Sugar Glider Safety Part 1

Before you even bring your sugar glider home, you should begin thinking about how you are going to glider-proof your house or apartment. Gliders can get into trouble, sometimes with tragic consequences, if you don’t think about their safety in advance. Remember that they are small creatures, capable of squeezing themselves into tiny spaces. If left to run loose in your house, they can get into just about anything!

The golden rule is: Never permit your glider to run around unsupervised! It is always best to play with them in a room that is always glider-proof. But even if you do always supervise your sugar glider in a safe room, you should be prepared for the possibility that he might escape or that he might get into something harmful.

As you look around your home, think about how you would child-proof it. Think of a sugar glider as a tiny, furry, very agile toddler. And then add to that any potential danger that would arise from the sugar glider’s ability to get into heating vents, under closet doors, etc. Here are some precautions you should take before permitting your sugar glider to run around your home:

Electrical outlets and electrical cords: Sugar gliders have been known to chew on electrical cords, and they have been known to stick their tongues inside an electrical outlet. In both cases, they can electrocute themselves! Electrical outlets are easily made glider-proof by installing child safety plugs, available at any hardware or home-improvement store. Electrical cords are a bit trickier. Some owners put pepper sauce on their cords to dissuade their gliders from chewing, but that can be messy, insufficient and painful to your glider. Other people run their electrical cords through PVC pipe, or they staple them close to the wall, to lessen the temptation. There is no perfect solution to this problem. The bottom line is this: supervise your sugar glider closely, and keep the electrical cords in your glider area to the minimum possible.

Paper: Some sugar gliders are fond of chewing paper. While they do not chew to the same extent as a rodent does, be sure to keep any important papers out of your glider’s path. While paper chewing is more of a nuisance to the owner than a safety issue, if a sugar glider ate enough of the paper, his digestive system could dysfunction.

Windows and doors: A sugar glider can be out an open window or door in a nanosecond. Once he is outside, your chances of recapturing him are just about zero. Whenever your sugar glider is loose in the house, you must make sure no one opens a window or a door that could give the glider a chance to escape. Additionally, if there is a space between the bottom of an interior door and the carpeting or flooring, your sugar glider may be able to squeeze under the door and scamper around the house.

(To be continued…)

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