their products are top notch, their service is unsurpassed, and they dedicate themselves to healthy gliders everywhere!

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Keith S. Campbell Jr.

I would highly recommend granite state gliders to anyone looking to purchase a sugar glider. Not only for their high quality, but also for all the help you get, before and after the sale. Everything you need to know is explained, all the supplies needed are available for purchase, and they have very reasonable prices.

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Steve Bucknam

Just another recommendation for Granite State Gliders! We've brought our new family member, "Hazel" home from GSG recently. She's such a great addition to our family! We were REALLY impressed by GSG's process of introducing us to our new baby. We had 1 appointment a week for a month getting to know little Hazel as she grew stronger and got ready to come home with us. I couldn't ask for a better contact in the Glider world than Tina at GSG!

Give them a call and explain your situation. You're still a GSG customer even though you got Stitch from a friend. Maybe they'll still extend the discount.

Sadly we did not get him from GSG.

The maple smell is new to me but I guess there are worse things he could smell of!

As for the vet, we recommend Plaistow/Kingston Animal Medical Center. They offer a 10% discount for Granite State Gliders customers. Give Tell them the code "Exotic" to receive the discount

Right now I follow GSG's diet. He gets one fruit or veggie and then pellets. 1/4th pellets to 3/4ths fruit.

What he was offered before was only yogert, baby food and pea's and carrots. Very little else but that was weeks ago. He's eating like a fiend now. But still has a fairly strong scent.

We want to get him fixed but right now we have to wait until we can find a vet that will do it for a reasonable price. I admitly haven't had a lot of time for looking up phone numbers and such. But the room that he's in always smells of 'must' and most often maple sugar now. =\

DJ and I got our two gliders Momo and Budo from Tina just under a year ago and it's the best decision we've ever made! WE LOVE our two little goofballs and they provide us with endless entertainment =).

We carry them around with us whenever we aren't working in one pouch or another, and often times while we're at home just chilling we'll bring them out and just snuggle under a blanket ^^. We let them run around our apartment and play games for about 2 or 3 hours a night before heading to bed and make sure they have fresh water, fruits/veggies and usually a glider biscuit or some leadbeaters (both of which they LOVE) soaked in apple juice or mixed in apple sauce.

As far as cleaning their cage goes, usually just wiping out the bottom pan and replacing some clean paper towels 2 or 3 times a week does the trick. Occasionally we'll drag the whole cage into the shower and give it a good scrub down, but overall, as far as smell is concerned, they are pretty clean (and I've had ALOT of different types of animals).

By far our favorite part though is just spending time with these little guys! They truly WANT to be with you! If ever someone gets up to walk to another room wherever they are they usually come running and jump onto your shoulder to go along for the ride ^^. They especially love coming into the kitchen with me and watching as I try to cut up their food (occasionally they like to sneak bites before I can even get it into their bowl!).

Most commonly we'll leave them in their pouch when we take them out during the day, and we'll just leave our hand in there with them and they'll snuggle right up and hold on to our fingers making it almost impossible to pull our hands back out again without dragging them out too ^^.

They are also especially smart little buggers, always trying to find something new to amuse themselves with, be it the inside of your ear or a random piece of whatever the had been swept aside into a forgotten corner. We bought a rope and strung it through and old DVD rack for them to run along, and for several nights they made it their goal to untie the notes and unravel the rope!

Some nights when they are especially energetic they'll just run laps around the apartment hoping and jumping in every which direction, if the both of us are standing in a room they'll make a game of jumping from one person to the other, sometimes having to avoid the other glider in mid air ^^.

They also make a variety of noises, mostly just chatting with each other as they're waking up and/or grooming (yes we are often included in the ritual wake up grooming ^^). Some nights (when they aren't particularly happy with their dinner, or if they feel they didn't get enough attention) they'll actually call for us making these tiny, squeaky, little barks which usually a quick "hey guys we're trying to sleep go back to bed" will quiet down.

Overall we LOVE our little gliders and we look forward to coming home to them every day =) and Tina has been FANTASTIC in answering ALL of our questions and making sure we know how to take care of our new additions and how best to keep them happy and healthy. Not to mention the store has everything we could ever need and Tina has everything shipped out for us within hours! We're convinced there's no better place to go and she has given us to amazing little gliders =).

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/428052_3151025967919_1033210568_3135644_475293425_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/419627_2950630958169_1033210568_3053306_783824338_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/382705_2630755521483_1033210568_2902898_172229368_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/377893_2814256828901_1033210568_2999848_190112596_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/216312_1882981427598_1033210568_2185255_2813242_n.jpg <~baby pic ^^

The above post is from Tina and Don of Granite State Gliders. Here is my experience!

I have 2 cats, "Crash" and "Elsie". Crash is deaf and sometimes that makes him a little skittish. Elsie is her own girl and LOVES playing with toy mice. Both Crash and Elsie also enjoy watching our gliders, Foster and Hazel, while they play in their cage.

However, when our gliders are out, and we are playing with them, the cats like to watch, but they don't try to "hunt" or even play with them. They like to watch, and there have been several times where they have been within inches of each other, checking each other out, with no issues. If anything, our cats are a little intimidated by our glider Foster, because he's not afraid of anything and he wants to be friends with the cats!

Twice now, Foster has climbed up onto crash's back (something gliders do to each other), while trying to smell him and (I think) accept him into the colony. Each time, Crash has been a bit uncomfortable and eventually ran off, but it's getting better, and I really think it wont be too much longer before Foster and Crash are napping together.

As always, we keep a watchful eye, but our cats and gliders have lived happily together for quite some time now.

Gliders have practically no fear of most land-dwelling creatures. Because gliders are in no way related to rodents, they do not instinctively smell like prey to other household pets. However, exercise caution. No one knows your pets better than you do. Use good judgement. Do not simply take it for granted that your pets will get along with a glider.

Granite State Glider history:

We have a golden retriever named Brady. He has been in our family for 5 years now and we got him as a puppy. He has been around gliders all his life and absolutely loves them. The same can be said for our gliders. It is not uncommon for the gliders to hop on and go for a Brady rides around the house from time-to-time.

We had, up until recently, a coatimundi named Mendelson. Mendelson took great interest in our gliders and although we never fully trusted him to be alone with the gliders, he never expressed any interest in harming them.

Most recently we have had a stray cat that frequents our front porch. Well, to make a very long story short, one rainy day Tina felt bad for the cat, let him in the house (he turned out to be a she), fed him, and the rest is history. She liked it so much in our home that she proceeded to slice a convenient opening thru the front screen so she could make herself at home whenever she felt the need. Well, after a bath and trip to the vet, she is now another proud member of the White house! She loves hunting, fills our driveway with dead mice, but again has made herself at home with the gliders. She is intrigued with the gliders but has not expressed any interest in “hunting” them or doing them harm.

Although all of our stories are success stories, just remember all pets have their own dispositions and each case is different.　 Use judgement when introducing other pets to gliders. Monitor them closely, take it slow, and let them get accustomed to each other over time

We have had customers who were allergic to every animal in the book, came in to visit and handle sugar gliders, and had absolutely no reaction what-so-ever. They purchased gliders and have been proud glider owners for years with no adverse reaction to them. However, most recently we did have a customer visit us and she did have an obvious reaction to gliders. All we can say for sure is not all situations are the same, most all allergies differ from one another, and each individual is different as well. Of the 20 or so customers that had severe reactions to pets in general, only the most recent customer's allergy pertained to gliders as well.

If you do have reactions to pets in general and are concerned that you would also have a reaction to gliders, feel free to come visit, sit and handle our joeys, and decide for yourself.

Sugar Gliders make wonderful pets. Gliders were first introduced to the United States approx. 15 years ago and have been rapidly growing in popularity since being showcased on programs such as Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel. Gliders adapt well in captivity and perhaps their greatest feature is how they develop such strong relational bonds with their owners. They are communal animals by nature that crave attention. How close your newly adopted pet bonds to you will depend on the time you spend together. A minimum of 2 hours a day is recommended but more time is always better. Less time is required if you have a pair that can keep each other company. It is important to note that a sugar glider is not a hamster, or a fish, or anything else with a relatively short life span. They have been known to live up to 12 years in captivity. With proper food, shelter, and companionship your pet will live a long and happy life.

Probably the most interesting quality that separates Sugar Gliders from any other small pet is how deeply they bond with their owners. Once bonded, these adorable pets can be carried almost anywhere in pockets. Since they are instinctively inclined to be near their “families”, they make excellent pets for senior citizens and even handicapped individuals who appreciate a loving and affectionate companion

Sugar gliders are also referred to as “pocket pets”. They are extremely intelligent, loyal, inquisitive, and love to play. Once bonded, you can simply put your glider in your shirt pocket and take them anywhere with you without the need for a leash.

Q: Should I keep more than one Sugar Glider?

A: It is preferable to keep more than one glider together. In the wild, gliders are community animals and they seem to be much healthier and happier while in groups in captivity. Gliders readily adapt to one another’s presence and will quickly become best of friends. Because sugar gliders are nocturnal it is recommended to have at least a pair so they can play together and keep each other company during their active night hours.

If the gliders are young, there should be no problems introducing them. However, there are precautions to take when introducing two older gliders together, especially if they are the same sex.　Please contact us for further information and recommendations. You can also view the following video with an example of older glider introductions: Video

Before introduction, be sure the cage and all accessories are thoroughly cleaned beforehand to remove any scent from the gliders

Q: How important is it to get more than one glider?

A: This depends almost entirely on how much time your (and your family/household members) will be spending with the Sugar Glider and the emotional makeup of your glider. Gliders are social animals and need interaction or they can grow lonely, get depressed, and even become sick. People that spend a minimum of two hours a day or more interacting with a single glider outside of the cage normally have wonderful healthy and happy single gliders. If you can’t dedicate at least that much time　with your glider on a consistent basis we strongly recommend getting a pair to keep each other company.

Q: Do Gliders Make Good Pets?

A: Yes and no. It depends entirely on you.　

Gliders adapt well to people and develop strong relational bonds with their owners. However, gliders can live 12-15 years in captivity. They are a long-term commitment, not a part time hobby. If you have the time, want an animal that is small and will become your best friend,　then a glider is for you.

If you expect to be a world traveler, if you are rarely home, or if it seems there are already not enough hours in the day, then a glider is most likely not for you.

Q: Do Sugar Gliders Make good pets for Kids?

A: Gliders require some special attention and generally require a little more responsibility than young children can give. Gliders for a family with young children are wonderful as long as Mom or Dad oversee the care and handling. If you are considering a glider for a child (even a teenager) it is imperative the child is very responsible and is willing and able to make a long-term commitment

Q: What is better? Males or females?

A: Sugar gliders do not exhibit any gender differences like many other household pets and typically have equally sweet dispositions, regardless of sex. Neither male nor female will exhibit any sort of aggressive behavior as they age.

The two most noticeable differences are males will typically mark their territory and females will go into heat 1-3 times per year.

Marking has a slight musky scent. The extent depends in large part on diet.

There is no noticeable spotting or odor when a female is in heat.

Just like most other pets some people prefer to have males. Some people prefer females. It is entirely up to you.

Temperature:

64-75F. Can cope with occasional temperatures up to 88F but not over, and not prolonged. Avoid locating their housing in direct sunlight, next to a heater, drafts, or cooling ventilation.

Cage requirements

Before you buy any cage, you should consider the following: food placement, bedding, shelter, and exercise area. Make sure food holders are large enough to keep food in but too small for your pet to sit in and possibly soil the food as they eat. Always replace perishable items on a daily basis. Sugar Gliders also need a nest box or pouch to sleep in during the day and protect them from the sunlight. This is important since prolonged exposure to sunlight can kill a Sugar Glider. If you mount the nest box up high in the cage, make sure there is room for your pet to climb on top of it. Make sure that bedding material is natural and doesn't pose a threat to your pet. Your Sugar Glider should have a cage that will allow plenty of room for exercise. The wire spacing should be no more than 1/2"x1.　 We recommend a minimum cage sixe of 24x24x36” high.　 Wire should be stainless powder coated, PVC coated, or high grade epoxy coated for ease of cleaning and to avoid zinc poisoning. There should be a wire bottom with catch pan to allow droppings to fall through.
http://www.granitestategliders.com/cages/

Pouch:

Sugar gliders have tiny, sharp claws that can easily get caught on cheap fabric and threads. Loose threads can also get caught and wrap around their tiny paws. If this happens it will quickly cut circulation and could possible lead to death. Pouches are an important accessory, pretty much a necessity, in your gliders cage. They should be made of high quality, non-balling polar fleece with double layered fabric so that all the stitching is between the two layers and not accessible to a gliders claws. Many of the inexpensive and even more expensive pouches currently available on-line are single layered, single stitched, low quality polar fleece with inexpensive hanging clips that rust after a wash or two. Even pouches advertised as “glider safe” are not all that safe. Do not cut any corners when choosing a pouch.
http://www.granitestategliders.com/polar-fleece-pouches-accessories/

Cage Substrate:

Paper Towels, Carefresh litter, Aspenwood, or Fir. NEVER use pine or cedar chips as a waste substrate.

Toys:

Sugar Gliders have a natural need to play. Visit our store for a nice assortment of sugar glider toys.
http://www.granitestategliders.com/playtime-toys/

Exercise wheel:

Equally important as choosing a high quality pouch. Use caution when purchasing an exercise wheel. Hamster wheels are unacceptable because gliders claws and tails can easily get caught in them. Wodent Wheel is the recommended wheel of choice for gliders. Ensure it has the gliderproof sleeve covering the inside bar of the wheel.
http://www.granitestategliders.com/wodent-wheel-sr/

Branches:

Washable bendable plastic branches are best.
Here is an example of a bendable washable "branch"
http://www.granitestategliders.com/c-cable-perch-36/
•BEST: Eucalyptus, Banksias, Leptospermum, Grevillea, Acacia, Melaleuca, Callistemum, Hakea
•TOXIC: Almond, Apricot, Black Walnut, Cherry, Peach

Gliders and Plants:

Please download our Toxic Plant document with a listing of plants that are potentially dangerous to gliders.
http://www.granitestategliders.com/template/toxic-plants.doc

Gliderproofing:

Gliders cannot swim, gliders will get into tight dark places, and gliders seek heights such as curtains, beams and stairs. If your gliders get lost, do not panic. They will seek out a dark place to sleep. Put their pouch in the room where they were lost. Chances are they will be sleeping in it in the morning. If not, check shoes or any other dark hollow places. This has happened to us twice. The first time we found the glider sleeping in the bottom of a shoe. The second time we found the glider inside an empty roll of toilet paper. The easiest approach is to shake things. When the glider gets alarmed it will usually crab and give away its hiding spot.

Q: Can Sugar Gliders have free roam of your house?

A: Gliders can roam the house but　should never be left unattended. They can and will chew on some furniture and love to climb up drapes. They can be left out of their cage, they just need to be watched. When a glider tires of being out of their cage they will generally return on their own.　 GLIDERS CANNOT SWIM so be wary of open water and toilets. I guess our wives were right all along after all! Leave the toilet seat down!

Q: Can sugar gliders be "potty" trained?

A: Everything you read would suggest that gliders cannot be trained.　 However, we have a customer that really was able to train their glider to go in a litter box!　 We have not　tried this ourselves but we　will be more than happy to　share their secret if you drop us an email and ask.

That said, gliders are quite predictable though. Similar to humans (and probably every other creature in the animal world! lol) the first thing a glider will want to do when they wake is to hit the bathroom. If your gliders are sleeping, remove them from their sleeping pouch and put them on the side of the cage. Within 5 minutes they will completely relieve themselves. They can be handled after this time with little chance of being soiled on.

Sugar Gliders can be peculiar about what they eat. They may be willing to accept a certain food for a few days and then refuse it for weeks. The following week they may eat the food item again. The bottom line is that they each have their own personality and tastes. It will just take time to find out what your gliders like and dislike.

There are a multitude of recommendations, information, and misinformation available just about anywhere you look on the internet. We can only tell you what we have found is best for our gliders, the diet we stick to, the diet our joeys are used to, and what we suggest and recommend. Our gliders have never had any adverse health issues on this diet and we’ve been doing this for a very long time now.

We have found that food is not only a source of nourishment for your glider, it is also a source of entertainment. Just like you would not like ramen noodles every day, gliders do not enjoy, say, pellets every day. Just remember variation is key. Gliders should be fed once daily in the late afternoon or dusk. Glider pellets and fresh water should also be made available daily.

Diet

We recommend a 75% fruit and vegetables - 25% protein diet - with a low fat intake. Fresh water source available daily. You need to keep a glider’s fat intake to a minimum. Too much fat can result in serious health problems.

Vitamins D1, D3, and calcium are important to a gliders health, but all 3 are readily available with either the Leadbeaters recipe or suppliments. Both are readily available in our on-line store and ship USPS Priority Mail.

Click this link to view and print GSGs recommended 3-part feeding schedule reference guide. It lists all acceptable fruits, vegetables, and protein sources. It also includes a list of foods to avoid feeding your gliders.

http://www.granitestategliders.com/template/feeding-schedule.doc

Treats

There are many different type of treats available that are commercially available now. Many are very good and have been tested, some have not. Ensure the treats you provide are free of additives and preservatives. Keep treats to an absolute minimum. 2 yogurt drops per day per glider, or a single mealworm per day per glider. You get the idea. Less is more when it comes to glider treats.

TIP
•Always wash your hands after feeding gliders mealworms. If the scent remains on your fingers a glider will mistake it for a mealworm and deliver a nice little chomp to your finger!

So you decided to get a Sugar Glider and have just brought them home, now what? Where do you begin? Everything is going to be strange and new to your Sugar Glider. He has just been whisked away from everything he knew and thrust into a brand new home with new sights, sounds, and scents. Keeping this in mind, we suggest you place an unwashed piece of shirt with your scent in the sleeping pouch and leave them alone for the night. No traffic, no oohs and aahs, no loud noises. Just let them be for the night. Do not try to force the issue.

The next day, during the day, remove the pouch from the cage and carry it with you. Gently rub the outside of the pouch where the glider is sleeping. Talk to him in a soft voice so he becomes accustomed to your voice as well as scent. After a half hour you can slowly reach into the pouch and gently scratch your glider on the back of the head between the ears. Keep talking softly. Don’t be surprised if you hear a crab. Don’t be scared. Don’t show fear and pull your hand away, even if you get nipped. It does not hurt. Stick to it. DO NOT GIVE UP. The more time you spend with your gliders from day 1, the quicker and smoother the bonding process will be. Your glider will quickly gain trust in you and be comfortable with your presence. If you show fear, get scared, or become apprehensive, your glider will sense it and the bonding time will be greatly extended.

When the gliders come out of the pouch at night hand feed your pet some treats he may enjoy (ie. sliced grapes, yogurt drops, or a mealworm). When your glider is eating a treat, talk to your glider, scratch the back of his neck behind the ears, let him get acquainted with you and trust you. Once your glider has gained your trust you can slowly introduce more and more people, using the same approach.

We realize it is not always practical because we have had people drive 8 hours for their granitestateglider, but we always recommend our customers come visit their new joeys at least a time or two before weaning. By the time they are fully weaned the bonding process has already long begun with their new owners and it makes the transition to their new homes easier because the gliders already have recognizable scents and sounds.

Bonding is a process that can be different for every animal. You may hear many stories of one glider bonding within a few days and another that took several months. Generally, hand-raised babies will bond much quicker with their new owners than joeys that are not handled daily. Shipped joeys generally take much longer to bond with, usually lasting months instead of days. The bonding process does require time but it is a small investment in return for years of companionship and love!

TIPS
•Always clean hands with plain water or unscented soap before handling gliders
•Speak in a soft tone. A loud voice will frighten your joey
•Do not overwhelm your glider with lots of people all at once

Barberians,

Thanks for your question!

The most common cause of glider smell is their diet, but in this case, I believe your issue is the fact that your little guy is not neutered.

The "musk" or "funk" of the male gliders is strongest when they are in bloom scent-wise. Their scent glands (head, chest, cloaca) are charged-up by the testosterone created by their male parts. This is normal and this scent is used to scent mark their colony members and also used to rub on the females in a precursor to mating. This smell goes away when you neuter males because the neutering stops the manufacture of testosterone.

As for the Maple scent, that one is new to me, but not the glider experts that Tina and Don at GSG are.

You mentioned a diet change, what was he eating before? Usually a scent caused by diet is very hard to get rid of, if not impossible, even after a diet change.

I hope that helps!

Very strange question.

My glider Stitch has gone through a transition of diet over the last couple of weeks. At first he smelled a little bit and then he started smelling super musty (he's unfixed too) and today he oddly smells strongly of maple sugar?!

So odd! Any reason this would be caused? He always smells super musty to me (not as much to my husband husband says he hardly ever smells anything from me I'm super sensitive to smell though) but today is so deeply maple.

He gets some sort of fruit or veggie every night and either glider pellets or a bisket or glider ade. What would cause the smell?

Welcome Mason!

Thanks for visiting us!

The forum is brand new and not well advertised yet, but we're working on it.

I stumbled across my lil buddy 3 weeks ago and instantly fell in love.

He chills with me pretty much all day (I do parts delivery so he just chills with me in his pouch or in my jacket all day)

He's 6 months old and just starting to really bond to me, so he's more adventurous and jumpy now.

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff430/naSTi06x/IMAG0724.jpg

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff430/naSTi06x/IMAG0728.jpg

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http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff430/naSTi06x/IMAG0707.jpg

Thanks for sharing your experience!!!

It was a similar experience that made me a GSG customer for life! Tina and Don are beyond helpful and they truly do have our glider's best interests and health at heart!

Thanks for using the forum!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask and we'll do our best to answer anything you need.

Steve

We got a sugar glider from a friend and we were very worried about him. We called up GSG and they welcomed us in on short notice and educated us on all that we needed to know and looked him over for us too. They were so helpful and kind! Absolutely couldn't have asked for better people to guild us with our new addition. They were super sweet and amazing with our little guy and then amazing with us as well making sure we were educated on how to feed and care for him and all the things we would need for him.

We were thrilled after leaving them. We will be customers forever! We thank you so much GSG's for all the help that you gave us!! You will see us again soon!

Stitch is very happy in his cage now! Lots of room for him compared to what he had! He's eating up all the good stuff that we got from you and he's loving the wheel the absolute most! The second night after we got it he didn't even come out of his pouch I'm pretty sure he ran himself sore! LOL. But he's back to it now. Again thank you so so much!

Jerry,

Yes he's our only one right now but we are picking up a female in the next couple of weeks from Granite State Gliders. We've met her several times and we're excited to get Hazel home with us.

A couple things about that "other company" is that they sell the "starter kit" cage and claim it's perfectly sized for 2 full grown gliders, and they also say all of their gliders are 8-10 weeks old when they are sold.

I can say from experience now that the cage part is totally false and the age part is a crap shoot. I've discovered after seeing lots of actual verified 8-10 week old gliders, that mine and several that they were selling that day were much older than that, so I don't really know how old he is now. I do know though, that he's fully grown now.

I now have a cage that is literally 4 times bigger than the "starter cage" I got from the "other company", and I honestly want to give him even more space! He runs around and plays MUCH more now than he ever did in that little cage.

I do a lot of research and I take everything with a grain of salt. I do use some of the techniques from that company but after meeting Tina at GSG I will trust her knowledge over anything. She truly is concerned about the health and wellbeing of our little fuzzy buddies.

Thanks for your post!

I've had my male for about 8 months now and my wife is getting a female in the next couple of weeks.

I'd be happy to answer any specific questions any of you have in regards to my own personal experience with my glider!

I can say that the bonding process for my glider took some time, but now that he's bonded to me it's a very rewarding experience.

OP, what advice are you looking for?

As for whether they need to be in pairs or can be single, I'l say this. I wish I had gotten a pair to start with. I honestly believe it's better for them.

Thanks for your posts!

I got mine from the same company. I swear, half the internet thinks those guys are the devil incarnate and the other half swears they're amazing professionals who know everything you need to know.

Your story doesn't sound so bad, I mean honestly a little hand injury on one of these fellas seems like something easy to miss until it's getting the 1 on 1 attention of a loving home. Other than that your little guy was healthy and happy, good temperment, doing fine even though he's your only one so far?

Well, I've only owned my glider for two days, so the only piece of advice I can give is this:

You'll love it. :)

Now, whether that love comes with lots of pain and struggle, I have no idea. There's SOOO much contradictory information out there about gliders, I'm very confused and unsure about how to seperate the fact from the fiction of it all. So far, here are the very few things that seem universally agreed upon by all these glider "factions" out there:

1. Taking the glider around in a bonding pouch will help acclimate it to your scent and bond it to you faster when you first get it.

2. Glider diet should be a mix of protein and fruits/vegetables (there is a LOT of disagreement of just how much and what sources of each - some insist you have to feed them live food, some insist that modern day dry food is more than sufficient, some say no more than 25% fruits/veges, some say as high as 75% fruits/veges - this is kinda the biggest stress for me right now because I don't know what the heck I'm doing feeding it)

3. Gliders make this cute "crabbing" noise when they're scared. Humans should ignore this noise and basically take a "get over it" approach with the glider, much like one would just proceed to do whatever was necessary with a scared human toddler regardless of it's wailing.

4. A "properly cared for glider" should live 12-15 years. (Each then goes on to describe a "proper" care method that the next site over insists is potentially lethal to the little guy)

Those are the only undisputed facts I've found. Everything else from toy selection to whether they need a second glider to be truly happy to how to get them to interact with cats/dogs is all HOTLY contested stuff. Sadly it's all from glider sellers - other glider owners don't seem to have anything to say besides how much they love their gliders. :) Maybe the little things are just resilient enough that no matter which strategy you follow, as long as it's consistent, they'll adapt. That's my hope anyway. :)

I want to get a sugar Glider but need some advice from people who already have a glider

AJ,

I'm glad we were able to answer your question! Please continue to look to this forum for help as we grow it into a large local glider owner community!

Depending on where you are in the state, there are a very few other vets who see and treat gliders, but Plaistow/Kingston Animal Medical Center has been our vet of choice because of their location, qualifications, and the discount they offer our customers.

Hi!

We all want to see your super cute Gliders, so lets get some pics up.

What you need is to have your pictures online, either on a photo hosting service or even on facebook.

If you have your pics on a photo hosting service, you simply copy the "direct image link" from the service (like photobucket), and you paste that link here into your post.

Now, to make it a clickable link, you need to add two "backtick" characters. A backtick is the character that looks like an apostrophe, but you'll find it on your keyboard, it's on the key just to the left of the number 1. You place 1 mark in front of your picture link, and 1 after it.

Like this, only remove the spaces between ` and the link: (it works with or without the spaces)
` https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/400559_10150516753758950_516293949_8744352_430379977_n.jpg '

If your pictures are on facebook, it's still very simple, but there is an extra step. You open the picture you want to share from Facebook. Then "right click" on the picture and choose "Properties". In properties, you'll see a section called "Address (URL)" with something that looks like my link above. You highlight and copy that address, then post it here using the same method as above.

Feel free to ask me if you need help!

Hi!

I've been interested in Gliders for quite a while now, but never knew where to find them or if I would actually want one or more once I saw them in person.

Well sure enough, I happened across a certain group who periodically sells gliders in local malls. I got to see gliders in person and then fell in love. I went home and researched gliders even harder, and discussed them with my wife, and in our excitement, we didn't research the COMPANY selling them, just the animals themselves.

We ended up purchasing a single neutered male Joey and a "starter kit" that came with a small cage and some food and vitamins. We had a hard time in the early bonding process because Foster had a problem with his right front hand and we were very sensitive about hurting him.

A trip to the vet and some xrays were inconclusive. We were told he could have a fracture or it could just be sprained, but we were given liquid anti-inflamitory medication and a calcium supplement to give him for a few weeks.

Yes, his hand did get better! Foster is now pretty well adjusted and SUPER curious! If you visit the GSG facebook page, you may have seen some of his pictures there field testing GSG Product. I found out about GSG only after our purchase of Foster, and I'll be a loyal customer for life!

So far, we've gotten a much larger cage, a wodent wheel, a perch, a pouch, a toy, and some biscuits. However, we've got a much better purchase coming!

My wife, Lisha, and I, are getting a new female from Tina at GSG soon, and we're so excited to have her! We've visited her a few times and my wife has named her Hazel.

Here are some pics of Foster. Please feel free to post your own!!!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/374931_10150413107918950_516293949_8387102_1049151292_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/400559_10150516753758950_516293949_8744352_430379977_n.jpg

Hi GSG fans!

There are a few things you can add and edit to your user profile here on the GSG Forum. To do this:

Click on your user name in the upper left of the page.

This will bring you to your profile page, where you can add things like your name, location, and your website info.

We look forward to your participation!

Thanks,

Steve