Where legal, the Sugar Glider is not difficult to breed in captivity under the right conditions, and small numbers have been legally and illegally exported to America where they have formed a breeding population for sale as pets. Breeding mills are a controversial subject. In the United States, keeping sugar gliders as pets is illegal in some jurisdictions, including California, Georgia, Hawaii, and Alaska; many other states require a permit.
The Sugar Glider is a popular pet because of its lively and inquisitive nature; with plenty of attention, it bonds well to human companions. It requires a special diet that includes vitamins, protein, calcium supplements, and insects.
Sugar Gliders bred and kept in captivity behave differently to those in the wild. Because they are very social creatures, often living in families in the wild, it is difficult to raise a single Sugar Glider in captivity, especially as it is rare for a Sugar Glider owner to be up late at night, when Sugar Gliders are most active, to play with it. When multiple Sugar gliders are kept together, social behavior is closer to that of wild Sugar Gliders.
To further simulate natural surroundings an environment may have branches or vines. With that it is important to note that certain plants are poisonous to Sugar Gliders, but there are plants that are safe to have in a sugar glider environment.