Rat sitter care sheet....

[undergunfire]

My mom's boy friend of 6 years is dying of cancer...it is down to a couple of weeks, now. My husband and I are flying out to NY for a week when it happens....

So, I have to leave the rats with a friend of mine. My friend will be staying at my house when she isn't working (doesn't work more than 7hrs at a time). She has been here 2 times already to see how I do things. I showed her the first time how to take care of the rats...and then the second time I had her do it by herself. She seems like she's got it down, but I am still leaving instructions for her. I am hoping she can come over next week to take care of the rats again, but if not...then I want to make sure my instructions are detailed, but easy to understand....in case she forgets anything. We don't know when my mom's boy friend will be passing away...could be days or a few weeks, which is why I want my instructions to be clear.

So, I am wondering if you guys can read this and let me know if it sounds pretty "simple" to non-rat people? My friend had pet rats before, but she wasn't exactly rat obsessed in the way that I am.

I am slightly OCD and can go crazy with instructions. I tried to not go over board and thought I did I good job because usually I'd literally write 2-3 pages filled with crap that probably doesn't make sense, LOL!





*** RATS ***

*****************************


ONCE a Day:

- - Check all 3 water bottles to ensure that they are at least halfway full (all water bottles will be at different amounts of water).

- Feed them 1 scoop of their grain mixture into the dish on the bottom level every NIGHT (my rats do most of their eating at night), but first dump all left overs into the kitchen trash (should really only be sunflower shells left).

-------------------------------------

TWICE a Day:

- Make sure that the 2 white dishes are almost full of dog food.

- "Spot clean" the cage: pick up all poopies/litter/crumbs and put it into the litter boxes.

------------------------------------

CLEANING THE CAGE - clean on .... :


STEP 1:
Put all rats into the carrier (except Spartan - he can play on the floor, but do not step/sit on him!). Oh....and good luck! They will not bite, but they will be scared of you grabbing at them. Give them a few minutes to "cool off" if it is taking you more then a say...5 minutes to get them all into the carrier.

Be careful to only have 1 door open at a time with rats in the cage and you will still need to watch out....or one might sneak out. Try to catch all the friendlier rats first (you can always tell who is more friendly). All 3 of the small girls (not Spice) and 1 (sometimes both) of the big white boys will be a bit more timid (especially since they don't really know you).


STEP 2:
Spot clean the cage as best as you can by putting litter/crumbs/poop into the litter boxes. You can use the small hand vacuum that is on the laundry room floor (doesn't stay charger for more than a few mins), if you want.


STEP 3:
Take down all the hammocks first (put hooks into a pile on the stand or floor) and LIGHTLY shake the hammocks out onto the floor. You can also use your hand to brush off some of the crumbs/hair.


STEP 4:
Take out the liners and shake them lightly/brush the crumbs/hair off onto the floor.


STEP 5:
Put the liners/hammocks into the washer. 1 cup full of detergent will be fine. Washer knob sucks at turning....but put it on like 6 or so for "heavy duty".


STEP 6:
Dump dirty litter box litter into the trash can out into the garage (make sure cats don't sneak out into garage). Then wash the litter boxes in the kitchen sink with dish soap. Either let air dry and refill when cage is put back together, or dry off with towel and then refill with litter.


STEP 7:
Refill the cage with new liners & hammocks (I left them out for you). Don't forget to hang a pocket hammock on the top level, close enough to the shelf so that Spartan can get in it with ease. Also hang that hammock more "flat" by hooking the hooks not so close to one another on the roof. Be sure to hang a double decker hammock above the bottom shelf of the cage - so that is rests on the shelf itself (for when Spartan is too tired to make it up to the top level to get into his pocket hammock).

Also....don't forget to pin down the top level's small shelf's liner to the side of the cage with safety pins (like how I showed you).


STEP 8:
Put all litter boxes back into cage (make sure they are fitted snug into the sides, so they don't get tipped). One corner litter box goes up at the very top of the cage on the top shelf's back corner...the other corner litter box goes on the middle level in the back right corner. The square litter box goes back into the base of the cage in the left bottom corner.

This is also the time to make sure all water bottles are still attached to the cage and the white dishes are full of dog food.


STEP 9:
Vacuum up the carpet with the shop vac if there is a mess from shaking out the liners onto the carpet (the vac is in the garage and return it to the garage when finished)..... and switch the rat laundry into the dryer on 50 minutes...and when it is done, you will probably have to run it again on 50 minutes as it doesn't dry all the way the first time (doesn't have to be right away, but try to remember within a few hours).


STEP 10:
BREATHE....YOU ARE FINISHED WITH CLEANING THE RAT CAGE!!!!
=)





Oh, and my friend is also taking care of the buns & cats...but they are soooo easy compared to the rats.

 

[degrassi]

I"m a petsitter and those instructions sound great. I always appreciate when a client gives detailed instructions like that.

I"m sure your friend will do a good job. Just give her a phone # or email too in case she has any questions.

 

[undergunfire]

Thank you, Valerie!

I plan to have a separate sheet of paper with my mom's & brother's cell phone number my mom's house phone, both my dad & stepmom's cell numbers, mine and Ryan's, and lastly....my main vets. I am also hoping that Alicia won't mind if I leave my friend her number...in case there is a bunny question and I can't be reached.

So...hopefully I am leaving my friend well prepared to watch the pets, lol.


Here is the cat care sheet....

*** CATS ***

******************************


Every Morning:

- Scoop out 1 can of cat food onto plate. Put 4 tablespoons of warm water from the tap onto the plate and mix it up with the cat food. Place plate onto placemat.

- Put 1 scoop of dry food into their dish.

-----------------------------------


Multiple Times a Day (3-4 times):

- Carefully scoop (so pieces don't crumble) out dirty cat litter with "sifter scoop" and put dirty litter into grocery bag, then throw away in garbage can in garage.

-----------------------------------


Every Night:

- Scoop out 1 can of cat food onto plate. Put 4 tablespoons of warm water from the tap onto the plate and mix it up with the cat food. Place plate onto placemat.

-----------------------------------

*** Make sure to wash their wet cat food plate before you feed them the next time ***

** Be sure that they have water from the purifier (on the tap) in their dish on the floor at all times **






Bunny care sheet....


*** RABBITS ***

EVERY MORNING:
- Rise, dry the outside, and refill their water dishes with COLD water from the faucet purifier.
- Feed 1 scoop of oats per rabbit (drop Brody's into his dish quickly, or he will hit them all over his cage with his head/nose).

EVERY NIGHT:
- Feed 1 scoop of pellets per rabbit (drop Brody's into his dish quickly, or he will hit them all over his cage with his head/nose).

* NOTES:
Make sure their hay bins are full - Brody's usually needs to be refilled every other day, the other bunnies every few days.


Signs of possible illness:
- Lethargic (laying down and not moving/getting up when you come up to their cage - note...sometimes Brody "plays dead").
- None or small amount of poop in litter box (ex: a couple of handfuls per day is what should be in there).
**** PLEASE CALL ME ASAP IF YOU NOTICE SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT.

 

[TinysMom]

The only thing I would do differently is:

- Feed them 1 scoop of their grain mixture into the dish on the bottom level every NIGHT (my rats do most of their eating at night), but first dump all left overs into the kitchen trash (should really only be sunflower shells left).

Becoming this:

EVERY NIGHT: After durmping the leftovers from last night (should only be sunflower seeds), feed them 1 scoop of their grain mixture into the dish on the bottom level.


That's just me though....

 

[SunnyCait]

My vote isn't much because my lists are probably about as long as yours haha. But it looks very clear and precise. Should be no sweat!!!

 

[Becca]

Sounds great Amy!!

Very easy to understand and very detailed!

Also I'm sorry your mums boyfriends dying x

 

[hartleybun]

as someone who petsits, the more info the better. i'd be fine with yours. routine is everything to pets and i think it shows you care deeply. if your friend isnt used to rats then a step by step care sheet is ideal. it saves her worrying and covers all the little details that she may not know.

sorry that it has to be under such sad circumstances tho.

 

[JadeIcing]

My number is fine to hive her. No problem

 

[undergunfire]

Thank you, every one! I am glad to know that my friend won't get more confused with my lists . I should probably print them out and let her read them before I leave, too.

Peg...thank you for pointing that out. I knew about it....but I was too lazy to change it. I will do that now, though .




I am going to call my mother today and see how Tom (her boy friend) is feeling. When I talked to my mom on Thursday, all he had eaten in 5 days was 4 grapes, a piece of lettuce, a bite of yogurt, and some cherry pie. He is barely drinking. He has some rare form of cancer....but has tumors in his stomach and such. They told him 6 years ago that he had 6 months left to live. He has A LOT of money...so he has been able to get treatments over in the Netherlands, etc...which apparently has helped him live 5.5 years after he was "supposed" to die.

They won't let him come home from the hospital until he can sit up and get out of bed on his own. I have no idea why??? Anyway...he tries to get up and has a panic attack and says he can't do it. The hospital bed was delivered at home...so I hope he can come home to pass away.

 

[Brandy456]

Thats toootally clear, =D

 

[missyscove]

Sounds good to me. What I might do is include a picture of how you like the cage set up so that once she has everything out she can remember where everything goes back in.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

sound great to me I would also put a note somewhere she might see it if she is watching tv or something about the dryer. To do it twice.

That would be something I would do.

I am guessing the scoops are already in the food container. If not I would make sure they all are

 

[undergunfire]

Good idea, Christina....I think I will leave a picture of how I decorate the rat cage.

Kat...yep, food scoops are already in the containers! We don't have cable...so not sure how much television my friend will be watching. I can leave a note on the garage door...which is right in the laundry room, so when she leaves she will see it!

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

undergunfire wrote:

Good idea, Christina....I think I will leave a picture of how I decorate the rat cage.

Kat...yep, food scoops are already in the containers! We don't have cable...so not sure how much television my friend will be watching. I can leave a note on the garage door...which is right in the laundry room, so when she leaves she will see it!

Thats a good idea. I just need a second reminder somewhere sometimes so I would leave one for someone taking care of my gang.