[Pathwalker]

Hey, this might be a stupid question, but does anyone know if it's better to have 2, 3, 4, etc....sugar gliders? I mean, I know it's imperative that you own at least 2, but does it make them happier if you have 3 or more? Or will that only make them more likely to get irritated with each other?

Thanks.

[Tek_Freek]

This is from:

Sugar Glider Info

Is it fact or fiction that keeping more than one glider makes it harder to bond with them? Sugar gliders are capable of loving many. In the wild, sugar gliders live in colonies made up of multiple animals. In our own household, we keep four sugar gliders strictly as pets. The four all live together in one sugar glider mansion.
They love each other dearly. They all love the humans in our household. And one of these gliders has developed an incredibly strong bond with both our dog and our cat (see Arnold and Fais Do in this picture). Please be cautioned, however, that gliders cannot compete with bigger animals and you must supervise your gliders interaction with other pets to prevent injury or worse. The moral of the story is that keeping multiple gliders will not affect their ability or desire to develop a strong bond with their human companions.

[Pathwalker]

Thanks for the link. That answers my question!

[nomoresnow]

What a neat animal! Are they related to "flying" squirrels? I've never heard of them. Thanks for the photos, Tek.

[Synopsis]

Why is it imperative to have two or more? We have one that seems to be very happy, but if we're depriving the little guy of something I'd surely like to know. Do they have to have companionship of their own kind or else they are not happy?

[cassy1]

I never heard of them. What are they, like little hamsters?

[Pathwalker]

Sugar gliders are very friendly, intelligent social animals. They are little marsupials that kinda look like a cross between a possum and a chipmunk or squirrel. You can see pictures of them here: sugar gliders - Google Image Search
They are community dwellers, so in a sense yes they need other gliders around in order to be happy. I just wasn't sure if "the more, the merrier" applied to them. I wanted to check to see if having more than 2 would increase the likelihood of them getting "annoyed" with each other.

Basically, they might seem happy when alone, but it's probably only because their owners are playing with them a lot and interacting with them. However, they are nocturnal and if you're sleeping while they are awake, they will feel alone, depressed and stressed. They live in families in the wild, so having a "family" of other gliders as pets gives them a sense of security and community.

[cassy1]

So are they a good pet, or do they stay in a cage like hampsters?

[Pathwalker]

Oh sure, they're wonderful little pets. They'll bond with you just like a dog or cat. And no, they don't have to stay in their cage. You can let them out to frolic around. Just need to be careful they don't get caught up in something they can't get out of, because they are inquisitive little guys. I'd be careful exposing them to larger pets you may have, since they could get hurt. A large bird will cause them stress, because they are a glider's natural predator. Cats and dogs might be intrigued by them, but I wouldn't allow them to be alone with each other. If you have any other pets, it's best to keep the gliders in their cages, or in a room to themselves. And I wouldn't really let them outside unless you can keep a clear eye on them and not let them get away. Better to do it when it's not sunny, and maybe keep them on a harness. Especially don't let them near trees.

[cassy1]

How big are these guys? The pictures don't look like they are very big, like if you let them run around your house don't they hide, or snooze somewhere that you can't find them? Quite interesting, do they bond well with people just like a dog or cat?