Information please

[inlovewithanimals]

Hi everyone I was buyying crikets for my reptilesand saw sugar gliders!!!!!I was wondering how much work are sugar gliders and can they be VERY expensive??Just before I bring it up to my parents.

Any info is apreciated,
Justin

[Blackrose]

In my search for a new critter, I read up a lot on Sugar Gliders. I'm not an expert by any means, but from what I've read, Suger Gliders are very needy. They need at least three hours of out of cage time (and as they are nocturnal, generally in the evening), but if you have time during the day they would love to ride around in a bonding pouch.
They also do better in pairs as they are social animals (like rats or ferrets :) ).

They are an "exotic" animal, so they do require a special diet. They need a medium to large cage to have room to run around in. I would imagine they would be on the more expensive side of a smaller animal just because of their diet, cage, toys, etc. Not to mention the price for just the SG.

Here are some links:
General Info (http://www.animalsexotique.com/sugargliders.html)
General Info 2 (http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/sugargliders/a/sgaspets.htm)
Is the Sugar Glider for me? (http://www.sugargliders.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=39) - VERY good link and is what made me decide AGAINST getting a Sugar Glider.

[Argranade]

The most cheap price you can get one for is about $200.

They need a LARGE cage with small bars so they can't escape (Which there pro's at). They have a life span from 15 to 20 years old, they need at least 2 to 4 hours of playtime with there fellow human to keep them happy, which means you would be staying up from about 10 at night till 1 to 2 in the mourning unless you build a HUGE avairy type of cage and have a pair of sugar gliders, this way when your not playing with them they'll have each other. Toys are also needed for your sugar glider to keep them happy.

They eat a speacail smelly diet, a sugar glider will want to make there home smell like themself which means they will spray a scent around the room including on the furniture, floor, beds, clothes ect... there also not potty trained so you'll have some extra washing to do! They need to eat meal worms, you'll have to chop off the heads of the meal worms if there not frozen long enough as they can come back to life biting the sugar glider back. They'll also need a monthly pinky (Baby mouse) at least once a month, hopefuly your sugar glider will take them dead, if not they'll be ripping baby mice apart ALIVE. A sugar glider is a HUGE step for an excotic pet, ALLOT of work and it's 15 to 20 years of work and love, honestly I love them but I'll stick with birds for now. I would advice anyone to THINK before even considering a sugar glider as a pet.

[inlovewithanimals]

I read up on them and decide I have school and can not be up untill 1 or 2 in the morning so I am reseaching guinniea pigs and rabits if anyone has info on them that would also be great!!


Justin

[Argranade]

I'm bored so I'll just keep on typing lol,

I know about rabbits,

They have a life span from 10 to 20 years old, they need a long cage rather than a square shape, they need a diet of good healthy rabbits pellets and timothy hay also don't forget clean water every day. Rabbits also enjoy carrots, apples and other safe foods, a good breed is a lop or a very soft and beautiful Rex altho there are many more breeds. Rabbits can make one of the best pets in the world, they love to play and snuggle with there owners (Most of them anyway depending in the breed). Rabbits can go for outdoor walks wearing a safe harness with there fellow humans in safe areas.

When buying a rabbit make sure the eyes are clear, there's no poop sticking to it's butt, the breathing is good and it's very active and does not mind being petted by you. Rabbits can also enjoy treats that you can buy from pet shops but not too many so your bunny does not get fat lol. To keep your rabbit tame you should get it fixed at 6 months old because if you don't it can start to bite, spray and poop all over... oh I forgot to mention these smart animals are potty trained by nature so it's a very clean pet! :)

Hope this helps.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

They have a life span from 10 to 20 years old I wish that were true. 5-10 years is typical, some do live closer to 15 years though.

they need a long cage rather than a square shape
I've never heard that. I've always had large square cages for my rabbits. Size is much more important than shape, you want as large of a cage as can accommodate.

[Argranade]

I wish that were true. 5-10 years is typical, some do live closer to 15 years though.

I've never heard that. I've always had large square cages for my rabbits. Size is much more important than shape, you want as large of a cage as can accommodate.
Well someone told me they could live up to 30 but I geuss they where wrong. I was told from a rabbit breeder that rectangle shaped cages are better, I geuss a longer shape is just more intresting for a rabbit instead of being in a square that has all the sides looking the same, most of the larger cages I've seen have a long shape anyway but I geuss a square is okay as long as it's big enough. Indeed the bigger the cage the better.

[JuniorxMyxLove]

GUINEA PIGS!!
They poo a lot. They eat a lot. And they are amazingly cute. haha lol. anyways..they need a big ish cage..not too sure. They say it needs to be cleaned everyday but I clean it 2-3 times a week, depending on how stinky it is. They need fresh fruit or veggies daily to give them vitamin C. Timothy hay is also an essential part f their diet, along with guinea pig pellets.
Guinea pigs are lazy. haha they're happy to just sit on or next to you and eat. and eat. and eat. I read somewhere that guinea pigs know when to stop eating so you don't have to worry about overfeeding them (but pepsi and buddy seem to be on a mission to prove that wrong hah). I've also read that you need to give them a bath about once a month. You can use guinea pig shampoo, baby shampoo (thats what i use). Anything else is too harsh for their skin. Plus, you need to provide them with things to chew on to wear their teeth down. umm thats all i can think of atm, but i might add more alter.

OH and you have to clip their nails. hah now THATS a fun job.

But guinea pigs are so sweet! They are much more laid back then hamsters and they won't run away. They're bigger, so they're hard to lose, and they're great buddies to spend an evening with lol. I spend my evenings laying on the dog bed with them in my room listening to classical music (don't ask..it started as a joke but pepsi falls asleep when he's listening to it so i keep playing it lol)

hope i helped!
-melanie

[Karen]

Rabbits do not need a cage - they can be house bunnies, like Miss Hoppy, if you are willing to take the proper steps to bunny-proof your house. She has a cage - it's a two-level ferret cage, actual, and that is where her litter box is. They can be very easy to litter-box train, Miss Hoppy was. She sometimes hangs out on the top level of the cage, which brings her closer to our eye-level.

I have never ever heard of a rabbit living to be 30. The current estimate of lifespan for a well-cared-for indoor rabbit is 8-12 years.

Rabbits should absolutely be spayed or neuetered - that no only helps curb behavior problems that are hormone-driven, but prevents certain cancers, depending on gender.

Rabbits do not need to eat pellets, though many do quite happily. Miss Hoppy has lived on just greens, veggies and hay since we got her.

There is a lot more info on rabbits at http://rabbit.org

And feel free to ask any questions!

[inlovewithanimals]

Thanks everyone for all the information but my parents said NO! to everything!!!!! :mad: no clue why? :confused: lol but I printed out every thing for future refrences!!!

More info is appreciated either way,
Justin :)

[JuniorxMyxLove]

don't worry, my parents said no to getting any more pets and we ended up with a puppy, two kittens, and two guinea pigs ;]

maybe they don't think you're responsible enough to care for a pet all on your own? idk.

[KittyGurl]

I aksed my mom for a hamster a couple years ago and they told me NO. So report cards were coming up and I wanted a really good one to show my mom that I was responsible and I also did a couple things around the house (like washing the dishes, cleaning up the house, and stuff like that) Once my mom got my report card (I got good marks) and she couldn't say no to a hammy.