Babysitting Sugar "Babies"

This weekend we babysat, or pet-sat I guess, our friends' sugar gliders. We've known Steve and Melinda since we were all in the same singles ward together, so it is really fun to have them in our regular ward.


Well, they went to St. George, so we watched their pets, Ginger and Rambo. I keep calling them sugar babies, maybe cause they are tiny but maybe cause I like candy.


Sugar Gliders are nocturnal marsupials native to eastern Australia. They have a flap of skin between their limbs that allows them to glide around. They move super fast. One of our favorite things is to watch them zip around in circles in the cage.
I've learned to wear long sleeves because they have tough claws that help them hang in all sorts of precarious positions.


Initially Ben had the most success luring them out of the cage to play in the evening with yogurt treats, but since then I have become their favorite jungle gym.
I find that this happens with children too. Maybe I have some sort of "jungle gym" pheromone that only children and animals can smell.
At any rate, we've had a lot of fun looking after them. They are really easy pets and very adorable. I'll be sad to give them back, but glad to get the floor space back (since we didn't have much to begin with).