Small Mammal (SMAM) Buddy Buddy Center Volunteer Training Manual Thank you for choosing to be a Small Mammal (SMAM) Buddy! This manual will help you understand the basics of volunteering with SMAMs at the Buddy Center. Please do not attempt any of these processes or techniques until you have been trained by a Dumb Friends League staff member or volunteer. Attendance and Vacations If you are unable to work your shift, please contact Volunteer Services at 720-241-7160 or volunteer@ddfl.org. This way we know that you will be out and we may be able to find another volunteer to fill your shift. If you would like to permanently change your position or the day or time of your shift, please contact the Volunteer Services Manager at volunteer@ddfl.org. Getting Started Please wear your volunteer nametag, t-shirt and closed-toe skid resistant shoes for all shifts. Hand sanitizers are mounted on the wall in each room. Refills are available in the supervisor s office. Clock in at the time clock for every shift. Equipment IN THE SMAM ROOMS Gloves (both latex and non-latex) Trash bags Exercise pens Signs Bucket of Rescue and wash cloths Safety Cleaning Chemicals Rescue (Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide) is used in the SMAM kennels to clean and disinfect an empty kennel before housing a new animal. It may also be used in the colonies to clean and disinfect. Glass Cleaner is used on windows and doors. 1
Slips, Trips, Falls, and Bites If one of these occurs, notify a supervisor on duty immediately. Fill out an incident report. Moving a SMAM from its Kennel Approaching a SMAM Get the SMAM s attention before opening the gate by talking quietly. Open the kennel door slowly and make sure the SMAM cannot fall or jump out of the kennel. Remember, there is often more than one SMAM in each kennel. Give the SMAM the opportunity to explore you before attempting to pick it up. Don t rush. SMAMs are prey and can be easily startled. Ask a staff member or another volunteer for help if necessary. Picking Up a SMAM Rabbits: Can be easily stressed, so please go very slow when handling. Talk to the rabbit in a soft, calm voice and allow it to explore you. When picking up, place its back to you and support its bottom while holding the rear two feet to prevent kicking. Hold the rabbit close to your body to prevent squirming; rabbits do not have flexible spines so you must be very careful to not allow them to squirm too much as they can injure themselves. Gerbils: Gerbils are very fast and they jump. Cup the gerbil in your hands or use a container to pick it up. Never pick a gerbil up by the tail. Hamsters: Go slowly when picking up a hamster; make sure it is aware that you are there as it may bite if startled. Cup in your hands or pick up in a container. Guinea Pigs: Can be startled easily, talk in a soft, calm voice and allow them to explore you. Support their bodies when picking up and hold them close to your body. They will scream if they are scared and will chatter if they are comfortable. Rats: Rats are very social, making them easy to handle. Open the kennel and allow the rat to approach you. Pick up by cupping in your hand or in a container. Never pick up a rat by its tail. Mice: Mice can be easily startled, so go slowly and talk in a calm and quiet voice. Mice are very fast. Pick up by cupping in your hands or using a container. Never pick up a mouse by the tail. Ferrets: Ferrets are very social, making them easy to handle. Open the kennel and allow the ferret to approach you. Lift ferrets by supporting their bodies and hips. Never pick up a ferret by the scruff; it is very important to support their bottoms. Birds: Approach the bird slowly, talking in a calm voice. Greet the bird through the kennel bars before opening the gate. If the bird does not approach, or if it retreats or displays any aggression, ask a staff member for assistance. Reptiles: Ask a staff member for care instructions for reptiles or other exotic animals. Putting a SMAM in a Carrier If moving a SMAM from one room to another, always use an appropriate carrier. SMAMs can be held temporarily in flight kennels as long as they cannot fit through any of the spaces in the kennel. Mice, rats, hamsters and gerbils can go into exercise balls if they need to be out of their kennel; this also gives them an opportunity for extra exercise. Do not leave SMAMs in kennels or exercise balls unattended. Cleaning SMAMs 2
Cleaning SMAM Holding Make sure to check the kennel card for any important signage or information pertaining to the specific SMAM(s) in the kennel. Also, make note of how many SMAMs should be in each kennel and ensure that they are all accounted for before and after cleaning the kennel. Wash and sanitize your hands between each kennel. Morning Cleaning Remove the animal(s) and everything in the kennel including grates. Clean out all debris and wipe out kennel with Rescue. Soak rodent wheels in bucket of Rescue to remove urine. After wiping out the kennel, put down several layers of fresh newspaper. o Bunnies will need a grate for their kennels. o Rodents need Care Fresh on top of newspaper. Give all animals fresh food and water. All animals should have some sort of hiding place. o Bunnies can have a large castle. o Rodents can use cardboard boxes or a castle. Rabbits and ferrets should always have a litter box available. o Rabbits litter boxes should be lined with newspaper, Care Fresh, and a small amount of hay in one corner. o Ferrets litter boxes should have ferret or kitty litter. If neither is available, use Care Fresh. After cleaning the kennels, the floor should be swept and mopped and the trash taken out. Spot Cleaning Spot cleaning is done in the afternoon after morning clean has already been completed. This helps ensure that the animals will be comfortable overnight. Spot cleaning can generally be done while the animal is still in the cage. Refresh all food and water. Sterilize any empty cages. Change any dirty rabbit or ferret litter boxes. Clean any dirty cages that still contain animals. Sweep and mop the floor. Take out trash. Cleaning Adoptable SMAMs The adoptable SMAM kennels are located in the Cattery. The cleaning process for SMAMs in the adoption area is the same as SMAM holding except for two minor differences: There are no ferrets upstairs. The kennels have glass fronts so patrons can view the adoptable pets; the glass will need to be wiped down. Sterilizing an Empty Kennel for a New SMAM When the kennel is empty, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned before a new SMAM can be placed in the kennel. Remove everything from the kennel. 3
o Throw out everything that cannot be washed. o Ceramic dishes, water bottles, shelves, and castles all need to be washed and then run through the dishwasher. Wipe out all debris from the kennel into a dustpan. Use a scrubby to remove all stuck-on material. Scrubbies need to be soaked in Rescue before using in another kennel. Spray Rescue and wipe down the floor, ceiling, and walls of the kennel. Cage Set-Up Cage set-up for each SMAM can be different. The cages do not need to be set up until the SMAM is actually going into the kennel. Rabbits The bottom of rabbit kennels should be lined with newspaper with a grate placed over the top of the paper. Six things for a happy bunny home: 3. Shelf with a towel on top 4. Hard plastic toy 5. Something to chew on, like a twig or cardboard roll 6. Litter box; match up size of bunny to size of litter box Gerbils/Rats/Mice Line bottom of kennel with newspaper and Care Fresh. Do not need a grate for rodents. Five things for a happy rodent home: 3. Hiding place, like a plastic castle 4. Wheel 5. Something to chew on, like a twig or cardboard roll Guinea Pigs Line bottom of cage with newspaper, Care Fresh, and hay. Do not use a grate, it can injure their feet. Four things for a happy guinea pig home: 2. Ceramic dish 3. Hiding place, like a plastic castle 4. Something to chew on, like a twig or cardboard roll Ferrets Use kennels in SMAM holding that are multiple levels. Line the bottle level with newspaper. Six things for a happy ferret home: 4
3. Hammock 4. Blanket to burrow in 5. Litter box 6. Toys (can use cat toys) Birds Use available bird cages in the shed, garage, and shower room. Four things for a happy bird cage: 1. Dish for food 2. Water dish 3. Bird toy - these can hang from the top of the cage to be chewed on or can be a mirror 4. Perches Feeding SMAMs Rabbits Pellet food available at all times. Diet may also include fresh fruits and vegetables with the exception of celery stalks, lettuce, rhubarb, apple seeds, sweet peas, potatoes, beans, cabbage, and corn. Hay must be provided daily. Gerbils/Hamsters/Mice Pellet food available at all times. May supplement diet with seeds, fruits and vegetables. Guinea Pigs Pellet food available at all times. Diet may also include fresh fruits and vegetables with the exception of celery stalks, lettuce, rhubarb and spinach. Hay can be fed to guinea pigs. Ferrets Pellet food available at all times. If we are out of ferret food, Science Diet dry kitten food can be fed to ferrets. Diet may include yogurt drops, raisins, or any other treats that are commercially made for ferrets. Birds Birdseed available at all times. Depending on breed of bird, the seed can be different. Do not feed the bird without reading the packaging first. Birds crack the seeds they eat. Be sure to remove the empty hulls of the seeds every day during morning cleaning. Fruits and vegetables can be given as treats. Specific feeding instructions will be posted on kennel for exotics. 5