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Originally Posted by thenaughtygirl
They are really cute but they are not easy to keep track of. A friend of mine had his lost around the house for weeks. I don't think it is legal to sell them in the US.
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They are legal in most states. CA is one I know where they are NOT legal and I have heard that they do go after anyone they suspect of keeping/breeding them.
They're interesting animals but require specialized diets including live food, a specially blended base food which can sometimes not be purchased locally, and fresh fruits daily. Shady dealers/breeders will tell you all kinds of things like that you can feed them baby food or cat food or that you can keep them in gerbil cages. They also live for 15-20 years, not a couple of years like a gerbil or something.
Another big issue is that they live in family groups in the wild and can become so distressed that they won't eat or can even self mutilate if you leave them alone while at work, school, vacation. For this reason I don't recommend that ANY sugar glider be kept as a solitary pet under any circumstances. They NEED to be in at least pairs, either a neutered male and female, two females or brothers raised together.
Do a lot of research because they are NOT your average house pet! I've been keeping/breeding them for over two years now and just recently sold my latest set of twins. It will be our last batch of babies because they are becoming harder and harder to place as more and more people dump unwanted ones on to the market. Because they can take many months to bond with and sometimes aren't too pleasant if they haven't been handled enough, many people give up on them within the first few months and sell them. If she really wants one, I would suggest adoption. Anyway, feel free to hit me up for info or help persuading your girlfriend not to get one.
