Comments on: Pricey pocket-sized pet proves popular

By: stephanie

stephanie — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:49:42 +0000

In another comment it said more blame needs to be put on those who buy the gliders. Well Perfect Pocket Pets tells you theyre a really easy pet to care for, never need a vet, theyre super clean, etc, etc. They also tell you don’t bother to look for information anywhere beyond them. They even go as far as calling them “sugar bears” just in case you do look them up, you will only find their website. Sadly many people do not look for information beyond what Perfect Pocket Pets tells them. (because they’re “right” and everyone else in the world including your vet is wrong) So people bring them home thinking they’re going to be very easy to care for when in reality they are not. Not to mention how many of these gliders die because of parasites and poor diets due to poor information given by perfect pocket pets and other companies alike.
This is an actual conversation that has taken place between and owner and pocket pets.
owner: I just brought my glider to the vet, he said has giardia and needs to be medicated.
PPP: your vet does not know much about gliders, joeys are supposed to have parasites.

now this is like saying people are supposed to have tapeworms.
they also reccomend giving a glider pepto bismol. which is not good for any animal. its chemicals are very harsh and could quickly kill an animal that small.
So Perfect Pocket Pets is a lot to blame.

By: dstrong

dstrong — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:25:40 +0000

As always, BUYER BEWARE! All people looking to acquire another member of their family, fur covered or not, should do research before acquiring ANY animal. I’ve read all the information I was given by Pocket Pets and so far, I haven’t had a problem. I even researched other sites including thier origination and diet. Of course no one knows everything about these little ones but If I have any questions, they are just a phone call or email away. I don’t think they’re a “mill”. When I ordered mine, I was questioned about the cage I had, whether or not I already owned a glider, if I knew about thier diet and care. I didn’t feel like they lied to me at all. Sure, thier gliders are tame and can be held by just about anyone. They’re adorable and seem very friendly but THAT BOND and TRUST takes TIME. For anyone who thinks you can just take them home and they’re that tame is just STUPID! And, If you can’t afford a vet for the care of any of your pets then you shouldn’t own any. When you have a child, do you think it’s never going to need a physician? Come one!
Animals are as individual as humans so thier care can be just as varied.
I think alot of blame is being put on Pocket Pets, the company, and not enough responsibility is being accepted by those who have purchased gliders from them.

By: cjpizzo1993

cjpizzo1993 — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:46:01 +0000

Wow, pretty much everything that they said is untrue.

They smell, they make a mess. THEIR DIET IS SUPER EXPENSIVE. They are not as easy as taking care of a hampster or mouse. They require a lot of attention EVERYDAY. I have 8 gliders, and its a full time job. I breed them. Their diet I feed them cost’s about $25 a week. This isnt a pet you should just go out and buy. You need to know what your doing. I think that they should make people have a license to own them. Too many people get them and dont care for them correctly. Last week I went to this ladys house to look at her gliders, and they were mean, and were in a very small bird cage. You need a ferrit sized cage atlest (another $150).. I think that its very wrong what Perfect Pocket Pets say, that misleading people, and puting sugar gliders where they souldnt be.

By: kipluck

kipluck — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:42:50 +0000

I have 3 WONDERFUL sugar gliders and just want to say that pretty much everything Perfect Pocket Pets says is a LIE.

Okay, except for the fact that they are from Australia and are marsupials. But about their care. Sugar gliders ARE exotics and high-maintenance. I do not agree with H$U$ and their stance as I believe we should have the right to RESPONSIBLY own exotics. Gliders HAVE been owned for generations and bond strongly with humans, BUT in order to own one, people should DO THEIR RESEARCH!!! They are NOT easy pets and have special needs.

Food is not cheap (PPP’s food is CRAP.), bonding is not always quick, etc. For real info ask at good sites like http://www.glidercentral.net/ NOT Perfect Pocket Pets.

By: MrsAych

MrsAych — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:41:17 +0000

The truth about Sugar Gliders from a someone who owns one… soon to be two. They smell. Despite almost constant cage cleaning the DO have an odor. They have scent glands and WILL mark their cages. The more you clean the scent away the more they may mark. The DO bite. Some may be more docile than others, but all are capable of biting hard and until they’re used to you, they will bite or attempt to bite… They are not “quick to bond”. This takes a lot of time and isn’t always successful. I know plenty of people who have never gotten their gliders to bond. They are not easy to feed if you want to provide a diet that is actually good for them. There are commercial glider pellets available, but these are NOT the best thing for them. They need fresh fruits, vegetables, sources of protein including insects… how cute is that? They are messy with their food. They ingest some of it, but the rest is chewed up and spit around the cage… sometimes outside of the cage. They DO require vet care more often than certain people will lead you to believe. And when they need this care you can’t just take them to any vet. The require a vet who specializes in exotics… more specifically someone who has experience with sugar gliders. Don’t believe it? Call around to the local vets in your area and see how many of them can treat a sugar glider. Some of the places I called didn’t even know what a sugar glider was. They are prone to calcium deficiency if their diet isn’t balanced with a 2:1 calcium:phosphorus ratio. This leaves them unable to use their hind legs and can kill them. They should also be kept in pairs if not colonies of 3 or more. When kept alone they will often over groom, causing bald spots. They may even self mutilate when kept alone. They are nocturnal. Not in the sense of a hamster who is out in the early evening to play, but in the sense that most gliders don’t even wake up until sometime between 10 pm and 12 am. And they require around 2 hours or more of time out of their cages every night… especially if kept alone. Their cages should be large… not as in big enough for a rat, a ferret, or a rabbit. More like at least 3 – 4 feet in height. Most of their awake time is during the hours that most people sleep. Are they cute? Absolutely. Are the easy to care for? Absolutely NOT. The require more commitment than most human relationships and can quickly get sick and even die if they don’t get everything they need.