 | Posted by: | Darcy, Angel2054@aol.com | | Subject: | Cost of living?! | | When: | 4:19 PM, 15 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 205.188.196.51 |
HEY! I am interested in getting a glider I am 15 and have much pet experience. However I need to plan my budget accordingly and that is the only info have I have not found in my research. How much does one initially cost, then vet bills, food, cages, etc. I am eager to own and love a glider I just hope my wallet will too! Any other advice is much appreciated! Darcy
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| Posted by: | Kiwi, none | | Subject: | none | | When: | 4:35 PM, 15 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 216.46.139.89 |
Ok. Gliders cost anywhere from $75 dollars to $400. You should be wary of people with low prices (why is the price low?) You have to check with the local vet to see what she/he is willing to charge. I have some good news though! I have read about several plans that supposedly cover vet bills! That's worth checking out. As for food, www.briskys.com (I think thats the URL) sells food, but you can easily get some good fruit (check wherever you do your shopping, like a groccery store) and protien (chicken, ect.)
to make the Leadbeaters Mix. The price varies from store to store. There is RepCal you can put on your food if you want, and isects might be in order...but you said you have basically found that out. You can check glider supply websites to find out about the price of that. You can build a cage, which is usually fairly cheap.
All and all, despite all I wrote, gliders are relitivly inexspensive (Ruth will agree)
| Posted by: | Rachel2, SugarGMommy@aol.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 6:28 PM, 15 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 205.188.197.54 |
Pet insurance does not cover exotic animals. Gliders cost a LOT at first. I have never seen a single glider cost more that $200. Then you need a cage. Most cages that are appropriate for gliders are $100-200. THat is $400 right there. Then you have to buy toys and get food. I use a fresh diet as opposed to brisks(pelleted). You should always have money set aside in case of an emergency which can cost $40+ depending on how sick you glider is. The average vet visit costs at least $100. So you are looking at an initial investment of $500-$600. And that doesn't include the monthly costs of food and new toys. Hope this helps! Ask as many questions as you can. Gliders are a big responsibility and a LOT of work. If I were you I would wait until I was 16 so I could get a job and actually be able to afford one without scrambling around for loose change.
| Posted by: | Barb, blooprints@yahoo.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 6:44 PM, 15 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 63.178.69.6 |
The cost of everything will depend mostly on where you live. I am in total agreement that if the price is too low, BEWARE: there's a good chance that something is very, very wrong. I'd say glider prices here would be $100-$250; cage (on sale) $50-$150 or more. Wodent wheel (toy) is $12.95 plus shipping....I live in the area and avoided the shipping. I have had my gliders for nearly 5 years now and thank goodness have nor needed a vet (Only took a glider to one because of a mass which turned out to be a hernia.)..but I do know it is expensive to see a vet...In light of all the horror stories of people getting ill or malnourished animals, I would consider having a vet check the animal out....For the same reason, I'd ask for a 30 day guarantee on the health of the animal - the guarantee assuming you know how to and will care for the animal properly. (Know that if you get a guarantee, you will have to prove you got a sick animal--vet bills--in order to make claims against the guarantee. Do you have Caroline MacPherson's book and have you read this board - taking note of some things that happened to recent new glider owners? Try to get everything - especially a guarantee in writing. Someone whose animals are healthy should not be afraid to give you a guarantee....Good luck and feel free to email me if you wish.
| Posted by: | Kiwi, none | | Subject: | none | | When: | 6:48 PM, 15 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 216.46.139.68 |
I have a few dissagrements,
Not to be agrumentative or anything, but I have heard of pet insurance that seems too.
"We cover ANY pet" so they preech.
If you build your own cage it costs less, but a storebought one is usually best. I have seens lots of gliders for $250 (again, not to be argumentative, esspecially from an uneducated person on gliders). You should have spare money for an emergany, and you should make sure before you even think about costs whether you really want one. I still am after months of research. That, Rachel and I do agree on.
| Posted by: | Kiwi, none | | Subject: | none | | When: | 6:49 PM, 15 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 216.46.139.68 |
N.M the last one, it was for something else.
| Posted by: | collette, a412@webtv.net | | Subject: | none | | When: | 6:22 AM, 16 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 209.240.220.231 |
i spent lots of money at first just buying foods till i found what they liked, i give them eggs and brocoli and carrots, tomotaoes,grapes,yogurt,baby foods (stage 2, without onion powder added) apples, potatoes, chicken, corn, shredded wheat, glideraide (the most expensive thing, but it lasts a long time). bascically the food is fairly inexpensive cos its always in the house for me if you give them the small portions fit for their bodies, it just has to be fresh with no extra seasonings and made EVERY NIGHT.
| Posted by: | Jasmine, Spookie_Girl@yahoo.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 1:54 PM, 16 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 165.247.114.223 |
Hi, Darcy!
If you're well-prepared for a glider, you will be very rewarded. Just to warn you ahead of time (and I'm sure someone's told you this already), you must keep in mind where you are going once you get out of high school. Gliders live 15+ years and switching owners is really tough on them. I'm not saying I'm against someone younger having one as a pet, I'm just saying you should keep that in mind and have a good plan.
As far as cost goes, my dad has a great saying about pets..."The initial cost of the animal is only a down-payment." I have found from my own experience and the experience of others that these are the things you MUST buy and this is how much you will spend on them:
You should be prepared to spend $100-250 on the glider. I've found the going rate is $150, but there's shipping to consider ($75-200). Buy from a reputable breeder who people have heard of and recommend on this board. Avoid petstores.
$8 for a book (I recommend the one published by Barrons). $100-$250 on a cage (animalsexotique.com has good deals with free shipping). Buy a PVC-coated cage, and avoid bird cages...they're tough on the feet and not really well designed for climbing animals. $5-8 a month on RepCal (vitamin for reptiles found in the petstore). $15-$20/month on fresh food (fruit, nuts for treats only, and a regular supply of mealworms/crickets). $5-8 for a food bowl (kind that hangs off the side of a cage). $5-8 for a good hamster water bottle. About $15 for a Wodent Wheel. $15 for a decent nestbox. $15 for a pouch (or you could buy a fanny pack...make sure it's venthilated though). $25+ initial cost on toys (bird toys, cat toys and hamster toys can work well). $30-60 for the initial vet check-up (A MUST), and the same each year for an annual check-up.
Keep in mind that you can easily run through +$500 if your glider gets injured or sick (NOT UNHEARD OF). You (or your parents) should always have this money on hand in case something like that happens. Sugar gliders must get vet care just like a dog or a cat, and denying them that is cruel.
Hope this helps! 
| Posted by: | Jasmine, Spookie_Girl@yahoo.com | | Subject: | Pet Insurance | | When: | 1:56 PM, 16 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 165.247.114.223 |
Kiwi-
My problem with pet insurance is that many vets aren't covered under it, and the amount you have to pay for it rarely justifieds the amount it covers. Just my experience. Hopefully, it will become more common, and become more like human health insurance.
| Posted by: | Rachel2, SugarGMommy@aol.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 9:19 PM, 16 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 152.163.194.213 |
Another thing with pet insurance is that you have to pay for it EVERY month even if your pet is not sick. It is just like human insurance. "Not to be argumentative", I've never seen gliders for more than $200 in MY area. I wasn't speaking about the rest of the universe's prices. 
| Posted by: | star, teverett | | Subject: | none | | When: | 12:26 PM, 17 Dec 2000 | | IP: | 209.81.169.133 |
I got both my boys for $150. They are very healthy. Then I got there cage from the breeder for $35 but we are fortunate to have an extra bedroom, so that has become their cage. Then it cost $180 to get them nuetered. Then Gizmo got a bladder infection and that cost $116 to fix. It costs me $20 every couple of months to get their nails trimmed. Then I also have to buy the ingrients for their leadbetters every month and a half, and I have to keep them stocked with vegitables and treats. Although the initial investment wasn't that expensive for me, you never know when an unexpected illness or injury will occurr and because gliders require IMMEDIATE vet attention when they are ill this is very very expensive. Are your parents willing to help if this should occur?
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