Sugar gliders receive their names because they love sweet foods and have a patagium for gliding through the air, like a flying squirrel does. These marsupials have large, globe eyes to see in the dark because they are nocturnal pets. Sugar gliders like to sleep in the daytime after exercising and playing at night. A bed for a sugar glider is best made into a pouch that hangs from the cage to shield out daylight and give him a warm, dark sleeping area.
Step 1
Lay two 12-inch fleece squares on top of each other with right sides facing outward on a flat surface. Pick up the top square and rotate it one turn of 90 degrees. This allows the fabric to stretch in two different directions to retain its shape.
Step 2
Cut slits about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide on three sides of the squares. Cut through both layers of the fleece at one time with sharp scissors. The top of the bed is the side of the fleece without slits.
Step 3
Cut squares of about 3 inches off the bottom two corners of the bed. This allows a round bottom in the bed that is more comfortable to sugar gliders. Small feet may be caught in square corners and cause injuries.
Step 4
Pick up a top and bottom fringe in each hand at one bottom corner. Cross the top fringe over the bottom to form a loop. Pull the bottom fringe through the loop. Pull the bottom fringe through the loop a second time and pull both free ends away from each other very tightly. This makes a secure double overhand knot.
Step 5
Continue tying the top and bottom fringes into overhand knots up the side to the top of the bed. Leave the last set of fringes at the top untied. Tie the fringes along the bottom of the bed and up to the top on the opposite side of the bed, leaving the last set of fringes untied.
Step 6
Slide the swivel end of a swivel snap onto each bottom fringe at the top of the bed before tying a double overhand knot in each side. The knot holds the swivel snap firmly onto the top of the bed.
Step 7
Insert your sugar glider bed into his cage and clip the swivel clips to the top of the cage near one side on the top bars.
References
Resources
Tips
- Swivel snaps allow the bed to move without tangling as your sugar glider goes in and out of his bed.
- Make a bed twice as big for two sugar gliders to share, as they like to have a companion to sleep with.
- Make an additional bed to have another to hang up while one is in the laundry.
Writer Bio
Mary Lougee has been writing for over 10 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree with a major in Management and a double minor in accounting and computer science. She loves writing about careers for busy families as well as family oriented planning, meals and activities for all ages.
