If you think owning a dog or cat is hard, try owning an exotic animal.
While being the owner of a cat might mean coming home to the occasional scratched couch, owning an exotic animal can come with a host of other issues. For example, how much food do you need to buy to prepare your pet bear for hibernation? Or how are you going to explain to your next Hinge date that you decided to buy a pet viper after watching Zootopia 2?
Sometimes, these problems toe the line between annoying and adorable, as this sugar glider owner can attest.
Where Did This Man’s Sugar Glider Go?
In a video with over 613,000 views, TikTok user Steve (@acup_ofsugar) explains that he recently “misplaced” a pet sugar glider. For context, a sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea.
“As I was searching for her, this is where I found her,” Steve says. He then shows a bag of treats. Inside the bag is a tiny animal.
“No more treats, by the way. She had her fill, and then, I guess, decided to take a nap afterwards,” Steve continues. “That’s my little Buttercup.”
Can You Own A Sugar Glider As A Pet?
Many viewing this video came away with one question: “Wait, can I own a sugar glider as a pet?”
Like many things in the United States, the answer to that question depends on where you live.
In short, there’s no federal law banning the ownership of sugar gliders. That said, some states have outright banned sugar glider ownership, while others have restricted ownership via permits.
For example, the states of California, Alaska, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania have made it illegal to own a sugar glider as a pet. New Jersey, Nebraska, and New Mexico, however, allow the animal to be kept as a pet with a permit.
Even within the other states that have no statewide ban against owning the animal, there may be local laws that ban ownership. For example, it’s illegal to own a sugar glider in New York City.
Are Sugar Gliders Good Pets?
If you’re just now realizing that it’s legal to own a sugar glider in your area and are excited about the idea of owning one, you may want to slow down a little bit.
As noted by Monica Weymouth for Chewy, there are numerous reasons why one should make sure they can actually handle a sugar glider before attempting to own one.
First, sugar gliders live a long time—10 to 15 years. This is more than the average dog. Furthermore, during that time, they can require a significant amount of attention as well as extensive care from specialized veterinarians who may not be available in one’s area.
Additionally, they are social animals, meaning that if you want to adequately care for a sugar glider, you should probably get more than one. Finally, they require a lot of space to roam around—which they do at night, as the animals are nocturnal.
Given all of this, most experts agree that sugar gliders don’t make great pets. However, if you’re set on owning one or multiple sugar gliders, be ready for the time and financial commitment of such a decision.
Commenters Love It
No matter how one feels about owning a sugar glider as a pet, commenters loved the imagery of the tiny animal hiding out in a bag of treats.
“I mean honestly, same,” wrote a user. “Someone bring me a taco truck, I need a nap too.”
“She wasn’t misplaced at all,” added another. “she knew exactly where she was.”
“Sugar gliders know they’re too cute to get in trouble,” declared a third.
@acup_ofsugar Hidden, sugar glider, no more treats. #summer #sugarglider #funny #fyp #cute
BroBible reached out to Steve via TikTok direct message and comment.