Choosing a pet is not a simple decision. It is very important to carefully consider what kind of pet will suit your lifestyle well and whether it will fit in with your family if applicable. You also need to be prepared for the responsibility that comes with owning a pet, such as feeding and grooming it and ensuring it gets sufficient exercise and attention. Pets should not be considered a fashion accessory or something that fills the here and now. They are a long-term responsibility and should be treated as such.
If you think you can handle the responsibility of having a pet, an unusual pet choice that is often overlooked is a sugar glider. Sugar gliders are classed as exotic pets but they are extremely social and they often bond well with their owners. Many owners choose to carry them around in their pockets or in a bonding pouch and it's easy to see why - they have cuteness in spades!
Sugar gliders are marsupials that are initially very vulnerable after birth and depend heavily on their mothers. Luckily for them, they get to spend the majority of this vulnerable period safe and warm within the mother's pouch.
Sugar gliders are native to Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Their bodies are about 6 inches long when they are fully grown, as are their tails. Adults weigh about 5 ounces. Sugar gliders have opposable thumbs, which makes them excellent climbers. They really love to climb, with a skill that would make any free climber proud, and therefore you need to ensure they have vertical climbing space in their cages, which helps to keep them entertained and provides them with exercise.
They have skin known as pantagium which stretches from their wrists to their ankles and they use this skin for gliding. Sugar gliders often glide between trees in the wild but since the pantagium is flexible this allows the sugar gliders to walk and climb unrestricted.
The lifespan of a sugar glider is about 10 to 15 years in captivity. They are nocturnal so they are asleep for most of the day but when they are awake they are very sociable and thrive on attention. If you do not have a lot of free time to devote to a sugar glider, consider buying a pair of gliders so that they can keep each other company as it is not fair on the sugar glider to leave it alone for long stretches of time without any attention. It is important to highlight however that unneutered opposite-sex pairs will breed quickly so make sure to check they are neutered if you don't want to find you've become a breeder!
It is always a good idea to fully research a pet and how to take care of it before you decide to get one. Sugar gliders are relatively easy to care for and are extremely sociable creatures, so if you can provide the attention and care they require, sugar gliders make sweet pets that are sure to glide into your affections.