Saturday, November 20, 2010

Choosing a Cage For Your Sugar Glider

Sugar glider cage
Owning a sugar glider can be a rewarding experience. If you are considering bringing one (or more) into your home you will want a cage for your friend to live in. Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding on a glider cage. These tips will help provide safety to your sugar glider and peace of mind to yourself.
Pet cages are available in a variety of materials. Cages made from bare wire can irritate a glider's feet so it is best to look for a wire cage that is powder-coated or possible one made of vinyl. Powder-coated wire is easier to clean and more forgiving to your glider's feet. Plexi-glass cages look nice when they are new but scratch easily as sugar gliders like to climb.
Gliders enjoy climbing and jumping and, because of this, you need to consider the height of the cage. Vertical space is more important in sugar glider cages than horizontal space. A good rule of thumb is at least three feet of vertical space for a glider, although it is certainly alright to get a cage taller than three feet.
Sugar glider cage
It is also important to make sure the bars on the cage are no more than 1 inch apart. Bars with ½ inch of space between them work well, also. A wire cage will allow your glider to climb on the cage instead of buying something to put inside the cage for him or her to climb on.
Sugar gliders are very intelligent animals and can learn to open their own cage. For their safety it is a good idea to find a cage that has a secure lock or latch that they can't get open themselves.
Gliders are great pets and can provide a lot of enjoyment. Choosing the right cage will eliminate a lot of hassle down the road and allow you too take more pleasure in your new family member.
Derrick is an avid pet owner and an expert in pet cages. Visit Derrick's website to find deals on sugar glider cages for sale.

Cleaning Sugar Glider Cages

Ideal cage
If you think it's disgusting smelling, your sugar gliders probably think it's disgusting living in it. The cage will need to be completely cleaned out at least a once a week, maybe more if you have more than 2 sugar gliders. You will probably have to do a quick spot cleaning at least twice a week. A clean environment will keep them healthy.
If left in the cage for a long period, urine will begin to turn into ammonia, which is incredibly harmful to a sugar gliders respiratory system. Fecal matter, especially if it is an area where it is getting wet, can give rise to harmful bacteria that can be ingested or even inhaled making your sugar glider sick. Moist bedding or litter can cause fungus growth. A litter box or drop pan will help with feces. A clean cage will also help to make your home environment healthier and odor free. Remember that if you can smell dirty cages it is much more extreme and stressful to the animals living in them.
Step 1. Cleaning (removing visible dirt and debris) First, spray the cage with water to soften the residue. Then clean the cage by using an ordinary household soap such as dish washing liquid. A scrub brush and pressure nozzle for your hose will help you to dislodge stubborn debris from the cage and accessories. Small accessories can be soaked in a sink full of hot soapy water and scrubbed before disinfecting. This is only the first step in full cage cleaning.
Step 2. Disinfecting (destroying microorganisms or pathogens) Spray the cage and the accessories with your chosen disinfectant. Let the solution remain on the articles long enough to disinfect them (reading the directions will give the time it takes each particular product to do its job). These solutions can also be used on floors and walls around the cage as long as you rinse them well. After viral outbreaks use a cleaning agent that is specifically a virucide. Cleaning & Disinfecting Solutions (always rinse well)
  • Dish washing soap - cleaner only
  • Nolvasan (contains: chlorhexidine diacetate)-Bactericidal and virucidal
  • Vinegar (contains: 5 % acetic acid) mildly bactericidal
  • Hydrogen peroxide 3% (medical grade) - mildly bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal
  • Hydrogen peroxide 35% (technical grade) - bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal)
  • Citricidal (contains:grape seed extract) mildly bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal
  • Household bleach (contains:5.25% sodium hypochlorite ) - bactericidal and virucidal
  • Parvosol (contains: quaternary ammonium chloride) - bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal
  • Antibacterial liquid soap- bactericidal
  • Spectrosol (contains: quaternary ammonium chloride) - bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal
  • Oxyfresh (contains: stabilized chlorine dioxide) - bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal
Note: Lysol contains phenols and is not recommended for cleaning cages or accessories.
Step 3. Rinsing Rinse the cage and all accessories thoroughly. Make sure that you can not feel or smell any residual cleaning solution. This is a very important step. Some of the cleaners can be harmful to your small pets.
Step 4. Drying You can either air dry the cage and accessories or wipe them down with a clean towel. Air drying in the sun is particularly good if you want to make sure all organisms are killed.
The Hospital Cage Extra attention must be given when cleaning the cage of a sick pet, especially if it is going to be used later to house healthy pets. Meticulous care also needs to be taken if parasitic infestation is involved. In these scenarios, use strong solutions that kill bacteria, fungus, and viruses. After sterilization rinse thoroughly, and sun dry. After an infectious illness any accessories made from wood, wicker, or grass should be discarded. After a parasite outbreak these porous items need to be thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and not used for any other animals for a minimum of two weeks. Food dishes should be cleaned, disinfected and then run through the dishwasher. Water bottles need to be completely taken apart (be sure to remove the washer) and all parts cleaned and sterilized.
Fabric Accessories You will want to thoroughly clean all cloth items used for your pet on a regular basis. Change the pouches, cage sets, tray liners and other fabric items as they get soiled (in-between cage cleanings). Wash with hypo-allergenic soap in warm or hot water in your washing machine. To clean fabric accessories that are particularly soiled, used in a sick cage, or contaminated with parasites, add a small amount of bleach or Oxyclean and use hot water. When using bleach or another disinfectant rinse twice to be sure that all chemicals are removed. Drying these items in the dryer at a high temperature for a minimum of 20 minutes will aid in combating microorganisms and parasitic infestations. Cleaning Tips
  • Avoid perfumed household cleaners
  • Spot clean in-between cage cleanings
  • Keep a smaller cage for your pets to go in during cleaning
  • Always clean in a well-ventilated area away from your pets
  • Remove all accessories and clean well
  • Spray the cage with water to soften the debris before cleaning
  • Be sure all debris is removed before disinfecting
  • Leave disinfectant on for a minimum of 10 minutes
  • Take extra care with disinfecting hospital cages
  • Rinse carefully to remove all cleaning agents
  • Dry cage before putting your pets back in
  • Use direct sunlight to dry and sanitize whenever possible
  • Always sanitize and refill water bottles and food dishes
  • Clean nursery cages more often
The whole process could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour each week, but remember it needs to be done. Just like you clean your shower and toilet, or wash the kitchen counters after cooking, sugar gliders need their cages as clean as possible because they can be messy and if that continues to build up, not only could it endanger them, over time it could possibly endanger your health as well.
For a complete guide to caring for Sugar Gliders, visit Sugar Glider Pet Guide. You will also find out more information regarding what states Sugar Gliders are legal in.

Common Characteristics of Sugar Gliders

Sugar Glider
Nowadays, the coolest animal that you can ever have as a pet is a Sugar Glider. This cute and cuddly pet will be surely loved by the kids, also by your family. You can surely be proud having this cute pet.
This exotic animal, like most people, can be very nice to others if they have been treated well. Feeding it with right food at the right time can surely make it so nice. Treating it right, you can feel their appreciation on the form of their behavior. This is one great characteristics of sugar gliders have that you cannot find on other exotic pets. This small cute marsupial does not eat much, but they have special diet to maintain their healthy life style. Pet owners should include some particular foods on their diet.
Petaurus briceps is the scientific name of this small arboreal marsupial that can be mostly found in the native forest of Australia, New Guinea, including the state islands of Indonesia and Tasmania. Members of the same type of family are the kangaroos, opossums, wombats and Tasmanian devils.
One common characteristic of Sugar gliders can be easily recognized by the extra ordinary thickness of their grayish soft mink that resemble the hair and posses black stripe throughout the body that is inline with their spine. The black stripe is located from the heartht to the tail. Here are some things that you will need to know about the characteristics of sugar gliders.
* The face and the legs of this animal have a dramatic black shades.
* The width of their body is equal to the length of the tail, which commonly measures five to six inches.
* Adult Sugar Glider weighs about four to six ounces, however, males can exceed this proximity because they are much bigger than the female.
* Sugar Glider, like many other marsupials, they also have the pouch were they carry their young's, that are commonly know as the Joey's
* In the natural habitat, they are tree dwelling and mostly living in a herd, which is composed of fifteen to thirty members.
* This exotic animal are nocturnal that mainly feed on small vertebrates like insects and plants such as the acacia tree, eucalyptus and the gum tree.
* Sugar gliders can be compared to the flying squirrel because they glide themselves above up to a hundred feet. They glide using their membrane, which is called the patagium and by using their tail, the direction can be control while on the air.
* They posses opposable fingers and toes and the male has a forked penis.
* Their ear moves frequently in other for them to hear even the smallest sounds.
* Ears of this animal are hairless, large and thin.
* Sugar Gliders individually have unique scents that are been recognized by other Sugar Glider. The scent gland of the male is located on the head that appear like a diamond while on the female it is located near the pouch.
Joel Ashton is a sugar gliders expert. Discover The ULTIMATE Guide For Sugar Gliders Care And Learn The Secrets About Proper Sugar Gliders Care!
Discover more information about Characteristics Of Sugar Glider, visit http://www.adoptsugargliders.com.

Sugar Glider Care

Consider the choice to choose a sugar glider as a pet with great care. They are exceptional creatures as they become attached with regards to their owner, however it is essential to take into account that they're uncommon animals and one must think about the particular needs that are very specific to gliders. Glider care involves feeding them the ideal diet to make sure they be given a nicely balanced food regimen, arranging their particular glider cages properly, in addition to enjoying ample time connecting with each other.
While there isn't much difficult called for, you should be knowledgeable about every aspect of their total care and handling in order that you satisfy each of their requirements appropriately. If you don't have the opportunity to become a responsible sugar glider pet owner, it's not a good idea to acquire one. There are additional pets that are much better suited to folks who would not have much time.
Before you decide to purchase any pet, it is important to realize that it's a responsibility for the duration of the pet's life. Due to this, you ought to do an examination concerning the life expectancy associated with the pet animal. In the event you obtain any animal which might survive several years, you better be certain that it's possible to take good care of the creature for 10 years or more. Sugar gliders could certainly live between 8 to fifteen years during captivity. The very commitment that you really make when you buy a glider is comparable to that you'd make purchasing a dog or a cat.
When you have decided to get a sugar glider as a family pet, you have to have an understanding of a couple of things in an effort to take care of it the right way. Before anything else, you really need to analyze the proper diet gliders must have to stay in good physical shape. There are some health concerns connected so it is vital that they can get the recommended nutrition. Second, you really should review the most important domiciles in addition to pet toys that experts claim gliders require to be happy. As an example, gliders need extra tall wired sugar glider cages so they can climb.
The next significant issue you must explore is actually how can one link correctly with their sugar glider. Gliders should have a whole lot of your attention, and if they do not receive sufficient time with you, they can become down. You possibly can pick up 2 gliders should you not have enough time to spend bonding, given that they can bond on their own with each other. If you elect to obtain two gliders, you'll want to get them together.
If you are interested in Sugar gliders as pets you'll want to provide them with a good home. To view our line of sugar glider enclosures please visit http://Innovative-Enclosures.com which specializes in all different types of quality animal cages at discounted prices. You now have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.