Getting gliders for a beginner

[donna]

Hi,

You might have read my post in the intro section but i thought i'd ask a few q's here as I've read through quite a bit of the website and need some help...

My local reptile shop (not sure if i can mention their name) is selling sugar gliders for £300 a pair and they are keeping over 20 together in a large avairy, with no heating, poor food (grapes and watermelon is all they seem to be fed) and they generally look in very poor condition (very runny poo/dirty/not looking too well).
My main question is should i bother to rescue a pair once i have everything sorted out or just to look at a private breeder from the beginning.

My kids are quite concerned (I have a 10yr old girl, named bell and a son whos 7 named jake) they love animals and we already have quite a few mammals (guinea pigs/rabbits/rats/hamsters/mice), so they know that these arn't getting cared for properly by they're condition.
What should i do? any advice would be much appreicated.

[Amalthea]

You won't be rescuing a pair... You'll be paying a poorly run shop and making room for them to bring in two more.  I know it's hard, but unless you can get them out of there for nothing, it's not rescuing.  It's actually supporting the shop.

[donna]

it's pretty hard tho when your kids are saying mum can't we get them and make them better... we can take the lot and then we can make them all better.

Is there anything i can do appart from calling the RSPCA/Council as i know this shop had been reported before for different things and nothing seems to be done.

[Mark]

My own personal thought would be not to buy them from them.  Firsly if you get some from them they will only replace them with more and you cant just keep buying them if they have them.  Secondly your own experience of sugar gliders may be affected, you will be buying poorly looked after gliders which may never of had proper human contact, so they could bite and be aggressive towards you and may never settle down, so the ease and interaction that a lot of the keepers on this forum have with their gliders you may never experience.  Also if you say that their diet is poor you could be taking on a lot of health issues that may cost you a fortune in vets bills.  This may put you off gliders in the long run.  I would personally keep an eye on here, there are a few amazing breeders on this forum who you will get to know, whos gliders are all healthy happy little things that will make owning one of the most amazing animals you could have that bit better. lol thats my little view.

[Mark]

hey there, can u pm me the name of the shop and were it is?

[roxyandboys]

agreed that by buying any of these suggies will just be funding the shops pocket and the misery will continue for the suggies, poor little guys.  Also, unless you are prepared to take on potential problematic gliders then i'd stick to getting your gliders from one of the breeders on here.

As for what needs to be done with regards the shop.

Ok Guys.  We ALL know that RSPCA is just useless.

I suggest a visit from perhaps 1 or 2 of us, pretending to be customers, check the gliders state of health out, if it really is that bad we give the shop some options, we try educate and inform and help, if that does not work we threaten, if that does not work we act.  Publicity, local papers, council blar blar blar.

Whats everyone's thoughts?  It's a start aint it?

Donna, where abouts in the UK are you based?

[roxyandboys]

just seen.

You're in Kent - anyone fancy a road trip?

[foufou]

lol I'll dig out my torch and pitchfork!

[Mark]

lol calm down everyone

[tillie]

I would ring the council to make sure gliders are on their licence plus contact the RSPCA and ask to be kept informed on what happens.  Checking them out and trying to educate the petshop is also a good idea.  As everyone else had said if you buy any you are only putting money in their pocket to get some more.  Keep us informed.

[Amalthea]

If you speak to hday on here, you will learn what you have to go through when new gliders haven't been cared for properly.  Are you and your children ready for the heartache that follows?  I know it's hard sacrificing innocents and explaining to your children, but more innocents will be replaced with the ones you rescue.  I know that sounds incredibly cold hearted, though.

[Marie]

Donna, I would definately phone the RSPCA.  A don't buy from them!  As Mark has already said they're usually not socialised and the diet sounds horrendous, you're setting yourself up for a fall.  Your best bet is to buy from a breeder, the ones on here are all very good, they all feed good diets and their ethics are very good.  Even though you're kids are hassling you to buy some, it's a good idea to wait and make sure they're what YOU want.  I'm sure I don't have to tell you kids get bored and mum/dad ends up looking after them.  I can email you my huge care sheet if you wish and you could take that to them. 

[loulou]

I have skim read sorry its late,

don't buy the glider please, they will know there's a profit in it for them then and just get in some more but print off as much info from here as you can that could help (the stickies) give some to the shop owner and see if you can at least try and help him improve the conditions, if that's a no go then ring your local council and  EHO, give them as much info and evidence as you can that these gliders are in very bad condition and back it up with facts like possibly photos of food bowls cages and the gliders if you can do it without getting kicked out, plus "good comparisons" like a healthy glider picture (you are welcome to print any of mine) and good diet instructions and cage sizes etc. Hopefully it will be enough for an inspection at least. Personally I would hold out on the RSPCA until last unless your RSPCA inspector is glider savvy as they may well not know what they are looking for

Just my opinion

[donna]

I've printed a few bits off the site for my kids and we've gone through it together, I think they are definately put off getting some from the shop now and i don't think we'll be getting some any time soon as our house is quite small and i would want to give them as big as an enclosure as i possibly can which at the moment is impossible. Especially with the kids christmas toys around the place.

Thanks for all your info and I'll point the owner of the shop towards this forum, give him a chance to change what he's doing as he probably doesn't know it's wrong. He said he got them from a friend who got them from a whole saler who was getting rid of the lot... so im guessing they might be ex-breeders possibly.

Anyway thanks again and I'll probably be back on here some time in the future when we've got the space and are looking for a breeder etc....

Thanks

[Amalthea]

Glad we were able to help you make the right decision for you and your family!  Hope to see you around, regardless of your lack of gliders, though.