Adopting Through A Breeder
There are many benefits to choosing to adopt your first gliders from a breeder.
Choosing A Breeder
So you’ve decided to add a sugar glider to your family? Since we’re here to help you, not JUST to show off our cute little joeys, here are some tips about selecting your breeder!
Having a USDA license does NOT mean they are a good breeder. (Many mill breeders are licensed!)
Ask for and check references. Don’t be shy! Ask around on the different glider forums or even glider facebook pages about which ever breeder you are considering.
What are some signs of a good breeder?
A good breeder will let you see their “facilities” and the parents of the glider you are wanting. Check to see their facility is clean, that the cages are of sufficient size and that the gliders have toys and wheels in their cages.
Ask them about diet. What they feed the parents and what the joeys will be weened onto. A good breeder will have their gliders on an approved diet. A good breeder also won’t ‘require’ you to use their diet. You should take time to wean the joeys off of it if you chose to, but you should be free to choose your own diet.
Ask them at what age they separate the joeys from the parents. (They should be no younger than 8 weeks out of pouch before being separated from the parents.) Ask them how they determine the age of the joeys. If it’s from their actual birth date or from their OOP(out of pouch) date. (It’s normal for a breeder to keep the joeys anywhere from 8 weeks up until 12 weeks, so don’t be suprised if you don’t get to take them home right at 8 weeks.)
Ask them about after sale support. A good breeder should be willing to answer questions before, during and after the adoption process, usually throughout the life of your suggie. We personally are happy to offer support, advice and answers to any questions whether people choose to adopt from us or not, we just want people to be as informed about sugar gliders as they can so their sugar glider can live a safe and happy life.
Ask them to see their vet records for the parents, joeys or other gliders and for a vet reference.
Ask if the gliders are related and if the breeder has a family tree on them. You want to avoid inbred gliders as they could have genetic medical issues. This is mainly and especially important for colored gliders, their lineage should go a decent ways back depending on the indivindual lineage. Grays usually don’t have as much lineage, but at least one generation or possibly two back should be known.
Look at the glider itself. Their fur should be fluffy and soft/silky. They should be bright eyed and alert. They should not be hand shy or afraid but friendly and social. (Both the parents and the joeys.)
A good breeder should be comfortable with questions. Tons of questions – which you should be asking. Any
annoyance or hesitation on the breeder’s part is cause for question. A good breeder will want the reassurance
their glider(s) are going to the perfect home. If the breeder seems like they would sell to anyone with money, be cautious.
Also, it’s very important to ask WHERE they got their gliders. A good breeder will start spouting off where they got each, lines they’re from, etc. If they hesitate or say they got them in the paper or from just some person, you can’t be sure there’s not any inbreeding/defects in the line, plus it’s a HUGE sign of an irresponsible breeder.
Any rescuer or breeder should be as interested in you as you are in them! They want to know where their babies are going!
So don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions because a good breeder will not only welcome the questions, but reciprocate with many of their own.