Things You'll Need:
- Large metal cage
- Hanging toys
- Water bottle
- Hanging dishes for food
- Corncob bedding
- Box for nesting
- Unscented tissues (optional)
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Protein foods
- Pouch to wear or a shirt with pockets
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Step 1
Choose a cage for your sugar glider. Since sugar gliders like to climb and fly about, the bigger the cage you have, the better it is for your pet. Wire cages with very small spaces in between the bars keep sugar gliders contained without causing them harm. A tall cage is better than a wide one when it comes to sugar gliders, and a cage should be a minimum of 20 inches tall.
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Step 2
Place some branches or perches around the cage for your sugar glider to climb and leap around on. Using real wood branches from outside is a good idea, as sugar gliders also like to gnaw, and real untreated branches would be safe for them to chew on.
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Step 3
Hang some toys and food boys throughout the cage. Attaching food bowls or boxes along the sides of the cage near the top or around branches and perches that you have placed in the cage, simulate the sugar glider natural environment. Sugar gliders are also very active and social creatures at night, and will need plenty of hanging toys such as ropes to play with.
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Step 4
Attach a small drinking bottle like the kind that hamster cages have on the side of the cage so. Sugar gliders need plenty of clean water, so make sure that it is constantly available.
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Step 5
Make or purchase a small sleep box for your sugar glider. A small wooden box would be sufficient, or you can buy a specially made one from a pet store. Place some unscented tissue or corn cob bedding in the bottom of the sleep box for them to get comfy on.
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Step 6
Feed your sugar glider a variety of foods that are safe for it to digest, and that will keep it naturally healthy. A diet of about 75 percent fruits and veggies and 25 percent protein works best for sugar gliders, and will help them get the nutrition they need. Fresh fruits and vegetables like strawberries, peaches, apples, sweet potatoes and more should be given on a daily basis, and proteins such as deli meats, high protein mixed up baby cereal, and potted meats need to be given daily as well. Keep high grade dog food in the cage throughout the day as a snack if your sugar glider gets hungry.
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Step 7
Put a vitamin supplement into your sugar glider's water, as they are known to commonly suffer from vitamin deficiencies.
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Step 8
Spend plenty of time with your sugar glider, especially when you first bring it home. Sugar gliders are very social in nature, and bonds are very important to them. A good way to bond with them is to keep them in a pack or pouch on your body, or to place them in the front pocket of a shirt. Place a shirt you have worn all day into their cage for them to cuddle with, because sugar gliders remember scent and will learn yours and associate you with it.
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Step 9
Play with your sugar glider every day. Three hours or more is ideal, but if that is not possible, you should play with them as much as possible. Single sugar gliders are susceptible to becoming depressed if they are neglected for too long, so it is best to buy sugar gliders in pairs. Visit the resource section below for more information on caring for sugar gliders.
