Some animals can be wonderful supports for people who deal with depression, anxiety and other mental illness. Today we’ll be delving into the question of whether or not sugar gliders are good pets for people with anxiety.
The Pros
Because sugar gliders sleep all day, you can carry them around in their bonding pouch. Having their warm little bodies sleeping near you is incredibly comforting. If I’m going to do something that’s really stressful during the day, I’ll hold my babies. They give so much support and strength just by being there.
Sugar gliders can sense your moods. If you’re angry, they’ll be skittish and more prone to bite. If you’re sad, they’ll stay closer to you. From my experience, if I’m really nervous and panicky at night (when they’re awake), Ink will just sit on my lap and let me pet him until I calm down.
Sugar gliders are very trusting. Once you develop a bond with them, they’ll be excited to see you. They crave your attention. There is something amazing about having the trust of an animal. You can tell them everything and they won’t judge you. You can be mad and sad and scared at the world and they’re still going to love you. They are very intelligent.
The Cons
Sugar gliders are exotic pets that hide signs of their illness very well. You have to watch them very closely to make sure that they’re okay. If you’re like me, you get paranoid incredibly easily. You panic over every little thing. You lose sleep imagining everything that can go wrong.
It can be emotionally draining to have such sensitive pets. Because they deteriorate so quickly after they show signs of illness, it can be hard to constantly be watching them for signs of illness.
The personality of your glider plays into how well they’re going to enjoy you. Dreamer is very sweet, but she doesn’t like to stick around me for long. Ink, on the other hand, is my therapy baby. 😉 You never know if your glider will like to be touched or held.
That said, sugar gliders are not cuddly in the traditional sense of the word. They enjoy being pet, but 90% of them do not enjoy being held tightly. They are also high energy and have very short attention spans. You might be able to pet them for a minute or two before they’re off doing their own thing.
The bottom line is that sugar gliders have the potential to be a wonderful pet for people struggling with anxiety. But your personality and their personalities play into it a lot. In the end, you have to make the decision on whether they are the right pets for you.
~Hattush
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