Little sugar gliders are such sweet pets
They are more commonly seen in the forests of Australia, but these cute little animals are becoming popular pets.
Sugar gliders, as they are known, are a nocturnal form of possum, and the unusual pets are owned by Faye Osmund-Smith and her fiance James Griffiths, from Telford.
The little marsupials have been with the family since January and are so rare that they had to wait for some to be born before they could have the exotic pets.
Miss Osmund-Smith, 29, said: "The reason I found out about them was through a friend at work, he said his daughter wanted one so I Googled them, saw the picture and fell in love with them.
"I just had to have them. That was in October last year and, because they are quite rare, we had to wait for some to be born and travel up to Newcastle upon Tyne to collect them."
The sugar gliders have the same intelligence as a dog and become bonded to their new owners by their sense of smell. Faye and 36-year-old James are both bonded to the creatures as is Faye's nine-year-old son Zach and James' son Bradley, 10, who help with feeding the animals and also carry them around in bonding pouches.
She said: "The bonding pouches are like a fleece lined bag with a zip and mesh at the front for air, with a strap and you wear them initially when you go to sleep, or under your top for about a week before you get them so that they smell like you.
"During the bonding process you keep them in the pouch so they are smelling you while they are in a safe environment.
"Then when you get them out to stroke them or feed them, they smell you and associate that with feeling safe."
Though they are so rare, Miss Osmund-Smith said they make lovely, friendly pets.
Once they have bonded to an owner, which can take between two weeks and three months, and they know you, they are very affectionate.
"They never sit still, unless they are asleep. Because they are nocturnal, when they wake up that's the best time for a cuddle, because they are sleepy.
"They love to play, they run around the house and they love to run from your feet to the top of your head.
"I can do the housework with them sitting on my shoulder.
"If I wear a hoodie they will sit in the pouch. I can go out with them as long as I wear a hoodie then they won't leave me, they will stay in the pouch.
"People love them, they just want to stroke them, they're really soft. They make really cute noises."
Miss Osmund-Smith even takes them to her four-year-old daughter's Rebekkah's nursery where she said they are very popular.
She said: "They come with me to friends' houses and they come to my daughter's nursery. The kids absolutely love them."
The creatures originate from northern and eastern parts of Australia where they live off small insects and sap from certain species of eucalyptus, acacia and gum trees.
In the wild they have a life expectancy of around four years, but in captivity can live for up to 15.
Miss Osmund-Smith said: "They have such a specific diet where they need equal calcium and phosphates, if the balance isn't right they can get very ill.
"In the wild, because there isn't always that perfect balance they often only live for up to four years, and because there are predators like birds of prey.
"We make their food ourselves with a mix of fruit and vegetables, then we add a number of nutrients and vitamins like acacia gum, bee pollen and a calcium supplement."
