Sugar gliders are starting to become more and more popular as pets these days. Once you see how cute they are, it’s easy to understand why people enjoy owning them.
You might be wondering whether it’s safe to get such a pet, though. This isn’t the same as getting a standard cat or a dog.
Are sugar gliders dangerous? Could your family be harmed by the sugar glider if something goes wrong?
Continue reading to learn more about sugar gliders. You’ll learn about whether a sugar glider is a safe pet so you can make an informed decision.
Sugar Gliders Might Bite You
One way that sugar gliders are a bit dangerous involves biting. It’s fairly normal for sugar gliders to bite their owners in the early stages of the relationship.
Sugar gliders are captured and then sold in pet stores. They take time to bond with their owners and might not be trusting at first.
This is a normal reaction for an animal that has just gone through a bit of an ordeal. The bites aren’t likely to seriously injure you, but they can certainly be an annoyance.
When you get bitten by a sugar glider, it’s going to sting. Many describe a sugar glider bite as “similar to being pricked by a pin.”
Others say it’s a bit more painful than that. Either way, you should know that these animals have sharp teeth.
It takes time to bond with sugar gliders. They won’t open up to you right away.
Generally, it takes between four and six weeks to fully bond with these animals. After you’ve bonded with them, the biting should stop, but they might start trying to groom you as a sign of infection.
This isn’t exactly pleasant either, but it is a lot better than actually being bitten. Just know what to expect if you choose to welcome one of these pets into your home.
Sugar Gliders Might Carry Diseases
Another way that sugar gliders might be dangerous has to do with disease. You see, sugar gliders are captured in the wild and they’re going to have the potential to carry diseases.
Often, these pets are imported and they might bring diseases with them. Getting bitten by the sugar glider has the potential to make you sick.
You can see why this is a serious problem. It’s recommended to make sure that you’ve been vaccinated before purchasing one of these animals.
It’s wise to be vaccinated against many types of diseases. If you aren’t up to date on vaccinations, you might want to skip buying a sugar glider as a pet.
Is it really worth it to put yourself at risk of contracting a disease? You know that biting is very common in the first month of owning a sugar glider.
Since you’re very likely to get bitten, it’s not something you can simply ignore. It’s best to take this seriously and do what you can to protect yourself.
In some cases, you might not want to buy a sugar glider as a pet. There are people who choose to vaccinate their sugar gliders, but there are some reports that this might be dangerous for the animals.
You can speak to an exotic veterinarian to get advice. Just ensure that they have knowledge of sugar gliders first so they can give you a truly informed opinion.
It’s Fine to Own Sugar Gliders
Given the information above, you might be worried that owning sugar gliders is a bad idea. This isn’t really true.
Sugar gliders are affectionate and cuddly animals. They can bite you, but it’s not that big of a deal overall.
So long as you’ve been vaccinated, getting bitten by a sugar glider will be little more than an annoyance. As your sugar glider learns to trust you, this biting will stop almost completely.
Your pet sugar glider will only bite you if you do something wrong. If you make the animal feel threatened or frightened, it might choose to bite you to get you to back off.
If you’re handling the sugar glider with care, this shouldn’t occur. After you’ve fully bonded with the sugar glider, it’ll treat you very sweetly moving forward.
Owning sugar gliders can be a satisfying experience. You simply need to know to expect some biting while your pet is getting used to you.
You might want to ensure that you don’t let children interact with sugar gliders, though. It’s better for adults to handle them since they will better understand how to treat the pets gently.
Of course, you don’t want your kids to harm the pet, but you also don’t want the opposite to happen. It’s not that sugar gliders are incredibly dangerous, it’s just that children often aren’t as careful as adults.
A child might be more likely to make mistakes with puppies and kittens, too. You just have to make good choices both as a parent and as a pet owner.
Is Buying a Sugar Glider Right for You?
Whether buying a sugar glider is right for you will depend on the situation. For some, it might not be practical to own these animals.
It’s said that it’s best to own two sugar gliders. Keeping one by itself might cause it to get lonely, and that would be a cruel thing to do to such a nice animal.
You’ll also want ample space that you can dedicate to the sugar gliders. They’ll need a cage, but it’s also good to have a safe room that you can let them play in.
This gives them an opportunity to climb, jump, and glide. They might not be able to do this if you only keep them in a cage.
You should also expect to spend a little more money caring for these pets than you will some other types of pets. They will need exotic veterinarians, and the services of such professionals might be more expensive than you’re used to.
If you’re prepared for potential problems, you can decide to buy a sugar glider as a pet if you’re ready. Just know what you’re getting into so you can have a good experience.
Final Thoughts
There are a few different ways that sugar gliders might be a bit dangerous. They can and will bite you during the early days of owning them.
Sugar gliders are capable of biting just like most other animals. They have sharp teeth and getting bitten is likely going to hurt.
It isn’t going to be so bad that it’ll cause you serious injury, though. After you fully bond with the sugar glider, it shouldn’t bite you unless you scare it or do something wrong.
There is a chance that sugar gliders might carry diseases, too. Since many sugar gliders are imported, it’s wise to be up to date on your vaccinations before buying one of these animals.
This information shouldn’t completely deter you from buying sugar gliders. These cute pets can still be a lot of fun and it’s hard to say that they’re truly dangerous.
Sugar gliders are affectionate and fun pets once you get used to them. You need to allow the pets to get used to you by spending time with them and building trust.
Keep this in mind and then decide if the pets are right for your home. It could be a very satisfying situation if you’re able to dedicate enough time to play with them.
I have a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When I’m not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, I’m at home with my wife, two daughters and a dog. Outside of family, I love grilling and barbequing on my Big Green Egg and working on projects around the house. Growing up, I had pet dogs, cats, deer, sugar gliders, chinchillas, a bird, chickens, fish, and a goat.