Cheryl Morin, 34, was with her family at K-Days on Saturday when she was drawn to the long, bushy tails and big, expressive eyes of the sugar gliders at a booth on the midway.
"It's so cute and it looks cuddly, I wanted one," Morin said.
The vendor, Sugar Bears, also known as Perfect Pocket Pets, was selling the tiny marsupials on the midway under a tent.
On Tuesday they were shut down after complaints were made. A K-Days spokesperson said it was closed because of the heat and the location.
After buying two sugar gliders for a total of $1,300, Morin said K-Days should have been concerned about the sales technique and lack of information provided when she was buying the animals.
"They bring out this really tame one that's up during the day and you think it's so neat and you can bring it to the beach or for a coffee, but it's not like that at all," she said.
"He didn't say I should go home and think about it. He said they're great: 'Look, I have one in my pocket.'"
She was given a CD with more information about her new pets. She listened to it on the way home, and her eyes grew as wide as those of the sugar gliders.
"That's when you start hearing about possible hypothermia if they're not kept warm. They say don't listen to the internet, because you can kill them if you feed them certain foods.
"Don't feed them bugs because they make them stink. They stink anyway. I'm listening and wondering what we're getting ourselves into."
She's named her new pets Dobby and Winkie, but says they're not much for cuddling at all.
She said they're noisy, and one of them is very aggressive, which leads to biting and quick movements to get away.
"I'm terrified. I don't want to touch them."
She now realizes the marsupials, which are native to Australia, will take a lot more research and patience.
For now, Morin's daughter Nichole, 16, is the only one who plays with them when the nocturnal animals wake up around 10 p.m.
Morin has emailed Sugar Bears about her concerns over the information given, but she hasn't heard back. On Wednesday, a representative contacted CBC News about allegations of misinformation.
Matt Grant, a regional representative for Sugar Bears, told CBC news this week that every potential customer is told to go home to do their due diligence before buying a pet.
Grant did not reply to questions about Morin's concerns Thursday.
Morin has been in touch with a sugar glider rescue organization, and said she'll have to pay $500 for more food and a bigger cage.
She says putting Dobby and Winkie up for adoption is an option, but she's hoping it doesn't come to that.
(CBA.ca - July 29, 2016)
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