Hamster sitting

[Lilafernim]

I do actually have a zero hour contract in care home back home, but with coronavirus precautions it means I can’t go there for the odd shift without going through extensive tests. It’s only really worth it in the holidays.

For term time I just would like something on the side to do. I’ve asked a different care home if I could do some hours there but they said it would mean I’d have to do tests for there and DBS all the rest, then completely reapply for the care home near home which just seems ridiculous.

I think I’m just having difficulty at the moment getting small jobs as I’m overqualified for store jobs while studying but too under qualified to get jobs in the field I’m studying. So I’m just kind of stuck. At the moment I’m just participating in paid studies up at the university and it will be the summer holidays in a couple of months, but it’s be nice to just to have a bit of spare change.

I’ve just been desperate to get Mitzi some shelves and some sort of tunnel. But we’re sort of rationing at the moment and saving for essentials with electric and other bills going up so much. It’s meant we’re a lot shorter than we’d want to be. I’m sure something will come along though it always does!

[Ria P]

I have to do a LFT test before each agency shift but they don't take long to do. Regulations within care homes are stricter than working in supported living. Also, agency work pays better.
The massive increase in electric, gas and fuel is shocking and a lot of people will struggle.

Very strong cardboard could be used as a freestanding platform to create a shelf and cardboard tubes like Pringles or Twiglets can be used for tunnels. Have a look on freecycling or advertise there for stuff you need. Someone may have some spare tubes used for plumbing lying around.

What kind of tubes are you looking for? To go on the floor or to attach to the side of the cage to run through?

[Lilafernim]

I know people who worked agency at my work and they worked hard! I always got confused with their time sheet things they filled out and to be honest I know the care home I’m at well. Also I should probably verify I only help doing laundry and kitchen assistance, a lot of people have told me I could do full care work and have been told me it is like caring for a “big baby”. On long thought it’s hard to care for the “big baby” when they’re swearing and calling you names. Most residents are lovely but there has been the few that I’d struggle with.

I was thinking of making shelves with cardboard from Aldi. But unsure how to hold it against the cage. Trixie ones you can buy have those screws but I can’t do that with cardboard. I also would like a hanging tube or a Sputnik type thing, I was actually looking at some of your cage designs for your Syrians using the Alaska and I think it would give Mitzi more to do. She has a bridge in there also but I’d like a bendy bridge really instead. I’ve got some ideas how to do things with cardboard but it’d be nice to have something that is cleanable and she won’t chew to bits.

[sushi_78]

I've actually made a business out of small animal boarding. Most of my guests are hamsters. I've been doing it for just over two years now. It is a viable option for making a little extra income, if you're willing to do all the advertising, running of a website, insurance and so on, but it depends how much space you have. You do need some savings to begin with as a buffer in case of vet bills and other unforeseen circumstances. If an animal needs vet care while staying with you, the vet will expect you to pay upfront, and then have the owner repay you. I also always have at least one spare cage and things to go in it because you never know when a hamster is going to chew out of its cage, arrive in a dangerously insecure cage, and so on. Also it can take a while to get started. When I first started and didn't have any reviews I had to keep my prices quite low, and once the positive reviews starting coming in I was able to put them up and start making actual profit.

The small cages etc can be upsetting, and depressing. I do feel that there is a difference between opinion and fact when it comes to hamster care, and as Ria P alluded to, I am paid to provide a service, not to give out my opinions. A lot of Syrians nowadays come in PaH XLs, Duna Fun Larges, Grosvenors etc. and I feel that these cages are at least humane. I think I would prefer to keep them in something a bit bigger but that's my opinion and not a fact. A lot of hamsters can run with a straight back even on a wheel that's a bit smaller than the recommended size for their species. I think that a bigger wheel is probably more comfortable for them, but again, that's my opinion, and not a fact. I restrict the unsolicited advice to things that are objectively likely to harm the hamster or cause them to suffer, such as wheels that make their backs bend, fluffy bedding, tiny cages etc. That said, a lot of owners actually ask for my opinion and then I'm very happy to give it.

Fortunately the majority of my customers nowadays actually have reasonably good care. I think this is largely because people who are willing to pay to put their hamsters in boarding are likely to be more interested in its welfare than average.

I am very fond of many the animals I have looked after, and I have a few favourites, but I don't find I get very attached to them. This is probably because I know they're going home at some point so I don't allow myself to get attached. It might come down to your personality though.

[Ria P]

Yes, i know what you mean. I buy stuff like that from package pets. You could cut a strong cardboard box into a freestanding platform but it wouldn't attach to the sides like a Trixie corner shelf. I'm raiding Aldi myself for cardboard sheets to cut to size for Clive who loves shredding cardboard.
Do you have the original black plastic shelf that comes with the Alaska?

[Pebbles82]

Originally Posted by sushi_78

I've actually made a business out of small animal boarding. Most of my guests are hamsters. I've been doing it for just over two years now. It is a viable option for making a little extra income, if you're willing to do all the advertising, running of a website, insurance and so on, but it depends how much space you have. You do need some savings to begin with as a buffer in case of vet bills and other unforeseen circumstances. If an animal needs vet care while staying with you, the vet will expect you to pay upfront, and then have the owner repay you. I also always have at least one spare cage and things to go in it because you never know when a hamster is going to chew out of its cage, arrive in a dangerously insecure cage, and so on. Also it can take a while to get started. When I first started and didn't have any reviews I had to keep my prices quite low, and once the positive reviews starting coming in I was able to put them up and start making actual profit.

The small cages etc can be upsetting, and depressing. I do feel that there is a difference between opinion and fact when it comes to hamster care, and as Ria P alluded to, I am paid to provide a service, not to give out my opinions. A lot of Syrians nowadays come in PaH XLs, Duna Fun Larges, Grosvenors etc. and I feel that these cages are at least humane. I think I would prefer to keep them in something a bit bigger but that's my opinion and not a fact. A lot of hamsters can run with a straight back even on a wheel that's a bit smaller than the recommended size for their species. I think that a bigger wheel is probably more comfortable for them, but again, that's my opinion, and not a fact. I restrict the unsolicited advice to things that are objectively likely to harm the hamster or cause them to suffer, such as wheels that make their backs bend, fluffy bedding, tiny cages etc. That said, a lot of owners actually ask for my opinion and then I'm very happy to give it.

Fortunately the majority of my customers nowadays actually have reasonably good care. I think this is largely because people who are willing to pay to put their hamsters in boarding are likely to be more interested in its welfare than average.

I am very fond of many the animals I have looked after, and I have a few favourites, but I don't find I get very attached to them. This is probably because I know they're going home at some point so I don't allow myself to get attached. It might come down to your personality though.

That sounds great. So it is a possibility to earn some money but could turn into a business and need space. Reassuring that most people have decent sized cages and not teeny tiny things.

I second pringles tubes as tunnels - they're an ideal size. Although depends if you eat pringles - they're not cheap either!

There are various things you could make cheaply but I can understand if you want to save and buy something like a solid permanent shelf.

But have a look at the 10 toilet roll tubes video. There are some good ideas on there - I particularly like the hammock Not a shelf but a sort of hanging shelf. You'd need a ball of sisal string for some of those. I actually have quite a large ball so I could send you half of it if you want.

Also if you make a shoebox house, that doubles up as a shelf.

Assume you type? How about temping doing secretarial work? That can pay reasonably well. I know some typists used to get paid for typing peoples dissertations as well - a good fee per dissertation - maybe you could advertise your services in the University.

10 Toilet Roll Toys For Small Pets - YouTube

[Lilafernim]

Thank you Sushi for your response. I only saw the one person advertising the need for one but my concern is they potentially have two hamsters in one small cage. I don’t have insurance and like I said to them they’ve only just recently got the hamster and want me to care for them for a month. If they fight and get hurt I could be seen as liable and I don’t want to take that risk. Also I wouldn’t know how much to ask for or what to do if they did start bar biting because of cage size or something. I don’t have a lot of room, I could take on two small cages or one big cage in the lounge but that’s about it. How they sound as well I wonder if eventually they’d just ask me to keep them and I can’t do that. If I’m being completely honest I think it’s irresponsible to buy hamsters when you travel so much but like you say we can’t give opinions if you’re just providing a service.

Also, Ria I did have the black shelf but I got rid of it when I made the house as the roof comes off the house. I wanted to allow access to Mitzi if ever I felt I needed to and the shelf would block me being able to open the house. To clarify I never do open it, it’s just peace of mind for me and I’d say I regret throwing the shelf but I made a floating cardboard house and used the slide with that. I wouldn’t have room for shelf anyway. It also couldn’t go on the other side because of the wheel.

Here’s my plan, I don’t know if it will work but I want to try before I just buy shelves. So I’ll get cardboard and cut a corner shape out three times. The first two just stick together then put some popsicle sticks on the next layer with some sticking out slightly, for sturdiness and also when in the corner I’m thinking if her weight brings it down have the sticks sticking out slightly will resist against the bars. Then stick the final cardboard piece on top of that. Then make higher sides for the corner part and I’m going to use jute and stitch it to the bars, then with another bit of cardboard stick that over the exposed just on the inside of the cage so Mitzi can’t bite it off. Make two shelves. And a ladder between them.

I’m also going to get thinner cardboard and plait long pieces together to make like a woven tube and use thick card to make o rings to keep it tubal in shape. This can then hang but I worry she’ll just chew it. I don’t know if it would work but I want to try, and this way one shelf also multipurpose as a roof over her sandbox for privacy, I can still open her house if I feel I need to, and she’ll have more to explore. I also feel guilty seeing everyone’s lovely cages and most of hers is made from popsicle sticks and cardboard, it makes me feel like a bad owner.

[Lilafernim]

I think I’ve seen that video before but had forgotten about it. I was going to make that bridge from it! I’ll need to start hoarding a few to make one now XD but even if my shelf and tube doesn’t work that would be an extra level for her. Also I hadn’t actually thought of a Pringle can but I had given her a tube before and she showed very little interest. She poked her head in but wouldn’t go further, she’s quite big so I wonder if she maybe see is at as too small. Maybe there’s another product with the same material but bigger tube size I’d have to thing. Would save me weaving cardboard!

I never even thought of that type of job to be honest! I could ask around the university I have tried to get in as a lab assistant for a couple of projects but it always seems third year students get the job. I did try looking at some work from home jobs also but they ask you to have no pets in case you need to video chat and they’re seen. (I know hamster would be no bother but we do have a bird and a cat also). And they’d need to do a home visit and I was originally just going to lie about the pet thing and shut them out my room, but I can’t hide it if they visited and they ask you to have an office and we have no spare rooms.

I actually enjoy painting, not that I’m any good at it and I’d love to do my uni work and sell art alongside it but nothing ever sells. I tried on Etsy when your first sale is at a reduced amount and no interest. But to be fair everyone says art is hard to sell.