by Nancy Houser

Created on: February 27, 2009

By the time the little sugar glider has reached your home for the very first time, it probably has been under quite a bit of stress-leaving what is familiar, new voices, being handled strangely, diet changes, and fear of the unknown. That is, unless you picked it out personally at a breeder's home and carried it home in a pouch. This is a good thing. A very thing, in fact. But as we all know, most people browse the Internet in order to save money and look for the best deals, which typically will involve shipping the sugar glider long-distance. This places a lot of stress on the little animal and is very much unadvisable by many breeders and professionals, depending on how it is done. But overall, stress can be a killer to many animals and most of all to the sugar glider, due to its tiny size and unique personality.

SIGNS OF STRESS IN A SUGAR GLIDER

If the owner of a sugar glider does not know if their pet is under stress, then it is pretty difficult to eliminate or alter the problem before it does serious damage. Consequently, signs of stress should be checked for as part of the sugar glider's maintenance. This requires recognizing the signs of stress and what may be causing it. Unfortunately, by the time the animal is displaying stress signs, they have already been under it far too long and damage is already being done on some level.

Loneliness:

Since sugar gliders are social animals, loneliness plays a big factor in causing stress in their lives. Sugar gliders need to be accompanied by another sugar glider or in a group of them of the same ages. Older sugar glider drive out their babies in the wild when they are old enough to fend on their own, so mixing ages of them in a cage may not be wise unless they are all adults. By having the sugar glider spayed or neutered, they can be grouped in mixed sexes in one cage and in the long run will be the better for it.

No matter how much time you spend with them, there will be times when you will be gone-at work, at school, shopping, or even if you become ill. If they have another sugar glider for company, they will not become as lonely when this occurs. Do not underestimate the fact they need continuous sugar glider companion to be replaced with more time by you. The little sugar glider needs family companionship, their own family, to ensure a happy and unstressful life. But they need a combination of both types of companionship, two to six hours a day from you and continuous communication with their own breed for overall

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