It was Axa’s birthday last Tuesday, and it turned out to be a pretty action-packed week, so I have plenty to blog about. But first, some exciting news: we have new sugar gliders!
No, Merry and Pippin did not have babies (they are both, after all, neutered males). A friend of friend needed to rehome a pair of adorable little girls, and so my friend mentioned me. On Tuesday, Axa and Raj went with me to pick them up, and they’re now settled in at our house.
Following our Tolkien theme, we named them Galadriel (“Gala”):
And Nimrodel (“Nim”):
Sorry, I know it’s TMI, but you can see that she’s already what sugar glider enthusiasts would unblushingly refer to as a “bra baby.”
The girls are seven months old, and came with their own cage and accessories, which was good, because they need to be kept in a separate room from Merry and Pippin for a routine 30-day quarantine period.
After the 30 days, I’ll start swapping their toys and sleeping pouches so they can get used to each other’s scent. So yeah, I hope Merry and Pippin don’t mind sleeping in this:
Their previous owner made adorable little aprons with pockets for the sugar gliders to ride in:
I was worried that Gala and Nim wouldn’t like my blended glider food, but they took to it right away. They also seem to be adjusting well to their new humans. We had tent time last night, and they were darling. They are quite a bit smaller than Merry and Pippin, and a little more timid and easily startled. But they’re also more prone to just snuggle rather than dashing around from spot to spot like little madmen. In fact, they are sleeping in my shirt right now, which is just about the cuddliest thing ever.
I felt really bad for their owner, who obviously loves them to death. But they keep her husband up at night with their barking, and it was a deal-breaker. She needed to find a new home for them, but didn’t want to give them to someone she didn’t know, because there are unfortunately a lot of people who run glider mills and would love a couple of little females, especially here in Florida where they are so popular.
Sadly, I notice a lot of gliders being sold on craigslist too, and most are about the age of mine, from a few months to a year old. People get them and then realize after a few months that they are overwhelmed by their new pet. So yes, for the record, sugar gliders take a lot of time. They are loud. They are messy. They are expensive. If you’re considering adding sugar gliders to your family, here’s a more comprehensive list of cons to sugar glider ownership.
They are definitely not a low maintenance or easy pet. But if you have the time, the patience, and the inclination, they are utterly worth it all. We look forward to spending lots of time with our new little girls, and eventually, if everyone is amenable, putting all four of them together in a big family cage.