In Reply to: To breed or not to breed.... posted by Shianne on February 15, 19100 at 18:47:38:

I am not a owner as of yet, but I can say that the breeders that I have contacted have ENCOURAGED buying a breeding pair. After researching this extensively I feel that most of the people that buy these precious animals right out of the petstores are just not ready for the commitment. The animals I have seen are not kept in the correct enviroment, do not have the correct sleeping items (the ones I saw were sleeping in their dishes because of no pouches or boxes), the sales people were not feeding them proper food, they were out in the open where customers were shaking the cages so that the lil guys made noises, etc. If the people at the stores are not taking care of these lil guys - how are they going to train the "ignorant" people buying them?
So the question is... do we subject more sugar gliders to the growing population when the petstores are doing their fair share? These animals are unlike cats and dogs, once their owners have to get rid of them (ei: not bonded, have to move, someone dies, etc) they have a difficult time re-bonding with someone else.
I am not saying people shouldn't breed. I just feel if you do - make sure it is because you are in the business to do so and that you find qualified homes for them. If you are just the "once in a while" breeder because you would like to see babies - be very careful. I have contacted many Vets in my area - and they have a very negative view on Sugar Gliders. They have so many abandoned gliders that are hateful/mean and they cannot find homes for them.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I feel if you are a breeder - discourage the buyers in breeding unless they are going into the business, that petstores should be more qualified and trained if breeders continue to supply to them, and that the world becomes a better place for EVERY animal out there to avoid the possiblity of an unfortunate ending of abandonment or worse, putting the animal down.

=) What do you think?

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