Hello, Dahling. My name is Pim. I'm here to tell you a little bit about the accommodations a high-maintenance girl like myself requires. I need wide-open spaces with plenty of room to climb, jump, and play. (Exercise is an important part of maintaining a figure like mine, but it does help that I was simply born beautiful.)
For a pair of gliders, there is a minimum size requirement of 24 inches width x 24 inches depth x 36 inches height. Remember though, taller/larger is always better. Bar spacing should be no more than 1/2". Otherwise, we can sneak through and cause all kinds of mayhem or even injure ourselves. (You don't want that, do you?)
Accessories are a girl's best friend. I bore easily, so a wheel is required as well as other intellectually stimulating toys.
As far as wheels go, I can't use just any one. A special wheel is required to keep me from injuring my beautiful tail and feet.
Safe wheels are as follows in no particular order:
- Custom Cruisers. Haven't had the privileged of owning one myself, but hope to in the future. I hear they're tons of fun with all the customizable options such as a "bounce" feature.
- Stealth Wheels. I can run this thing all night long and you won't hear a sound! Whisper quiet and well worth the investment!
- Comfort Wheels. These can be bought for a little of nothing at your local pet shop. They're safe because the wheel spins completely around the center bar. So there's no risk of it sticking and hurting my little tail. Be warned though! These things make enough noise to drive a mad man sane!
- Fast Track Wheels. These are made by GliderNursery. We don't own one, but we know plenty of people who do and they're top notch!
Make sure to keep wheels nice and clean to cut down on smell!
We're also going to need a cuddly place to sleep! Soft fleece pouches are usually the best choice. We're gonna need:
- Fleece cage pouches. Mom's rule of thumb is at least one for every glider in the cage. That way, if someone decides they'd like to sleep alone or just plain gets kicked out of the colony pouch, they'll have somewhere safe and comfy to go. <3
- A bonding pouch. Mom recommends the zippered kind. We've been known to make unauthorized visits, so the zipper keeps us safe inside for trips out on the town, (You didn't think we were going to sit at home alone all day, did you? Heck, no!) to the vet, or even just around the house. Keeping us close to you in a bonding pouch is how we learn your sound, smell, and movements. It helps us learn not to be afraid.
These next items are not really requirements, but it helps make our house a home, know what I mean?
- Fleece hammocks. These are nice to just lounge in. If you have a special needs glider like our little Dora, they're very helpful in providing a place to rest if it's needed. I personally like to hang out in mine and watch TV. But don't expect your glider to do that. I'm a very unique girl. :)
- Cage cover. Boy, do we like to fling our food! If you don't mind your wall being covered in fruit, veggies, and Lord only knows what else, then no. This is not a requirement. Cage covers contain the mess and keep in the pee/poo. Oh yeah, did I mention we fling that too? (Not me, of course. I'm a lady. Flinging poo is beneath me.)
- Glider Kitchen. This is another one of those "Containing the mess" items. A "Glider Kitchen" is basically a small plastic storage box with a hole cut in it. You'll have to sand around the edges to make sure they're nice and smooth. Take it out and wash as needed.
These can be found a variety of places online, but more often than not, not in your local pet store. You can even make your own! No sewing required!
- For No Sew instructions, head on over to http://www.suzsugargliders.com/nosewaccessories.htm. There are instructions to make a wide variety of No Sew pouches, toys, and other accessories. Awesome.
- Not the crafty type? Me either, dear. GliderCENTRAL has a Glider Things classified section where you can find rockin' vendors to make just about anything under the sun!
- http://www.critterbin.com/ is another good place to find pre-made glider accessories.
Toys, Toys, Toys! We certainly do love toys! Foragers, ball pits, climbing ropes, we have a blast with them all! You can make your own toys, or once again, CritterBin and GliderCENTRAL are both great places to find them.