Rabbits & Rodents
Rabbits & Guinea Pigs
On arriving I open one of their hutch doors & wait until they come up to me. With my hand by the hutch door, I let them smell my hand before stroking them. I’m very gentle & have learnt over the years the signs telling me that they don’t want to be stroked. I wash their bowl & chop up their salad/vegetables. I then put out their foods & change their water bottle/s.
I take them to their separate area so they can have a run around. I then clean out their hutch. I check their eyes & behind area for any signs of flystrike. They have cuddles & then back into their hutch. Unless your rabbits or guinea pigs are outdoors where I wouldn’t need your home keys – I carry out the tasks listed in the “around your home” (more on that here).
Hamsters & Gerbils
When I arrive I open one of their cage doors & wait until they come up to me. I let them check me out before stroking them. I place them into their exercise ball & keep them in a small area where I can keep an eye on them, whilst cleaning their cage. Once I’ve finished cleaning I let them into a larger area & follow them at a distance whilst they run around in their ball. After they’ve explored & exercised I carefully place them back into their cage to enjoy their food. If they let me fuss them then I do this. I carry out the tasks listed in the “around your home” part above.
Degu’s & Chinchilla’s
I firstly see if they are ok & chat to them. I look after a pair of degu’s named Joey & Chandler who are lovely! They always come straight up to me & have a food pellet through their cage holes. I see if they want strokes & fuss. I then wash their bowl, put their food out & change their water bottle. A few times a week I put their dust bath in their cage. I remove this before I leave. For cleaning their cage I let each of them run into a long cardboard tube to be transported to another separate cage. I know they are sociable but don’t like being held too much. I complete the tasks in the “about your home” section above.
The Pets I Care For
Around your home
For all different types of pets I ensure your home is secure & carry out the following for you:
- I draw curtains, switch lights on/off & move post/junk mail out of sight.
- I’m very careful ensuring all doors are locked & alarms are set.
- I wheel bin/s out & back again.
- I water any plants – both indoor & outdoor.
These small things really do help in making your home appear lived in. I’ve had a client where I found a puddle of water on the kitchen floor. I found there was a leak under the sink & as I was able to fix it she was very grateful. Little things like this are peace of mind for you whilst you are away.
