by Aliyeus J

Created on: March 03, 2009

As far as marsupials go, sugar gliders are about the most peculiar of the species. They are also one of the very few marsupials taken to domestication, although some people have opposed the viewpoint that these nocturnal creatures, have in fact, thrived to being domesticated, and they've claimed sugar gliders could never be pets, in the truest sense of the word. Fortunately, with these animals' rise in popularity, I think much of America has taken a stand, and disagreed.

Many of us adore these wonderful, miniature, creatures, and as we bring them into our homes, we need to provide the best possible housing we can. To do this, one must first purchase an appropriate cage for the sugar glider.

There are many different cages, and styles to choose from on the market. They come in all kinds of heights, widths, shapes, and sizes. For the sugar glider, a cage that is taller and narrower, rather than shorter and wider, is the best way to go, as these furry companions love to climb and jump around. A minimum size of 30x18x36 is a good reference point to start at, but of course, the bigger the cage the better. If you are dealing with a smaller budget, many people suggest making a cage - there are websites that will give you instructions for this - Glider Central can link you to many of them.

It has been suggested that making your own cage is the better way to go because some bare wire cages will irritate glider feet, and it can also get noisy as the animal climbs (cages need horizontal bars for climbing). For prevention, owners have been known to build a vinyl or powder coated wire cage, fairly easily, and in the comfort of their own home.

For easy cleaning, most owners will set their cage into some sort of tray for catching the messes sugar gliders make. Although these animals are quite intelligent, they do not have the ability to be potty trained or disciplined - they will make messes, and you will need to keep their cage and area cleaned once or twice a week. It is a matter of opinion, but for male sugar gliders, some owners agree that it is best to clean the cage just once a week due to the male's behavior of marking territory with spray from scent glands. The theory is that the males will spray more often when their cage is being cleaned frequently. In some cases, spraying and rinsing a mixture of baking soda and water over the bars of the cage, helped to control odor.

There should also be shavings, such as aspen, oat hull, or corncob down, as a type of bedding on the

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