Okay, let me make this clear, it is 99% sure that I will NOT get a sugar glider or a chinchilla. I just have questions about them.
I live in GA, I heard that sugar gliders were recently made legal, and chins are legal. Do they make good pets? How hard are they to keep? Do they need special care? Will my exotic vet treat them? How much do they cost, and is there a rescue center I can get them from for less? Lastly, were can I get cages and supplies?
Curiosity speaking, Sugar Glider vs. Chinchilla?
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If you are interested in a new type of animal, the first thing you should do is research them yourself. I guarantee you will hardly learn anything about them by asking a few simply questions on here. Google some care sites, as well as some forums for owners, and ask them first hand about what is like to own them, if you must.
Both are not for beginners, and are high maintenance. Sugar gliders probably need more care than chins, but both are a good amount of work and commitment. Both live can live up to around 20 years, and daily cleaning, strict feeding, and several hours out of the cage. Both should have a same-sexed companion living with them, as both are social animals, and depend on socializing with their own kind.
When it comes to exotics, some vets will see some while not others. Each animal requires separate training, so it may be that a vet is certified for one, but not the other. You will have to call around and find some vets experienced with the particular animal. But this should be done before you actually get them.
They are not cheap. They themselves are are around $100 at the least, sugar gliders probably more to $200+. They require expensive large cages, and accessories. Vet care never comes cheap (unless you find a good vet). And maintenance costs, like food are also there. After you research and learn about what each needs, you can go to any pet store, preferbly a large one, or order online.
When getting a new pet, always avoid pet stores are much as possible. You can look online for rescues in your area, and in general shelters. Also try prtfinder.com. As well, you can look into classified ads for people getting rid of their unwanted pets, which is similar to rescuing from a shelter.
In most states, sugar gliders are considered “wild,” or exotic, so they are subject to different and stricter laws than are common domestic animals like cats, dogs, hamsters, chinchillas, etc. Often an animal that has potential to be an invasive (non-native) species will be classified as wild/exotic to discourage people from keeping them as pets. According to the link below, in GA, sugar gliders are legal as pets “if the owner possesses valid documentation that the animal originated from a source inspected and regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture.”
Both sugar gliders and chinchillas routinely live over a decade (sugars 10-12 years, chins 15-20 years), so be prepared for a long-term commitment if you do decide to adopt one of them! They’re also both nocturnal, so they are most active at night and you will need to arrange your schedule to accommodate this. Their cages should be kept in a quiet area of your home during the day so that they can rest undisturbed. They will need large cages, especially the gliders, which can be expensive if you buy commercial. Luckily, it’s not too difficult to make them yourself and you can buy everything you need at Lowe’s – wire mesh, a tray for the bottom, wood for nest boxes/perches, etc. The other supplies you can get at most any pet store (the gliders’ food you will have to prepare yourself from mostly grocery store items). You can adopt either gliders or chins on PetFinder.com: in the Animal field, choose “small and furry,” then type in the species in the Breed field. Enter your zip code so it can sort the available animals by geographic proximity. Exotic vets usually treat both gliders and chins, but I would recommend calling ahead of time to make sure that particular vet has a good amount of experience with the species.
Sugar gliders are small, nocturnal marsupials. Since they are gliders, they must be kept in a large aviary (bird enclosure), and they require a specialized diet of fresh foods (foraging foods like fruit, mealworms, etc.). They can be very friendly and tame, especially with regular handling at a young age. Like rats, they are social animals and should always be kept in pairs or small groups, and they need to be let out from their cage daily for a supervised exercise/play period. They’re very clean and generally healthy since they have not been subject to domestication.
Chinchillas are small, luxuriously furry rodents. They can be somewhat more skittish and harder to tame than gliders, so you definitely want to try to find an animal that is either young, or has been handled regularly since it was young. And you will need to handle it regularly yourself to keep it accustomed to handling. Chinchillas prefer to live in pairs, but as it can be tricky to introduce adult chins to each other as cagemates, it’s better that they stay in (same-sex) pairs from a young age. They are easier to feed than gliders because they eat mainly dry food that can be bought at the pet store – grass hay and pellets. The only special care chinchillas really need is that you need to provide them an area and supplies for dust bathing (see link) which you can buy at most pet stores.
As for which one makes a better pet, everyone has a different experience. Sugar gliders are more personable, but require more work. Chins can live twice as long as gliders. They’re both extremely cute, but of course both require expensive vet care if they get sick – just like any pet, although in some locations it’s harder to find a vet who knows about gliders/chins. If you adopt from PetFinder, there is often a (variable) fee associated with the adoption, and it can cost about $100 – $200 to set up an appropriate habitat.