But they still live in the same cage, don't they? There's probably a big difference between solitary and territorial?

Found an interesting page:
http://www.pageweb.com/arkabc/ark/abcs_striped_opossum_dactylopsila_trivirgata.html

OH MY GOSH!!!!! Will human greed and selfishness ever end??? Is it not enough that we have more dogs and cats than there ever will be homes for. Millions are killed every year and it is NOT in a humane manor no matter what anyone tells you!! Then we have birds, snakes, lizards, rabbits, hamsters, etc. being overpopulated, abused, neglected,sold like they were material objects with no feelings, and some stuck in cages their entire lives. All because we human beings think something is so cute and we can't control our IWANTITIS!! Can anyone honestly say that these animals are better off with us?? Would you want to live your entire life in a cage, not even close to the size of your natural environment? Then you have the mills. They are only in it for the money. The conditions these animals endure is just HORRIBLE!! Look, I have done animal rescue for over 10 years. You people can pull the wool over your eyes all you want, the horror continues whether you know about it or not, and just because you are not doing these horrible things doesn't make you exempt from the blame. Anyone purchasing, endorsing, or just turning a blind eye is responsible for the lives these creatures live in captivity. If you love these animals, PROTECT them. Even if it means you don't get to have this adorable, sweet, cute, etc. baby. Make a statement to the world that human beings are the proper guardians of the planet and all creatures we share it with. PLEASE, PLEASE, everyone, consider what I have said. I promise you do not want to see the things I have seen done to animals and one person can make a difference. Just like you can make the difference in the life of a child you can do the same for animals. One day, they will thank you for putting their happiness and needs before your own.

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Originally posted by charliestar

OH MY GOSH!!!!! Will human greed and selfishness ever end??? Is it not enough that we have more dogs and cats than there ever will be homes for. Millions are killed every year and it is NOT in a humane manor no matter what anyone tells you!! Then we have birds, snakes, lizards, rabbits, hamsters, etc. being overpopulated, abused, neglected,sold like they were material objects with no feelings, and some stuck in cages their entire lives. All because we human beings think something is so cute and we can't control our IWANTITIS!! Can anyone honestly say that these animals are better off with us?? Would you want to live your entire life in a cage, not even close to the size of your natural environment? Then you have the mills. They are only in it for the money. The conditions these animals endure is just HORRIBLE!! Look, I have done animal rescue for over 10 years. You people can pull the wool over your eyes all you want, the horror continues whether you know about it or not, and just because you are not doing these horrible things doesn't make you exempt from the blame. Anyone purchasing, endorsing, or just turning a blind eye is responsible for the lives these creatures live in captivity. If you love these animals, PROTECT them. Even if it means you don't get to have this adorable, sweet, cute, etc. baby. Make a statement to the world that human beings are the proper guardians of the planet and all creatures we share it with. PLEASE, PLEASE, everyone, consider what I have said. I promise you do not want to see the things I have seen done to animals and one person can make a difference. Just like you can make the difference in the life of a child you can do the same for animals. One day, they will thank you for putting their happiness and needs before your own.

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Well I, for one, believe I do and have made a difference in my animals lives. My 2 female gliders are the ONLY pets I have that weren't rescued-my male was. I didn't know any better. NOW, before I am finding out info first. The people you are preaching to here are nothing but animal lovers that want to be able to provide the best possible care for our animals. These animals are already born, already here. I didn't do that but I sure would be willing to give it a better life with me than in some rescue or with someone that will get bored once the novelty has worn off. I think you are preaching to the wrong group of people. Oh, and if I did have to live my life in a cage, I would much prefer it be with someone that knows how to properly feed me, care for me, interact with me and love me! Humans are NOT proper guardians of this planet and nothing can change that now-I am willing to do what I consider to be my part and educate myself to care for one of these living beings that is already here and needing a home.

I breed, I rescue, and I foster. All three of my suggies will be coming from a rescue, 2 of my dogs are rescued, 1 of my cats is rescued, 2 of my dogs are from reputable breeders and will be bred. They are the only animals in my care not spayed or neutered. Its terrible what happens to so many unwanted animals of all species. Even human. Maybe we should all just quit having kids since there are so many without homes and families.I would rescue more dogs if I could but its illegal to have more then 4 in the county I live in. I agree with Kyro, you are preaching to the wrong group of people! You need to not waste your energy here and focus it on the people who are irresponsible animal owners. I have given 6 rescues a home so I have made a difference. That is 6 animals that are guaranteed a long, happy, healthy life in a family who will love them. I think there needs to be a balance. If everyone spayed and neutered that would be the end of so many animals. I am very thankful to anyone who dedicates their life to rescue! Angels on earth! Someday I hope to have the land to do more.

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Originally posted by kyro298

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Originally posted by charliestar

OH MY GOSH!!!!! Will human greed and selfishness ever end??? Is it not enough that we have more dogs and cats than there ever will be homes for. Millions are killed every year and it is NOT in a humane manor no matter what anyone tells you!! Then we have birds, snakes, lizards, rabbits, hamsters, etc. being overpopulated, abused, neglected,sold like they were material objects with no feelings, and some stuck in cages their entire lives. All because we human beings think something is so cute and we can't control our IWANTITIS!! Can anyone honestly say that these animals are better off with us?? Would you want to live your entire life in a cage, not even close to the size of your natural environment? Then you have the mills. They are only in it for the money. The conditions these animals endure is just HORRIBLE!! Look, I have done animal rescue for over 10 years. You people can pull the wool over your eyes all you want, the horror continues whether you know about it or not, and just because you are not doing these horrible things doesn't make you exempt from the blame. Anyone purchasing, endorsing, or just turning a blind eye is responsible for the lives these creatures live in captivity. If you love these animals, PROTECT them. Even if it means you don't get to have this adorable, sweet, cute, etc. baby. Make a statement to the world that human beings are the proper guardians of the planet and all creatures we share it with. PLEASE, PLEASE, everyone, consider what I have said. I promise you do not want to see the things I have seen done to animals and one person can make a difference. Just like you can make the difference in the life of a child you can do the same for animals. One day, they will thank you for putting their happiness and needs before your own.

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Well I, for one, believe I do and have made a difference in my animals lives. My 2 female gliders are the ONLY pets I have that weren't rescued-my male was. I didn't know any better. NOW, before I am finding out info first. The people you are preaching to here are nothing but animal lovers that want to be able to provide the best possible care for our animals. These animals are already born, already here. I didn't do that but I sure would be willing to give it a better life with me than in some rescue or with someone that will get bored once the novelty has worn off. I think you are preaching to the wrong group of people. Oh, and if I did have to live my life in a cage, I would much prefer it be with someone that knows how to properly feed me, care for me, interact with me and love me! Humans are NOT proper guardians of this planet and nothing can change that now-I am willing to do what I consider to be my part and educate myself to care for one of these living beings that is already here and needing a home.

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I am so glad to hear from you. I agree with you 100%!!! I too believe that the animals that are already here are blessed to have the few of us that do care for them, commit to them, and make their lives as wonderful as possible. I think it is up to us though to spread the word wherever possible. If I can prevent one purchase of these creatures, or slow down one glider mills sell and profits, any mill at all, then I have done something good and so could you, all of you. I know we can't do anything about the gliders who are already here but we can stop this from getting further out of control. There is no need to purchase these animals. There are already so many unwanted ones and many in need of rescue and those of us who are responsible owe it to them to not breed them and sell them and become part of the problem. The other thing is that I was most especially addressing the chat about the striped possums. This is obviously just getting started. I was amazed at how many people were on board with this idea. I feel we do not need to add yet another wild animal into our selfish, scarey, and caged society. It is not fare to any of them. I am a mother and I know most mothers in the world put their needs and wants aside for their childrens needs and wants. Why can't we all do the same for these animals??? Do they not deserve the same consideration?? Anyway, thank you for your opinion. I hope you understand where I am coming from. I did not mean to offend those who are helping these sweet babies. I could really use your help!!! We start on this website and state our case anywhere else we get the opportunity. I have run in to so many people who are so very unaware of the awful things animals have to face in this world and most especially they can not believe the astronomical numbers in which they are occurring.

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Originally posted by SugarLoafin

I breed, I rescue, and I foster. All three of my suggies will be coming from a rescue, 2 of my dogs are rescued, 1 of my cats is rescued, 2 of my dogs are from reputable breeders and will be bred. They are the only animals in my care not spayed or neutered. Its terrible what happens to so many unwanted animals of all species. Even human. Maybe we should all just quit having kids since there are so many without homes and families.I would rescue more dogs if I could but its illegal to have more then 4 in the county I live in. I agree with Kyro, you are preaching to the wrong group of people! You need to not waste your energy here and focus it on the people who are irresponsible animal owners. I have given 6 rescues a home so I have made a difference. That is 6 animals that are guaranteed a long, happy, healthy life in a family who will love them. I think there needs to be a balance. If everyone spayed and neutered that would be the end of so many animals. I am very thankful to anyone who dedicates their life to rescue! Angels on earth! Someday I hope to have the land to do more.

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If you do any kind of rescue work and have that type of mentality, then you should know that we should state our case to any that would listen. This is exactly the forum that should welcome this kind of chat if all are the animal lovers they say they are. I am sure that MOST on this website are wonderful people and great pet owners but I guarantee that 100% would not be accurate. Some of the other people reading these things are potential glider owners, etc. They need to have the whole story not just the censored version. I commend you for your rescue work but you are still obviously in denial about the impact of some of the things you are doing. I suggest that you do some real research,and maybe some soul searching, especially on breeding, and if you are not in it for the money, which is my point, then the best interest of the animal would be foremost on your mind and your perspective may change a little.

CHARLIESTAR GO AWAY!! your ranting and raving makes people want to ignore you, so oh we do! see-ya.

Kazko, if I had my own place, I would love to adopt a few cuties. So once I get my own place, ill get back to ya. so count me in for about a year from now.

Being in dog rescue for many years, I cant say I disagree with what Charliestar is saying. And I think everyone needs to hear it. Overpopulation is a problem. But on the other hand, humans are always going to have pets. There is no stopping that. Charliestar, I think you should start a new topic regarding this matter. Im sure there will be interesting responses. Please keep in mind, like Kyro has said, you are preaching to the choir. We dont disagree with you. We love our fur and feather babies and just want to do the best by them.


BUT - this is Kazko's post regarding Striped Possums. Lets not hijack this post any more than it already has been - and get it back on the topic that was intended.

I agree with overpopulation also, I don't agree with how it has been 'yelled' to people. They are 'yelling' at the choir.

charliestar, your message, whilst certainly immature and extremist, seems essentially to come from a desire to do good, and to see good done.

You just need to work on your marketing. Reading your posts I feel as though I am being subjected to preaching of hysterical, evangelical proportions. This approach is not winning you many new friends.

If you wish to aid the plight of animals, I suggest you first learn how to relate to fellow humans. Without a certain level of charisma and plain old good manners, no-one is likely to view your opinions as anything more than the self-righteous ranting of a crackpot.

Peace.

Very well said Megrim!

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Originally posted by megrim

charliestar, your message, whilst certainly immature and extremist, seems essentially to come from a desire to do good, and to see good done.

You just need to work on your marketing. Reading your posts I feel as though I am being subjected to preaching of hysterical, evangelical proportions. This approach is not winning you many new friends.

If you wish to aid the plight of animals, I suggest you first learn how to relate to fellow humans. Without a certain level of charisma and plain old good manners, no-one is likely to view your opinions as anything more than the self-righteous ranting of a crackpot.

Peace.

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Thank you for your advice. You are right, I am very passionate about the protection and rights of animals because of all of the AWFUL things I have seen and the fact that I am, as many others are, constantly cleaning up other peoples mistakes!!! I do know that I have a problem with tactfullness. Perhaps you would be willing to work with me on this problem. I did not intend to preach to the good friends of our furry creatures. I was hoping that all the obviously loving owners on this website would help me spread the word on these babies plight and all other animals. Trust me, you guys are the few and far between. If you can't see past your own yard, though, how would you know that. I know you have to know that not all people are responsible and selfless such as those who have responded. Perhaps, the ones who have responded so offended are the one who have something to feel guilty about and Heaven forbid they feel that!!! Anyway, if you love these animals, then you will put their needs first and help them rather than spending time getting angry about something somebody, who is out there every day helping these creatures, is saying and help me. Your babies may be safe and happy but don't forget that many, many ARE NOT!!!!!!!!

Well, after reading some stuff about Striped Possums, i think its not so smart to buy one. Little is known about them,they are rare in the wild and they don't breed good in captivity. Which makes me think they caught them in the wild. I do agree a lot on what charliestar has to say and even though i have (rescued) pets, i don't think animals should be kept in cages, or bought and sold(unless your gonna eat it).

No one is arguing the message...just the delivery. Maybe instead you could provide people with info on what they can do to make a difference. It's pointless to talk about pets people already have. Like Rita said, maybe start it in a different post so people can get better information and respond appropriately.

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Originally posted by Catman

Well, after reading some stuff about Striped Possums, i think its not so smart to buy one. Little is known about them,they are rare in the wild and they don't breed good in captivity. Which makes me think they caught them in the wild. I do agree a lot on what charliestar has to say and even though i have (rescued) pets, i don't think animals should be kept in cages, or bought and sold(unless your gonna eat it).

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Kyro298 and Catman,
Thank you so much for your input. You are right. I know my passion and love for animals makes me "preach" when that may not be the right approach in all cases. I guess the main thing I was trying to get the people on this website to understand is...though your gliders are well taken care of and you love them dearly, most people, I have found, do not share the 100% commitment that is required and needed to be a good pet owner. I know people have a hard enough time keeping dogs, for example, for the duration of their life span and they require far less work than a glider does. It is also less traumatic for dogs, cats, etc. to change hands repeatedly over their life span than for a sugar glider. I love my suggies and my heart melts everytime they look at me. I am blessed to have them. I just would like to see the ones already here, loved and treasured, and stop the breeding and further selling to the public in the future, for the suggies best interest. People, for the most part are impulse buyers and I know all will agree with me when I say that a sugar glider should never be an impulse buy. Don't they deserve better than that? Thank you all for your input. I hope you will be willing, if the opportunity arises, to educate people on sugar gliders so that, just maybe, it will prevent an unsuspecting person from making a mistake in their pet choice, and save a glider from a lifetime of bouncing around, malnutrition, etc. God bless all of you and your suggies.

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Originally posted by Catman

Well, after reading some stuff about Striped Possums, i think its not so smart to buy one. Little is known about them,they are rare in the wild and they don't breed good in captivity. Which makes me think they caught them in the wild. I do agree a lot on what charliestar has to say and even though i have (rescued) pets, i don't think animals should be kept in cages, or bought and sold(unless your gonna eat it).

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GREAT JOB CATMAN!!! This is what I am talking about. Thank you for the research, the caring, and the information. I hope everyone will do the same and stop this new pet trade in its tracks!!! Take care.

Please still consider starting a new post with ways people may be able to help educate and get educated. I'm all for hearing about ways that maybe most of us don't know about. I think I can safely say that most of us really try to let others know the realities of having suggies before they get them. There's a fine line between passion and anger...if you're in a position to educate people, I truly think people would listen with open ears-ESPECIALLY the ones here. So, give it a whirl!

For the record, IF I decide to get a striped possum, it would be because it's needing a home and am not interested in getting one that has to be captured for my sake. I'm doing my research first before even doing that though.

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Originally posted by kyro298

Please still consider starting a new post with ways people may be able to help educate and get educated. I'm all for hearing about ways that maybe most of us don't know about. I think I can safely say that most of us really try to let others know the realities of having suggies before they get them. There's a fine line between passion and anger...if you're in a position to educate people, I truly think people would listen with open ears-ESPECIALLY the ones here. So, give it a whirl!

For the record, IF I decide to get a striped possum, it would be because it's needing a home and am not interested in getting one that has to be captured for my sake. I'm doing my research first before even doing that though.

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Thank you so much. I will do that. I am sorry if my passion came across as angry. I have never been angry just deeply saddened and maybe a little helpless.

Also calling people you don't know uneducated is going to get you no where. I have been researching Sugar Gliders since September. I was reading everything I could find. Sometimes spending 6-8 hours a day just reading up on them. I was dreaming gliders. Then once I was sure, I found a rescue to get some from. I had an extensive test and application to fill out. Then when it came to choosing my gliders I picked a colony of 3 where the little girl had lost site in one of her eyes. WHY? Because I thought they might be harder to place. I do not consider myself an expert by any means but I do consider myself educated on the subject of gliders. Of course with plenty more to learn. I think if you really want to do whats best you need to take some time and work on your tact or you will get nowhere.