This post is about what I call the Great Cat Food Debate, or Cat Food Wars, among suggie owners and breeders.

There is a great deal of debate about whether sugar gliders should ever be fed cat food. Some long-time sugar glider breeders feed high-quality (high protein) dry cat food as part of their gliders’ diet, while other breeders wouldn’t dream of giving cat food to their gliders. Caroline MacPherson, author of Sugar Gliders, A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual, says:

“The protein component of a glider’s diet is satisfied primarily by dry cat food although there is some concern amongst animal nutritionists that the use of cat food may impact negatively upon the long term health of gliders. However, I have been using a good quality dry cat food for 4 1/2 yrs now and have had very few problems and my gliders breed very well. I am presently using Science Diet…. Cat food manufacturers deliberately balance their feed so that the amount of calcium to phosphorus is roughly 1:1.” (She says this on her website.)

But other folks are adamant. They say, “NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use cat food for any reason. Ever.” They tie dry cat food to medical ailments such as intestinal blockage and lumpy jaw, both serious health issues.

How can a new sugar glider owner decide who is right? Remember, cats are carnivores, while sugar gliders are omnivores. So it makes sense that cat food might not be appropriate for sugar gliders. And remember, too, that there’s a lot of cheap, junky cat food on the market, filled with grain fillers, meat by-products and ash that aren’t very nutritious for sugar gliders (or cats, for that matter) and might actually cause digestive system impaction.

If you are new to sugar gliders, it is advisable to stay away from cat food until you are experienced enough and knowledgeable enough to make up your own mind about cat food. It’s my opinion that cat food does not belong in the sugar glider diet. Sugar gliders’ nutritional needs are now known to be way more complex than it was thought when MacPherson originally wrote her book.

But in all events, you definitely should avoid the temptation to feed your glider nothing but cat food, no matter how convenient it is. Feeding an all-cat-food diet to your sugar glider will lead to health problems down the road. Meanwhile, read all you can, and ask questions of other sugar glider owners.

(To be continued…)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

The topic of sugar glider nutrition is extremely important. Ideally, in order to thrive, your glider would get a balanced diet that mimics the mix of food and nutrients he or she would get in the wild. However, there has not been a lot of research on the optimal glider diet, and most people do not live where they can reproduce the diet available to sugar gliders in Australia. And recently, some sugar glider experts have increased the recommended protein percentage from about 25% to about 40-50% (50% for breeding females especially).

There is no agreement on one single diet that is perfect for sugar gliders. So the golden rule is to provide a rotating variety of foods with the proper nutritional balance and follow the stream of new information as it arrives (join sugar glider forums, read newsletters, etc.).

A corollary of the golden rule is to avoid giving junk food. Just because sugar gliders love sweet stuff does not mean you should ever give them candy or other sweets! You should never feed them raw sugar, sugar substitutes, candy or chocolate.

Another rule for new sugar glider owners: if you’re not sure if a food is nutritious for your sugar glider, don’t feed it that food. Research the food and ask other sugar glider owners for their opinions. Then draw your own conclusions and introduce any new food slowly.

The bad news is that you can’t just go out to the pet store and buy a commercial chow and assume your glider will thrive. In that sense, they are not as easy to take care of as dogs and cats are. The good news is that there is lots of information on glider nutrition available, and certain requirements area well-known and agreed-upon.

In the wild, the sugar glider diet consists of insects and arachnids (spiders), nectar, pollen, tree sap and gums (from eucalyptus and acacia trees), manna, and honeydew. Protein is supplied primarily through the consumption of insects, moths, beetles, pollen and occasional small birds and other vertebrates. Their diet varies with the seasons. During the spring and summer months, gliders are mostly insectivorous, and during the winter months, they eat gum from the eucalyptus and acacia trees, as well as sap and sugar from the trees and sap-sucking insects.

The basic diet for sugar gliders follows this simple plan: Protein Source + Fruits & Vegetables + a Nutritional Supplement + fresh water.

In captivity, sugar gliders are fed mostly fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, insects and sometimes rodents and dairy products. There is some discussion about whether sugar gliders are lactose-intolerant, although their “mother’s milk” does have lactose in it. Most breeders recommend that you do not feed cow’s milk or goat’s milk to your sugar glider. Many of them, however, feed yogurt to their sugar gliders with no problem. The general rule about dairy products is this: feed small amounts of dairy products to start. If your glider gets diarrhea or other symptoms from it, then stop. Most breeders recommend that you avoid giving cheese to your sugar glider, because it may cause intestinal binding.

(To be continued…)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

Many sugar glider owners enjoy carrying their gliders around in a bonding pouch. This pouch is usually made from soft fabrics similar to those used for sleeping pouches, but it has a carry strap that the owner can use to carry the pouch around her neck or on her shoulder. The nicest and most comfortable (for the glider) pouches have a section of mesh that allows air to circulate and also allows the glider to peer out at his world, if he so chooses. They may also have a Velcro® closure that prevents the glider from popping out unexpectedly. Bonding pouches may be obtained from many sugar glider specialty shops, and they can also be found on eBay.

Treats are useful for bonding. For example, as you carry your glider around in its bonding pouch, you can open the pouch and offer a treat. Pretty soon, the sugar glider will figure out that when the pouch opens and he interacts with you, he will get a treat. After a while, he will be brave enough to leave the pouch and hop on your hand to get a treat. Avoid junk food treats and avoid nuts, peanuts and other foods that are not good for sugar gliders! Treats should always be nutritious and in tiny amounts.

Eventually, your sugar glider will be content to let you carry him around for hours, especially if it is daytime and he is sleepy. Many sugar glider experts recommend that you reach a level of 2 to 4 hours per day of bonding activity (or, in the case of the sugar glider itself, bonding inactivity). Remember, bonding activity and playing activity are not the same thing. Bonding involves being very physically close to your sugar glider, so that he feels comforted and safe on or very near you.

Where should bonding take place? Once you and your sugar glider are used to each other, you can strengthen the bonding process almost anywhere that is safe. In the beginning of the bonding process, however, it’s a good idea to keep your sugar glider with you in a relatively small enclosed space. If you can glider-proof your bathroom, then that is a suitable place to start the bonding process, but only if you can glider-proof it! (I will write extensively about Sugar Glider safety in future posts.) Some people buy a small zip-up type camping tent that will fit in one of their rooms. They place some treats and toys in the tent, and then carry the sugar glider into the tent (preferably he will still be in his sleeping pouch). They zip the tent up and then encourage the sugar glider to explore this little world filled with nothing but treats, toys and their owner.

How long should you expect the bonding process to take? The answer, of course, is that it varies. But generally speaking, it will take at least a month, assuming you spend about 2 to 4 hours per day doing bonding activities (which can be as simple as carrying your sugar glider around in a bonding pouch or its sleeping pouch). Sometimes bonding will occur much more quickly, especially if you’ve bought a hand-tamed joey. Joeys are generally easier to bond with than older gliders are and as a very broad generalization, males tend to bond a little bit faster than females.

Assuming your adult sugar glider has not come from an abusive environment, bonding might take 3 to 5 months. If you’ve adopted a sugar glider who has been abused, bonding might take far longer, as your glider will need a lot of time to build up trust in you. The most important qualities you can have during the bonding process are consistency, patience and persistence.

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

If your sugar glider’s cage has a door large enough for both of your hands, then approach the glider with both hands cupped and surround him slowly with both hands. You can hold him near your body in your cupped hands, or against your chest. If your glider is sleeping in his sleeping pouch, take the pouch out of the cage with the glider still in it. Then slide your hand in the pouch and wait a moment so that you don’t wake the glider up suddenly. Never just reach in a pouch or a nest box and grab your sugar glider! You risk frightening them and getting bitten. If your glider seems to get cranky the minute you get near the pouch, just remove the pouch and carry it around with him in it while speaking gently to him.

Removing your sugar glider’s sleeping pouch from his cage and carrying him around is a good way to begin the process. Let him continue sleeping, and he will begin to get used to your scent and presence. Since sugar gliders are nocturnal, this discussion assumes it is daytime, of course. If you get home from work after dark, it is most likely that your sugar glider will be up and active, so his sleeping pouch will be unoccupied and you’ll need to coax him into your hands. Once you and your sugar glider are bonded, keep in mind that excessive daytime playing can be stressful for a glider. Carrying him around while he is sleeping during the day will almost always be a pleasant experience for both of you. Eventually, he may get up the courage to come out and explore – maybe even climb through your hair!

Yes, many sugar gliders do like to sleep in your pockets! And some sugar glider owners have found that if they wear two tee shirts, their new glider will sleep between the two layers as they are carried around. That way, the glider feels safe and warm and he grows accustomed to your scent. Quite a few female sugar glider owners report that they have “bra-trained” their gliders! The sugar glider settles in to sleep between the two bra cups. Be sure you’re not allergic to your sugar glider before you try this! And make sure your sugar glider is not prone to nipping/biting. Ask members on some of the internet sugar glider discussion forums about this practice if you are interested in bonding with your sugar glider this way.

(To be continued…)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.