Would a sugar glider be good pet for me?

Okay first thing.

those websites? They're no good. LOTS of people have had problems with EACH of those website.. My own vet considers each ones to be absolute jokes. HORRIBE sites, really..

I'm just going to go through your question and comment as I go....

Now, one thing to consider is your age...

You're 15. Sugar gliders can live for 15 years. Can you commit to a sugar glider for 15 years? Probably not. Think about what'll happen when/if you go off to college in a few years... the sugar glider will probably not be able to come with.

Now, diet..

Diet is NOT just pellets as those sites say. In fact, those are AWFUL to feed. The ingredients are absolutely terrible.. in fact, the first ingredient on the "powder" is sucrose, which is sugar... Not very nutrious. Good diets are things like BML, HPW, Priscilla Price's Diet.. all diets that you make up at home (they are not overly complex though). You feed whichever homemade diet you please with fruits and veggies nightly.

Another thing is "they don't try to run away if they are bonded". Not always true.. Sugar gliders are curious creatures, they like to explore. Beyond that, if something scares them, they may jump off of you.. And bonding is NEVER guaranteed. That said, you can certainly keep the sugar glider in a zippered bonding pouch while you go about doing most other activities.

Cleaning.. this is my cleaning schedule..

Monday: switch out their sleeping pouches for clean ones

Tuesday: clean /switch their toys

Wedneday: clean the cage itself (which means taking everything out, and in my case, steam cleaning it)

EVERY day I wipe down the floor of the cage.. I use a "kitchen", but my gliders take the food OUT of the kitchen, so it doesn't help too much.

One cage cleaning every two months is nowhere near enough..

Sugar gliders are MORE work than a rabbit or rat..so keep that in mind.

NO the sugar glider would NOT be okay if kept as a single. Sugar gliders are very stress prone creatures.. You NEED to keep them with another glider (even if you can spend 12 hours a day with the glider, it is not enough!)

12x16x36 is WAY too small.

I am worried that if you are not able to afford another sugar glider, you would not be able to afford the vet care if the sugar glider you did get would get sick. As the saying goes, "If you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet." Since sugar gliders are exotic animals, you would need to find a vet that would be able to work on them and who is knowledgeable about the species. No good breeder would allow you to take a sugar glider if you did not know of such a vet, and anyone who would sell it to you without a knowledgeable vet is NOT someone you'd want to buy your sugar glider from.

I have not had sugar gliders myself, although I have done quite a bit of research on them (and ultimately decided I would not have the time to properly care for them). I don't think that this is the type of pet you are looking for, as you will need to prepare fresh meals for them, and they are going to be quite a bit of work. If you think that a rabbit would be too much work, I think you'll be disappointed to find that a sugar glider will be just as much work, if not more.

Finally, any information you're getting from the people associated with Perfect Pocket Pets is probably not the most reliable, as they are a "glider mill". I don't remember all of the sites they are associated with (and I can't check them since those are blocked on my work computer), but they generally tell you that sugar gliders are easy to care for. From what I'm reading on your question, it looks like you found a couple. Find a forum with people who actually own the animals, and will tell you the good with the bad so that you are able to make an informed decision.

Anything can make a good pet if you understand the animals habits and what makes it happy. Sugar gliders are difficult pets to own succesfully, but if you are willing to invest time and money, they can be a very rewarding pet. I suggest doing your research because sugar gliders are indeed good pets, but they may not be the best pet for you.

ok let me first start out by saying that 2 of your 3 sites condone the use of heat rocks insisting that their is nothing to be afraid of and that is how a sugar gliders cage should be heated. that is completely and uterly wrong heat rocks are notorious for shorting out and burning animals. if you can only buy one than just make sure you spend a lot of time with it. cages should be epoxy coated or powder blasted and dimensions should be 2'X2'X3'. the only reason that a glider would smell bad is if you are not feeding the right diet. they are sweet if you take the time to bond with them. another thing i forgot sugargliderinfo.org is a glider mill which essentially is just like a puppy mill.

I had a friend with a sugar glider. They smell extremely bad, they they aren't loyal or sweet. They sometimes scratch & when you hold then you have to keep them in a bag... I wouldn't suggest one.

YES, Sugar Gliders DO suckk