Is it OK to only have one sugar glider

She's not going to self mutilate or die just from being alone. Self mutilating is almost always due to an injury or illness.

Single gliders can do very well on their own, however they do need a little extra attention from their human and their cage to be very stimulating with toys and a glider safe wheel.

Without these things they can show signs of depression that some people mistake as "cute behaviour". Repetitive flips , circling the top of the cage, over grooming can be signs of underestimulation and loneliness.

You have messaged me on fb and i requested pics of your cage and wheel... Can you post them here or send them to me on fb?

You are fairly local to me, I'm in dover fla. If you are looking for a cagemate I can help you find one. I can also help with toys if you are in need of some and a good local vet with glider experience.

There is a " breeder" in Clearwater you want to steer clear of especially if your looking on Craigslist. She uses two names, Michelle and Shauna Gonzales. She is not a reputable breeder.

If you need help with your set up, food, nail trimmings whatever just let me know and maybe we can get together. I don't work so I'm always home, however I don't drive either so we will have to either meet on weekend or you can come here. I have access to a community wreck room so we could meet in more of a public setting.

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chelsey Joey USA40 PostsI keep reading on here where people are saying that you should always have sugar gliders in pairs. I have only one male sugar glider (Gus) and he has been alone for 4 years now. He isn't depressed or anything, I'm just wondering if it's so bad that I have him alone? I have thought about getting another sugar glider but I don't know how he would react to him or her. He has been the only one for so long that I am scared to get another one. Since he is happy and healthy on his own, I don't know how important it is to really get another one. Any suggestions? chelsey Joey USA 40 Posts

I just wouldn't imagine he is depressed because we play every night and he jumps and climbs and pounces me all the time. I just don't see that as being depressed. I had a friend whose suggie was depressed and she didn't do anything. She didn't play or do much at all. Yes he is neutered.

WintersSong Fuzzy Wuzzy 1417 Posts

Chelsey, just about everyone with a single glider says "I play with them all the time, I don't think he's depressed."..until the day they find their glider self mutilating, overgrooming, not eating (or overeating), etc...

And, even if he isn't "depressed", is he as happy as he could be as a single glider? I doubt it.

If I were you, I would find a friend for him. This would involve doing the quarantine process, and the intros...

And yeah, there's a chance that the new glider and the old glider won't get along.

chelsey Joey USA 40 Posts

Well I'm not "just about everybody." Gus has been my life ever since I got him. I'm not able to have children so he's my baby. And yes I do play with him every night and some through the day.

So if they don't get along then I'm just stuck with two gliders who hate each other? I don't want to put Gus in a stressful situation like that. I just don't see why he has to have another glider. I understand they are social animals but he has quite the social life with just my boyfriend and I.

chelsey Joey USA 40 Posts

Wow! y'all both need to read up on sugar gliders. Most males have that bald spot on their head. He doesn't self mutilate or anything like that. His grooming habits are normal. I had him checked by a vet and that bald spot is completely normal.

chelsey Joey USA 40 Posts

Question: Why Does My Male Sugar Glider Have a Bald Spot on His Head?

Answer: Male sugar gliders have a distinct bald spot on the top of their head that appears as they reach sexual maturity (the age of this is variable, but often aroun 12-15 months of age for males). This area, which is a diamond shaped patch right on the forehead, is actually a scent gland. The male glider uses this scent gland to mark his female mate, his offspring, and his territory.

The male sugar glider actually has three scent glands: the one on his head, a second on his chest (which may appear as a small bald spot or may cause the fur to be slighly discolored in the area over the scent gland) and a third in the genital area (next to the cloaca). The female has scent glands in the genital area as well as in the pouch. Sugar gliders have a fairly mild odor, described as a sweet musky smell. While it may be a little stronger in the male at breeding season, it is not a strong or offensive odor.

chelsey Joey USA 40 Posts

He just got neutered a little over a year ago and he is four years old.

chelsey Joey USA 40 Posts

The vet never said anything about that. The spot is in the same spot, it hasn't got any bigger or smaller. He doesn't mess with it either.

Essika Face Hugger ON, CA 581 Posts

quote:Originally posted by chelsey Wow! y'all both need to read up on sugar gliders. Most males have that bald spot on their head. He doesn't self mutilate or anything like that. His grooming habits are normal. I had him checked by a vet and that bald spot is completely normal.

Well if you don't want an honest opinion, why are you posting a question?

Gliders are social animals and they need other glider. Doesn't matter how much you rationalize it.

Your glider IS NOT as happy and healthy as he could be.

Your glider IS NOT in a good environment if you are not willing to learn.

Your glider IS suffering from YOUR ignorance.....

Don't waste everyones time trying to pick a fight. If you can't buy a glider because of money constraints then you shouldn't have one to begin with, and if you don't want to because "what if they don't like each other" then you should have started with two.

Take the advice we are giving you or at least from me there is no sympathy for YOU when you wake up and your glider has chewed his tail off and is lying dead at the bottom of the cage.

Again, my arguement is, how would you like to be stuck in a house with NO contact with anyone of your own species and the contact with other living creatures you had you couldn't commmunicate with, sleep with or spend more than a couple hours with.... You want to talk stressing Gus out... well sweetie, that's a HUGE source of stress....

If you could have kids would you refuse to allow them to play with other children because they may not like them?

Your arguement is stupid and your being selfish and irresponsible and it's sad that Gus must suffer for it.

WintersSong Fuzzy Wuzzy 1417 Posts

As you can see, this is sort of a hot button issue.

Some of us (myself included) can come off as a little harsh sometimes, but that is only because of how important it is for sugar gliders to have another glider companion.

I do have to ask you,

where did you get your glider from?

The reason that I ask is because most GOOD breeders will not sell a glider to a home where it'll be kept as a single, and most rescues (so far as I know) like to send the gliders in pairs, or groups, so that they are not alone.

chelsey Joey USA 40 Posts

Who the hell are y'all to judge my sugar glider's happiness? I think y'all claim to know more than y'all actually do. You aren't vets. My vet said he is completely healthy and happy. No signs of self mutilation or anything else.

kyro298 Glider Sprinkles CO, USA 15262 Posts

DID YOU ASK FOR OUR OPINIONS OR NOT? Seriously?! Chill out and read the information provided to you. Ask your vet if the bald spot goes away after neutering. You seen the links and the stories of people firsthand. Does your vet have gliders? Does he agree they are colony animals? I'll even do one better for you...here's a list of vets that SPECIALIZE in sugar gliders and are more than willing to consult with other vets.

Dr.Tim Tristan

OSO Creek Animal Hospital

361-994-1145

Dr. Bradley Walsh

Village Vet Animal Clinic/All Creatures Veterinary Hospital

918-481-0440

Dr. Andrew Grzanowski

Canton Center Animal Hospital

734-459-1400

Dr. Kate Zimmerman

TriCounty Animal Hospital

(has 24hr emergency contact info on her office answering machine)

423-391-0303

Dr. Teresa Bradley

Belton Animal Clinic

816-331-3120

She is willing to consult with other vets, but will only do so during clinic hours which are:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8 am to 11 pm

Tuesday, Thursday: 7 am to 11 pm

Saturday: 8 am to 1 pm then 6pm to 11pm

Dr. Kristen West

Mandel Veterinary Hospital

216-321-6040

*Please note, do NOT call these vets yourself - they can not dispense medical advice to an owner over the phone, only to other veterinarians.

(From GC)

I'm sure you are right...ALL of us are wrong...you are right.

Megs06 BANNED_ACCOUNT USA 1 Posts

Question: Can I Get Sugar Gliders Neutered or Spayed?

Answer: Spaying female sugar gliders is a difficult and invasive procedure and is generally not recommended as an elective procedure (should be reserved for cases where medically necessary). However, neutering of males is a relatively simple and safe procedure and can be done as a birth control measure. Neutering will also reduce the marking behavior of males as well as making the scent glands less developed (therefore less musky odor), and in most cases will reduce territorial and aggressive behavior of males. However, nuetering should be done only by an experienced veterinarian using a safe anesthetic protocol.

Go here:

www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=11545

And here:

www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/880581/Bald_Spot

Maybe here:

sugar-pets.blogspot.com/2007/11/male-sugar-glider-anatomy.html

From my gathering, a good portion of male gliders lose their bald spot when neutered, but not always.

cristyoo2 Glider USA 154 Posts

I have two male sugar glider brothers. When I got them they were 10 weeks OOP. I made the decision to have them neutered (laser neuter) as soon as they reached the designated weight. Since they were Joeys they never really developed a bald spot and probably never will AS A DIRECT RESULT of the neutering. I'm not sure how it works with gliders that have been neutered after a defined bald spot was already in place. But either way bald or not the bottom line is that they are better off having a cage mate.

Chelsey, I understand why you would think the way you do. My first glider was a lone glider because she simply would not get along with any other gliders (or so I was told by the guy who sold her to me) I too thought that she was leading a happy and healthy life until she passed away VERY SUDDENLY. The pain of losing her was alomost too much to bear and I found myself asking a lot of "WHAT IFS?" and "IF ONLYS".

It is a privelage to own a pet as well as a(ANY PET)and it is our responsibility as their care takers to make sure we can supply them with the best quality of life they deserve. I would think that is what you are striving to do and if so then you have the answer to your question.

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Sugar Glider Food & Diet: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Happy & Healthy Babies

What About Feeding them Fruits, Like Apples...?

Now, if you only have one baby Sugar glider, cut them about an eighth of a slice of apple every day and leave the peeling on it but just be sure to cut the seeds out. For 2 Sugar gliders, give them two slices and treat the apple the same. We also suggest that you DO NOT dice these apples into small chunks because they dry out a lot quicker that way and your Sugar gliders wont get the full benefit of all that natural fruit juice. Once youve cut the apple, just put it on the floor of the cage. Keeping it down low like that will make it easy for your Sugar glider to find it especially when the babies are small, However.. once your Sugar gliders start getting a little older, its usually a good idea to start putting their food up on a shelf. By doing this, youll find that the food stays fresher LONGER because any toilet droppings they make wont accidentally land in their food.

I Keep Finding Food Everywhere, How Do I Keep the Food in Their Cage?

Now, another GREAT way to keep food in your Sugar gliders cage and keep their cage VERY clean all the time is just to make them what WE call a little FORMAL dining room! While it IS true that Sugar gliders never need a bath and they keep themselves impeccably clean when they eat, they DO tend to shake their heads from side to side quite a bit, which tends to leave small chunks of their food both in the cage and up to a couple inches AROUND it. Well, if youre like us and you want to keep things neat AND clean the cage as little as possible, the best thing to do is to make them this special place to eat.

Now, making your Sugar gliders their own formal dining room is a FUN little craft project that you can do with the WHOLE family, and it only takes about 5 minutes. Now, if youd rather just buy one thats already done, check in our online store at www.sugargliders.com, because I think were gonna start selling these pretty soon. However, if you just want to make one, weve put some pictures and step-by-step instructions together for you on our website at www.sugargliders.com/diningroom.

Basically, the idea here is to take some kind of clear PLASTIC bowl or box that has a sealable lid, flip it upside down, and cut a couple holes in it. Then, put their food bowl and all their food in it and whenever they want to eat, they will go inside. just like a little dining room.. To make one of these, all you need are TWO things. The first is a CLEAR piece of Tupperware or some other kind of clear plastic bowl or box with a sealable lid. The second thing is some kind of TOOL that will cut a couple holes in the plastic. When picking out the right plastic bowl or box, there are a couple simple things that you want to keep in mind. The first is that the bowl or box should be CLEAR and have a lid that seals into place. This allows you to easily see inside their dining room any time you want, so you can tell how much food they have and when it needs to be changed. The reason you want this container to have a sealable lid, is so that you can easily take the whole thing in and out of their cage any time you want without spilling anything.

The second thing to consider when picking out the right bowl or box is just the SIZE of it. Generally speaking, you want their dining room to be big enough that all your Sugar gliders can be easily be in it at the same time but it also needs to be small enough to fit in and out of the cage door. Also, when its laid upside down in the cage on its lid, you want it to be tall enough that your Sugar gliders can still sit on the side of their food bowl and eat without hitting their heads. Since the food bowl we give you in our PocketPets starter kit is about 1 inches tall, we usually suggest that your bowl be somewhere around 4 inches tall. Once you pick out the right container, just cut two holes in it one on each side with each hole being somewhere around 1 to 2 inches in diameter. You can easily do this with a knife, scissors or even a hole saw. Either way, you want the holes to be big enough that they Sugar gliders can easily come & go as they please and still SMALL enough that they stop any food from flinging around. Like we said before, you dont HAVE to build your Sugar gliders a dining room like this but it is a FUN, quick little project for the whole family it WILL dramatically cut down on the amount of cleaning their cage needs and your Sugar gliders will LOVE it. Also, as we mentioned before, if youre not the mechanical type dont worry. On the previous link to the dining room instructions, weve posted pictures of a few different dining rooms along with step by step instructions for exactly how to make one for yourself and again, if youd rather just buy one thats already made, check out our online store at www.Sugargliders.com . Now, once youve built your dining room, when its time to add or change food every day, just pull the whole container out of the cage, give it a quick RINSE, and set up the food just the way you want it. Then, pop the container back together set it back in the cage.. and thats about ALL there is to it!