Good Morning!

              Bubbles would like to wish everyone a "GOOD MORNING!" 

       He woke up to the smell of peaches, strawberries, and grapes, fresh in the twilight air. This always sets him in a good mood for the night when his food is ready for him before he's awake. What a man. ;P 

Is It A Girl...or Boyl?!

        The story of how I found  out my Bubbles was a boy is quite... embarrassing! I got Bubbles for Christmas of '11, when he was just 2 months old. My parents got him off of Craigslist from a lady who had no idea how to take care of him. She told us he was a girl and the first thing I noticed were his GIANT eyes. He was so cute and outgoing I admittedly thought of Bubbles from The Powerpuff Girls, especially with those big old eyes! <3 About a month later I was sitting on the floor hand feeding him Cheerios and I noticed he had a long, pink, worm like structure coming from his genital area. Of course I thought it was worms but there was something else, it looked like it had a second head.. 
        Upon further research I learned it was his penis and the "second head" actually acts as a hook when he is mating to help aid the success of passing on his genes. Also, what I had thought was his pouch were actually developing testes. Over the next month or so he started developing a larger "bald spot" between his eyes. This is the tale-tale sign you have a boy sugar glider. 
        As you can imagine my parents still make fun of me for this, so I suggest you give your Suggie close to 6 months before you decide whether it's a boy or girl. 

No bald spot...^

<...Bald spot

How Should I Go About Cleaning My Suggies Cage?

               ** This is not necessarily the right way, nor the wrong way, but this how I clean my Suggies cage.

        Every other, to every day, I vacuum around his cage and under his cage. Once to twice a month I wash his hammock and blanket. 
        Now, here is where it gets a little annoying... Once a week (AT THE LEAST) I change the newspaper in the bottom of his tray as well as wash the bottom tray and holder outside with a water hose and Dawn dish soap. (Because it's animal safe) Once every two weeks (AT THE LEAST) I take the actual cage part outside and clean it with a water hose and Dawn dish soap. 
       Most cages come apart so it's really easy to clean them. It probably takes me about 20 minutes to clean his entire cage and about 30 minutes to let it dry in the sun, for the sake of laundry! 

      When it comes to his toys, I wash his stacking cups and PCP pipe about every four days unless they get really nasty. Always remember that whatever you put at the bottom of the cage will ALWAYS be the dirtiest! This is why you should have hanging food cups! (you can get a set of 2 for about $1.50 at Petsmart) 

**Food Cups Should Be Washed Every Day!!!!!!

Do Sugar Gliders Need Exercise?

         Yes! They will become fat, lazy, ill, and grouchy without exercise. "Well, how in the Universe am I supposed to make sure my Suggie gets exercise, you ask? Let me reply....plenty of ways! A properly sized hamster ball, you'll know if it's too small or too big if they seem to have a hard time moving it around. A wheel, preferably ones closed on all sides with holes they can fit into. A series of perches, perhaps?
       My biggest piece of advice to you is not to over crowd your Suggies cage. They like new things, so maybe add the wheel and rope ladder one week and than switch those out for perches and a swing. Whatever toys you put in your Suggies cage make sure they are secure in the cage and can't fall and hurt your little baby. They may be able to jump and glide but no one said they were graceful! 

Here are some websites to get Suggie safe toys from: 

-www.sugar-glider-store.com
-www.toandfrogliders.com/FileHierarchy/.../Toys/Toys.htm
-www.callejean.com/

       Also, if you put anything that is fabric in your Suggies cage, make sure it isn't knitted, frayed, or coming apart. Loose strings can be ingested and cause digesting problems. They also can get wrapped around his limbs and cut off his circulation. 

Cage Setup

          *Something I would like you to take into consideration! There are not many toys in his cage because I let him run around my room a few hours a week. If this is going to be your strategy too, be sure you Sugar Glider proof your room. If that is a topic you would like me to go further into detail about, feel free to ask. (: ....Also, his cage is not as big as I would like it to be, it's only about 3 feet high and 2 feet wide. I would rather it be 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. 

           Make sure there are places for your Suggie to hide and sleep in. Ever since I introduced the PCP Pipe into his cage he doesn't spend much time in his hammock. He has a teddy bear and a "blanket" (made out of an old shirt) in his hammock, but it's darker in the pipe which simulates a hole in a tree. He also has 2 perches, a swing, and a box of plastic cups.
            Make sure that whatever toys you put into your Suggies cage are Suggie SAFE! (Again, if you need me to go into detail about this, feel free to ask!) 

Are Sugar Gliders Smart?

 

      Yes! These little guys are extremely curious and great problem solvers. They love to explore and see new things. 

As lame as this looks, this is one of his favorite things. I got these plastic cups at Dollar General and almost every morning I find these lined up around his cage. 

                          He loves his attention and new perches!

                  What's this?! A new ladder! (made from an old shirt)

                                             I'll jump!

                                            Peek-A-Boo!

What Is A Sugar Glider?

     A Sugar Glider is a marsupial, they carry their babies in a pouch, like a Kangaroo. They are mammals, giving birth to live babies and feeding them  milk until they are able to digest whole food. Sugar Gliders are omnivores. this means that they eat both meat and fruits/veggies. (for more information on appropriate foods go to my What Do Sugar Gliders Eat? post) 

    Although Sugar Gliders have opposable thumbs, they are not monkeys. They are more closely related to opossums than anything. Yes, that cute little thing that cuddles up to you, that you love so dearly, that you brought into your home, is technically an opossum.  If you look at the eyes, nose, and ears it's not as difficult to believe!

Where Do They Come From?

       Sugar Gliders originate from New Guinea and Australia. In the wild they live in groups of 15-30 so it is recommended that you buy them as a breeding pair if you can't give them your constant attention. (A breeding pair is a female and a male) They love to climb so make sure you have glider safe perches/branches in your Suggies cage.

Do Sugar Gliders Fly?

        No, Sugar Gliders are not capable of flight like how you would think a bird is. However, they do glide, hence Sugar Glider. They have skin flaps that they stretch when jumping from limb to limb in the wild, or from bookshelf to dresser in your room. It's a truly amazing sight!