# Rodentry and pet sitting



## Guest (Apr 6, 2014)

I am looking at buying a mediam sized shed I can use for small animal pet sitting. 


How did you set up your rodentry? Can you show me pictures. I am qualified in animal care and have experience keeping most small animals. 

How did you insulate your shed and how do you keep it warm for the rodents in winter months. 

Any up to date books you would recomend so I can brush up my knowledge?


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

I don't like the idea of using a shed to house rodents. 
Surely you wouldn't 'sit' so many that they couldn't stay in the house?


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2014)

Animallover26 said:


> I don't like the idea of using a shed to house rodents.
> Surely you wouldn't 'sit' so many that they couldn't stay in the house?


The idea sounds nuts but all the top hamster breeders keep their pets this way.

I was on a hamster forum and lots of pet owners keep them outside.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

no they dont, i actually know of very few who keep their hamsters in sheds.
i personally would also never use a sitter who would keep my animals in a shed


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

There is a difference between keeping and breeding your own hamsters in a suitably insulated and heated shed, to caring for other peoples'.

Syrian hamsters will go into hibernation if the temperature drops below 52°F/12°C which is not something you would ever risk happening with a client's pet.

There are other concerns such as escapes which all small animal species are at risk of - and if they are kept outside then they are often gone forever especially in the case of Syrian hamsters.

You would also need to look into the various viruses and bacterial infections that can be shared between species - or even between animals from different homes. Some viruses can be carried sub-clinically by some but will quickly kill another. There are some infections that can be passed from dogs to small rodents, for instance.

Insurance and boarding contract would have to be watertight, plus your handling skills and confidence with some animals that bite, and you would also need to source the most specialised vets in your area for small rodents/rabbits/exotics or be prepared to travel.

Another shed or outbuilding outside the home and where the other animals are kept would need to be set aside for a quarantine area in case any animals did fall sick during your care.

ASs you don't drive, what would you do if you were boarding a rabbit, for example, which appeared to be going into gut stasis/bloat when you do your last check at about 10.30pm on a Saturday night?

I have had a lifetime of experience with small animals and have only boarded friends' pets on a few occasions, free of charge, due to the 
issues that could arise from mixing different species of animals from different homes.


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2014)

MerlinsMum said:


> There is a difference between keeping and breeding your own hamsters in a suitably insulated and heated shed, to caring for other peoples'.
> 
> Syrian hamsters will go into hibernation if the temperature drops below 52°F/12°C which is not something you would ever risk happening with a client's pet.
> 
> ...


Perhaps not a suitable idea for syrians due to the hybernation issues alone all though I wonder if storage boxes/comverted tanks would be enough to keep the cold out? I'm thinking probably not considering some of the winters we have had recently.

I got thinking about Guinea Pigs and Rabbits both which I have had in the past and could use my enclosures to foster guinea pigs while they are not in use.

My conern with taking on rabbits to house while people are away is myxi its so contagious and their would be no way I could prove the rabbits are vaccinated.


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

Prowl said:


> My conern with taking on rabbits to house while people are away is myxi its so contagious and their would be no way I could prove the rabbits are vaccinated.


Yes there would - you would ask to see the vaccination card. And they would need to be vaccinated against VHD as well. Myxi is not that contagious - it's spread via fleas and mosquitoes.


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

Prowl said:


> Perhaps not a suitable idea for syrians due to the hybernation issues alone all though I wonder if storage boxes/comverted tanks would be enough to keep the cold out? I'm thinking probably not considering some of the winters we have had recently. .


Not worth the risk. Most small animals would be happier in their own cages anyway. The main arguments against it, will be that you are taking small animals out of their centrally-heated homes and putting them in a colder environment.

Then there is always the possibility of escape, and an outbuilding could provide more opportunity for complete loss.

A shed may also attract vermin, which could pass on infections or even kill your boarders.

Then, as I said before - cross-infection between individual animals, or even cross-species. I'm a little surprised you weren't aware of rabbit vaccination cards, or even VHD which is a great deal more infectious than myxomatosis. Then there is also Pasteurella, and some infections that can be dormant in some species but pass them on to other species sharing the same airspace.

If Millie picked up Kennel Cough, any small animal boarders you have would be at risk of contracting Bordetella which is fatal to some small animals and can even be carried in the human respiratory system for short periods.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

you could not house rabbits and guinea pigs in the same shed as a pet sitter, rabbits carry bordatella naturally in their nasal passages, which causes no harm to them but is lethal to piggies, 1 well aimed sneeze from a healthy rabbit can kill a ginea pig, there have been cases where guinea pig breeders have introduced a single healthy bun to the same airspace as their pigs and the whole lot have died, from bordatella (only way to tell if bordatella is what killed a pig is to have it necropsied, it is a silent killer)

also its not just syrian hamsters which are likely to hibernate, its ALL hamster species and mice can hibernate if the temperatures fall too low


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

Lil Miss said:


> also its not just syrian hamsters which are likely to hibernate, its ALL hamster species *and mice* can hibernate if the temperatures fall too low


Personally, having kept mice in a shed environment I've not found that, nor seen it reported among other mouse fanciers/breeders.

However, the cross-species disease risk is very real. There are other viruses such as SDA and Sendai which present a significant risk of fatality when mixing rodents from different sources.


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

This thread shows how we converted & insulated our shed for my hamsters, it is heated aswell so we've never had any hibernate & we've had some pretty dreadful winters.

http://www.petforums.co.uk/rodents/130757-insulated-hamster-shed-step-step.html

.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

We bought a second hand caravan (5 berth) for £450 off preloved....I wouldn't mind but it fully works!! But anyways my mousery is that...we heat it via a portable one (electric I think). It also is comfortable for when I go and sit in there  Plus it is well lit with natural light. It is a little more expensive than a second hand shed...but it is worth it. You don't even need a caravan that works.


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2014)

I would not know about the other infectious diseases because I have not kept animals in boarding conditions before and haven't kept rabbits or guinea pigs for about 15 years :>

I may know a lot and be educated but my education is also roughly a decade out of date. Things change somethings you don't know thats why you ask and find out. 

I won't be going ahead with pet boarding for a number reasons now that I have weighed out all the negatives and postives.

Thanks everyone :>


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## kodakkuki (Aug 8, 2011)

What animal qualification was it you did? Only asking as I'm just about to finish L3 animal management, and we have had assignments in 4 separate units on diseases- one for all exotics, one for all zoonotic and notifiable, another health checking a dog and cat, and other health checking small furries (practical and written)... I do know I've been going into much more detail than the others in my class and far more than the tutors expect at times, but the info was given out in a booklet anyway!


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## Guest (May 2, 2014)

kodakkuki said:


> What animal qualification was it you did? Only asking as I'm just about to finish L3 animal management, and we have had assignments in 4 separate units on diseases- one for all exotics, one for all zoonotic and notifiable, another health checking a dog and cat, and other health checking small furries (practical and written)... I do know I've been going into much more detail than the others in my class and far more than the tutors expect at times, but the info was given out in a booklet anyway!


Land and Environment at Southend 
First Diploma and a National Certificate at Writtle

I remember doing lots of health checks and havving to administer a pill to a dog. The horrible thing was the pill was a skittle!

This was a long time ago I studdied about 10 years ago.


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