Today I will be sharing ten MUST HAVES for new owners! This is a list of things that you should buy BEFORE or very soon after you get your gliders.
Cage
Obviously this is the most important thing to have before you get your gliders. The minimum cage requirements for a pair of gliders is 24″ by 24″ by 36″ tall. The bar spacing should be 1/2 inch or less. Any larger than that and they can squeeze out. Hight is more important than width. Big bird cages can work very well. Remember that when it comes to cages, the bigger the better. Sugar gliders may be small, but they love to run and explore and they have endless energy!
Prevue Large Flight Cage – $129.99
Critter Nation Cage – $295.99
Staple Diet
Before you get your gliders, it is important to know what diet you will be feeding them. That way you can have it all made up and ready to give to them, rather than scrambling to get everything ready on the day that they arrive. It is important that gliders have a staple diet so that they receive all the nutrients that they need.
You can learn more about staple diets here.
Sleeping Pouches
Your gliders will need somewhere to sleep! You can buy full cage sets online, but those tend to be very pricey. If you don’t have the money to spend on that, you can just purchase a sleeping pouch or cube. You should have one for each glider. They will likely sleep together, but it is always good to give them the option to sleep apart if they want to.
Before you buy, make sure that the material is anti-pill fleece and that it doesn’t have exposed seams so that your gliders nails won’t get caught.
Flower Nest – $30
Pouch – $15
Cube – $19.95
Cube – $26
Cage Sets – $45.99+
Bedding
You’ll need to figure out what type of bedding you wish to use. There are a lot of different things that you can do. I personally have chosen to use fleece liners at the bottom of the cage. I will do a tutorial on how to make those sometime, so keep your eyes peeled!
Honestly, you don’t have to have something on the cage bottom, but it does help to soak up the pee and make the whole cage easier to clean and help to reduce the smell.
If you don’t want to buy a fleece liner, you can just use a large square of fleece cut to fit the bottom of your cage. You can also use newspapers, butcher paper or paper towels that are spread over the bottom of the cage. You can use paper bedding, but that is rather expensive. A lot of people use puppy pads, but it is debatable whether these are really safe or not.
I believe that fleece is the best option – it’s soft for their feet, it is very easy to clean and it is reusable.
Wood shavings/based products shouldn’t be used because of dust that can be breathed in. Evergreens have oils in them that, when wet (by urine especially) can cause respiratory problems – something gliders are very susceptible to. They should NEVER be used. Do not use cedar or cat litter. Gliders don’t have to be actively playing in or touching the wood based bedding to breath toxins in.
Fleece Liners – $0.0175 per square inch
Fleece – $3.99+ per yard
Paper Bedding – $18.99
Cleaning Supplies
Your cleaning supplies should include your cleaner of choice for the cage. This can be white vinegar, blue dawn dish soap, etc. You should also have an old rag that you can use to wipe down the bars and a vacuum that you can use to clean up the glider room.
Food & Water Dishes
This is really easy and cheap to do! You can buy fancy dishes for the food, but it isn’t necessary. A lot of people use paper plates. You can get a set of glass bowls at the Dollar Store for $1 and place these at the bottom of the cage.
You’ll have to decide if you want to use water bowls or bottles (or silos). Make your decision before you welcome your gliders into your home.
Glass Bottle – $22.95
Glass Bottle – $9.89
Water Silo – $5.79
Open Dishes – $1.95
Open Dishes Stainless Steel – $5.95
Food Dish – $5.99
Stainless Steal Dishes – $13.95
Another thing to consider purchasing is a glider kitchen. This is basically an enclosed place where you put the food so that the mess is contained. Gliders are very very messy when they eat. They will fling their food very far and it can require a lot of clean up on your part. You can get really fancy, pretty glider kitchens, or you can make your own cheap from plastic containers with a couple large holes.
Sugar Glider Kitchen – $32.95
Glider Kitchen – $28
First Aid Kit
Another must have is a first aid kit. Glider emergencies WILL happen and it is best to be prepared before they do! I will do a post soon about my journey creating a first aid kit from scratch, so be on the lookout for that!
You can find premade kits…
Here (this is the best I’ve seen) – $54.18
Here – $29
First Aid Medical Binder – $10
If you want to make your own…
Nail Trimming Set
Even if you aren’t comfortable trimming your gliders nails yourself and take them to the vet to have it done, you should still have a nail trimming set on hand if you change your mind and want to save some money and do it yourself. Your set should include a fleece pouch with no zippers or mesh, a favorite glider treat (mealworms or yoggies are great options), cornstarch (to stop bleeding if you cut too deeply) and, of course, nail trimmers! You can get pet trimmers or use human ones. Either works.
Premade Nail Trimming Set – $7.50
Pet Clippers – $3.99
Corn Starch – $1.99
Wheel
A glider-safe wheel is the best toy that you can give to your new babies! There are several options that you can choose from! If you want something cheap, you can go with the Exotic Nutrition Silent Runner. This works for short term, but I would recommend replacing it with a better quality wheel as soon as you have saved up the money. Typically, a good quality wheel will cost about $50 + shipping. It is a lot of money, but it is totally worth the investment.
Please DO NOT go out and buy a hamsters wheel from the pet store. These are not safe and have been known to kill gliders. Another wheel that used to be commonly used was the Wodent Wheel. This is not safe and shouldn’t be used.
Custom Choice Cruisers – $55
Free Runners – $50
Apollo Wheel – $40.95
Raptor Wheel – $50
Silent Runner MUST BE THE 12 INCH ONE – $24.95
Toys
This is where things get fun (and expensive). Gliders love toys and there are lots that you can choose from! It is so much fun to shop around and explore all of the different designs. You have to be careful what you get, though, because there are a lot of things that are advertised as SAFE which really aren’t. For instance, 90% of the toys from Exotic Nutrition are not safe. I will do a whole different post dedicated to finding safe toys.
If you’re crafty, you can make your own! There are lots of toy supplies that you can get and make your own!
Treats
Gliders are huge lovers of sweets! Treats will quicken your bonding and give you much pleasure in watching your babies eat them! There are several wonderful treat options.
Yogurt Drops – $4.99 per pound
Freeze Dried Mealworms – $8.95
Dried Fruit (note: not all of the fruit there is glider safe, but it is a good place to get bulk dried fruit)
Pine Nuts – $29.99 per pound
Bonding Pouches (optional)
This is optional, but it is also a huge help with bonding. You can buy these pouches online or you can make your own if you are good at sewing and know how to make hidden seams.
Bonding Pouch – $17
Bonding Mitt – $20
Bra Bonding Pouch – $30
A Tent (optional)
Tent time is a common method of bonding in which you sit in a tent with the gliders. This is a huge help for bonding with new gliders. I personally never did this (didn’t have money for the tent, lol), I just used my room and my gliders were perfectly happy with that. 🙂
Mosquito net tent – $69.95
Good luck on getting your new gliders, friends! The experience of a lifetime is ahead of you!
~Hattush
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