The worst mistake you can make as a glider owner is OVER-CLEANING the cage. Sugar gliders are scent-driven animals, and they will scent-mark their territory. Every time you clean accessories in the cage, or the cage itself, you will be washing away existing scent marks, so your gliders will be inclined to refresh the area with new scent markings.
To limit this habit, you should always clean your gliders cage and accessories on a rotating basis. It may help to create a cleaning schedule for yourself, in which you wash all the toys and accessories one week, then the pouches the next week, then the cage bars and shelves the following week. By doing this, some of the existing scent marks will stay present and your gliders will be less inclined to create new markings or over-mark their territory.
You can spot clean your cage once a day, wiping away any large spots of urine, feces or food debris. The cage bars and accessories can be sprayed down with a nontoxic cleaner like Kage Kleen or Nature's Miracle Cage Wipes, avoiding porous surfaces like wood shelf platforms and perches. Avoid any type of vinegar solution as this will cause rust and shorten the life of your cage. We offer non-abrasive poly fiber Cage Scrubs to help remove built on grime or debris.
Gliders are nocturnal, so they sleep during the day and are active at night. Most cleaning that is done during the day can be done with the gliders in the cage, sleeping in their nest pouches. At this time, you can remove extra pouches, toys, accessories, tray liners, etc. If you need to spray down the cage bars or the entire cage, you will have to remove your gliders from the cage first. Make sure they are safely secured for the duration that they are out of the cage. Try one of our Carry Bonding Pouches or Travel Carriers to keep them comfortably enclosed.
Nest pouches should be swapped out and washed in intervals. You should always keep at least 1-2 nest pouches in the cage at all time, so you can remove one dirty pouch and replace it with a fresh clean one. After a few days or the following week, remove the second dirty pouch (that wasn't changed out last time) and swap it with a fresh clean one. If you use nesting material, it should be removed from the cage when visibly dirty and replaced with new, fresh material.
Food and water dishes must be kept thoroughly clean, we recommend using a bottle brush for water bottles. Glass water bottles and ceramic or stainless-steel bowls are more sterile than plastic dishes.
Air freshners will usually just mask the smell of gliders, while an air purifier can help improve the air quality and make your gliders space less smelly.
A seemingly easy rule is many times forgotten, despite its importance; always wash your hands before and after handling your pet or its cage accessories. Besides keeping your pet healthy, this will help prevent the spread of disease from your animals to the rest of your house.
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Notice: Exotic Nutrition cannot provide specific care guidelines on an individual basis. Please consult a veterinarian or experienced breeder.
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