what is going on with everyone wanting to give away sugar gliders

**crazyboutanimals** · 03-07-2008, 10:29 AM

everytime i log into KSL or Craigslist (mainly KSL0 all i see is sugar gliders for sale, giving away. what is up with that?? i do not know much about sugar gliders and wonder why people give them away so easily??? is it the care? the temper? what?

does anyone here have sugar gliders?? what is the reasoning for them giving them or selling them??? that is all i see, and it makes me mad, not only do i see sugar gliders, but, i see Joey's, emu's just to name a few... what the hek is going on.. what gets me is that the ads will say ( for a emu) "fun easy and very friendly to care for" ya, if you have a barn and open space!?!

anyone else run into this kinda thing? why is it that more and more people are getting there hands on the more exotic animals and then just throwing them out?!?

** gets off soap box**

please understand i am not trying to say you should not get/have them, but, when all i see is "sugar gliders" and "emus" and Joey's" up for sale, i wonder about them!

**Sparklecoon** · 03-07-2008, 05:19 PM

I had a pair of gliders for a year or so but they developed a respitory infection and even on antibiotics that vet wasn't able to bring them around. This was the special exotic vet that is over an hour away, one reason why owning gliders is hard. Not many vets specialise in exotics and know their care.

Gliders are also nocturnal to a fault, it's very hard to switch that good ole internal clock around. The also vocalise quite loudly at night. Their diet also has to be specially prepared and frozen than given to them as well as fresh fruits and veggies. The storebought stuff is garbage and does a very poor job of meeting their dietary requirements. They really need to be in pairs as they are very social and if kept single need to be with their person for at least a 3-4 hrs of bonding everynight.

They are prolific breeders if kept in mixed sex pairs, neutering is possible but you have to find one of those elussive exotics vets that specialises in gliders.

I loved my gliders dearly and they were awesome to watch but now that i'm working midnights I'd never be able to have them again because they just don't fit in my schedule. I think that's what alot of people find. They get in over their head with animals that require specialsed care. Their 'cool' but hard work.

**Hellow** · 03-07-2008, 10:39 PM

Only thing that i can think of is that they are high maintenance, and with the declining economy makes it hard to take care of them.

**critter crazy** · 03-07-2008, 11:00 PM

Yeah I see them all the time on Craigslist. I havent seen any free yet, but there have been tons for small adoption fees.

**Suki Wingy** · 03-08-2008, 09:25 PM

IMO, whoever introduced them into the pet trade wasn't thinking about much more than money because it wasn't a very good idea. There are many people who can't take care of one properly. They are nocturnal, omnivores meaning they eat insects, which some people find a nuisance.

**Argranade** · 03-09-2008, 10:39 AM

I wish some people knew allot more before buying a glider. I can imagine it could be from the smell (mostly males), they realize they can't stay up to play with it, they hate feeding it bugs, making the diet is too much of a fuss... some people. Emu's are such beautiful birds & I hope to own one someday, they are not just a fun easy pet to look after, they can need allot of care & good diets to keep them happy.