Why Neutering is important!

[Marie]

It seems that people can't appreciate a Sugar Glider for what it is - they need to breed them, but with breeding comes certain responsibilities like finding a good knowledgable home for the joey's.  Either that or keep all the joeys but then you'll end up with THAT many suggies you won't know what to do with them.  In the UK the Suggie market has already dipped, when I first looked into getting some they were £600 a pair!  Now they sell on the classifieds for a pittance. It is such a shame, they're wonderful animals and deserve (and need) the best care.  They shouldn't be in shops or with wholesalers it's just not the right environment for them.

Have a look at the numbers below, how long is it going to be before the UK is saturated with unwanted Suggies?  Getting your male/s neutered is important to the quality of life future Suggies will get, it's important to keep the gene pool clean, so far our Gliders are healthy, but how long will it take for them to become riddled with genetic disorders and immune system weakness because every man and his dog are breeding them and not keeping them properly?

These numbers were calculated by a lady called Cyndie in the USA.  A suggie can have more than 4 joeys in a year!!!

1 male glider lets say he has 4 babies a year look what happens in lets say just 5 yrs of breeding

1x4= 4 add babies and dad 4+1= 5 at end of yr 1 (5)
5x4= 20 add babies and dads 20+5=25 at end of yr 2 (25)
25x4= 100 add babies and dads 100+25=125 at end of yr 3 (125)
125x4= 500 add babies and dads 500+125=625 at end of yr 4 (625)
625x4=2500 add babies and dads 2500+625=3125 at end of yr 5 (3125)

So ... that's 3125 joey's to find GOOD homes for ...

© Shropshire Exotics 01/01/07

[jungleflockmom]

When breeders w/a few pair sell a pair, they are unlikely to sell more to that person unless that person becomes a breeder, too, and then he/she becomes competition in the area.

When a breeder sells a neutered male and a female or 2 neutered males, the customer gets curious, delightful suggies that don't mark much if at all and dearly love their owner. The customer doesn't become another suggie breeder in the area and others learn about the breeder by seeing the great little pets.

Breeding suggies can be fraught with heartache [we never find our dogs and cats munching on their babies]. And the little neutered males are never grouchy and always happy curious little companions. 

[Mark_1985]

iv got two boys and dont intend to breed them but is it still important have them neutered? Does it have any negative aspects in health? Is it bad that i dont wanna have them snipped =p maybe its a guy thing! Haha

[Amalthea]

It's still a good idea to have them "done"...  Just in case one of them starts to get a bit dominant.  It doesn't always happen with brothers who've been together all their lives, but it still can.

[emie]

I agree! Suggies need the good rest of them life home were to grow up. I had to neuter my male because their have a genetic problems with babyes. I'm so sad this happened.
One of my baby (now one and half years old) can't even climbing! She's OK, except she just can't do anything else but be in the cages floor. 
Again this is so sad because I love my suggies and I want to share this happines wiht other people. I am one and only breeder here in Finland and this happened. There is so much good people who want's to love and take care to little ones ect.