How to Build a Sugar Glider Cage

Sugar gliders are adorable and quite friendly, however at some point in looking into a glider you will start to look for cages. These can be quite costly, and definitely add a huge burden to the cost of a glider. With the gliders, themselves easily costing as much as $300 a piece for a small pet no bigger than most people's hand they require a great amount of equipment. Never compare a glider to a mouse or hamster, gliders are in no terms similar, they can "fly" and enjoy themselves and are much more entertaining. They do require a much higher level of care though, which is why a small cage is unacceptable.

For those who are interested in building a cage for the little flying friends it can be a lot of fun. I personally built a 6-foot square cage for my gliders in the past and they loved it. I also highly enjoyed building their cage, finding directions on how to build it was a nightmare though. Since most people simply do not have room for a 6-foot square cage, I will instead give directions for a much smaller cage.

These are instructions on how to make a 2'x 2'x 3' cage. Making a larger cage is basically the same. You should be able to find all the materials in a hardware store or from an animal cage equipment company.

Things you will need:

18 feet of 24" wide 16-gauge vinyl coated wire mesh with no larger than 1"x 1/2" spacing.

Two packages of 100 nylon cable ties or J clips (cage clips) and J clip pliers.

Two lengths of 8 foot plastic trim.

Sharp wire cutters and pliers.

Silicone sealant or hot glue.

Door latch.

Instructions:

Cut the wire mesh into:

Four 3 foot by 2 foot pieces (the sides)

Two 2 foot by 2 foot pieces (the top and bottom)

Two 6 inch by 2 foot pieces (shelves)

One 12 inch by 2 foot piece (door)

Take one of the 3-foot pieces and cut a 10-inch wide and 22-inch tall hole in the center. This is the door opening. Glue plastic trim on the inside edges of the opening and on three sides of the door (leave the side you attach bare.) Secure the door one inch from the edge of the hole with clips or ties so that the door overlaps the hole on all side by one inch. Attach the door latch on the opposite side. Lay the four 3 foot pieces side by side in a row. Make sure the door is facing outward (towards the floor.) Attach the long edge of each shelf to the sides of the cage where you want them. Glue plastic trim to the edge that will be facing out when you are done. Attach one edge of the top of the cage to one of the sides. Attach the bottom in the same manner except make sure to raise it an inch or two so that the bottom will not touch the bedding. If you want to have a sliding tray instead of placing the cage in a pan, raise the bottom high enough to accommodate the tray and remove the extra wire on ONLY one edge of the bottom. Attach the sides together and finish adding ties to the top and bottom. You should now have a cage. If you used silicone sealant to attach the plastic trim, allow the cage to sit for 24 hours before introducing your gliders.

Once you are done, you can simply start enjoying your cage and allowing your gliders time to aquatint themselves with their new home. If you have several cages that just means, your gliders will have a safe place where they can be close to their family and companions. Just ensure each cage has plenty of toys, food and water so that they are happy and healthy.