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Don't buy pets on impulse this holiday season
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Sugar Glider photo from Google Images
On your holiday buying trips to the mall this year try real hard to avoid purchasing an animal for a gift. Responsible pet ownership entails someone doing adequate research on the species of pet that fits their particular lifestyle before making the decision to bring one into their home. It is never a good idea to obtain a pet for someone else who had no plans for including a living creature as part of their household.
This is especially true for exotic pets like sugar glider squirrels. The sugar glider squirrel is a marsupial and native to Australia. It is a wild animal. To responsibly care for sugar gliders you need to understand their needs, abilities and limitations. Sugar gliders:
- Are incapable of potty training
- Require specific diets not found in stores (including live insects)
- Need hours of daily one on one attention from owners
- Need large cages to allow movement
- Cages require frequent cleaning to avoid obnoxious smells
- Are nocturnal
- Do not get along with other animals
- Propensity to get into trouble in your house (safety issues)
- Requires a veterinarian that specializes in exotic pets (there are not that many so traveling long distance to vet visits may be necessary)
- Will require use of on-line specialty stores for their food and other supplies
Recently, a concession stand at the Freehold Mall in Freehold, NJ was seen selling sugar glider squirrels marked as "Pocket Pets" and packaged in tiny boxes for transport home. If you agree this is inappropriate contact the Freehold Raceway Mall Senior Manager, Frank Lucia and let him know your dissatisfaction. Phone, write, fax or email:
Senior Manager, Frank Lucia
Freehold Raceway Mall
3710 Route 9, Suite 1000
Freehold, NJ 07728
T- 732-577-1300
F- 732-577-6809
frank.lucia@macerich.com 
Photo at Freehold Mall of the 'Pocket Pets' concession stand selling live Sugar Gliders
As cute as sugar gliders are, try and resist the urge to purchase one at first sight. If you can't shrug off the desire to buy that special someone on your shopping list a pet why not get them a stuffed animal, a pet rock or the virtual pets that can be adopted on line like Foo Pets?
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