• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

What do you look for...

pigsforlife

Mama Doe
When choosing a boarding place?

This is the first time I have had to board the crew, previously my grandparents did it. But with Pop passing away recently, Gran can't look after them all by herself (5 guinea pigs, 2 rabbits and 2 dogs). So we are looking at boarding them.

The exotic specialist vets have recently purchased a unit down the road from their clinic which has about 6 large rooms filled with boarding setups of various sizes. One of the vet nurses actually recommend we get the largest cage and then divide it into 3. The buns will have one section, the pigs another and the other group of pigs another.

Costs us $30 a day. The buns will get roughly 2mx2m of space, and the pigs 1mx2m for each pig section. The floor is a tarp with hay as bedding. They have airconditioning on at 23C when warm and 21C when hot. We have to provide pellets but they provide veggies. Only problem here is that they only feed them bok choy and carrots. :? I am also concerned that the buns will get bored with the (much) smaller cage and will turn destructive - and that Noah will be able to escape his enclosure if he gets really bored.

Any thoughts/ideas? What do YOU look for when choosing a place for your buns?
 
I've never boarded my buns, just too anxious to leave them with someone else. Nino deteriorates so quickly and hides it so well that unless you know him inside out you'd miss it, we also worry about referred aggression being near other buns having experienced it with them before. But if we did ever consider it and felt brave enough then it would be this place that I would use:
http://www.thelittlewarrens.co.uk/

If you look at what Jo offers you can see the things that I personally would be looking for. :):wave:
 
Thanks for that! The kennels are smaller than what the buns will get here although they won't get the additional run. Size wise I think I am comfortable with what the vet is offering, as it is only for a week.

I was also happy to see that only carrots, greens and apples are offered at The Little Warrens as this is similar to what the vet provides. I provide a much more varied diet so was concerned with the lack of variety, however if it is "standard" then I feel much more comfortable.

I know what you mean about being too anxious to leave them with someone else. I am VERY pedantic about the care my animals recieve, and in my mind no-one can do it better or as right as I can. Dreading the idea of having to leave them behind :(
 
Thanks for that! The kennels are smaller than what the buns will get here although they won't get the additional run. Size wise I think I am comfortable with what the vet is offering, as it is only for a week.

I was also happy to see that only carrots, greens and apples are offered at The Little Warrens as this is similar to what the vet provides. I provide a much more varied diet so was concerned with the lack of variety, however if it is "standard" then I feel much more comfortable.

I know what you mean about being too anxious to leave them with someone else. I am VERY pedantic about the care my animals recieve, and in my mind no-one can do it better or as right as I can. Dreading the idea of having to leave them behind :(

I'm pretty sure that Jo offers more than the basic vegetables actually, from what i've seen of pics etc from past boarders the plates are piled with greens of all varieties. Perhaps they are extra or just that she hasn't been so specific on the website. :? The website has changed since I last looked so i'm not sure. My buns wouldn't actually tolerate carrots or apples (they don't get them here). I would probably take with me extra greens or pay extra to have them supplied if this was possible. What I liked was the security, space, and her personal knowledge of poorly bunnies. I think she works at a vets and also uses a very highly regarded rabbit-savy vet in the area. :)

The other thing is that this is her home and she is there overnight. Does your vet's boarding facility have someone there overnight? and are other animals housed in this facility e.g. dogs/cats? My buns are not used to other pets and would be terrified if with predator species as not used to them.
 
I'm sure your furries will be fine for a week though :D:wave:

You could always make a special request for/provide list of veggies that your buns are used to and would prefer them to have and pay a supplement for these if they agree :)
 
I'm pretty sure that Jo offers more than the basic vegetables actually, from what i've seen of pics etc from past boarders the plates are piled with greens of all varieties. Perhaps they are extra or just that she hasn't been so specific on the website. :? The website has changed since I last looked so i'm not sure. My buns wouldn't actually tolerate carrots or apples (they don't get them here). I would probably take with me extra greens or pay extra to have them supplied if this was possible. What I liked was the security, space, and her personal knowledge of poorly bunnies. I think she works at a vets and also uses a very highly regarded rabbit-savy vet in the area. :)

The other thing is that this is her home and she is there overnight. Does your vet's boarding facility have someone there overnight? and are other animals housed in this facility e.g. dogs/cats? My buns are not used to other pets and would be terrified if with predator species as not used to them.

I am going to talk to them about supplying our own veggies. I can put a days worth of veggies into bags and then ask them to split a bag between the three cages. I don't know whether their little bodies would tolerate the same thing over and over again - especially carrot as it is high in sugar. Usually it is only a treat food here.

This place has security - it was like fort knox trying to get in! Each of the rooms has an internal door which is kept shut when no-one is there as well. Space wise - it is smaller than they are used to but I am trying to tell myself that it will only be a week. I can order a seperate large enclosure just for the buns - roughly 2mx4m but that would cost another $30 a day (on top of the $30 for the pigs enclosure). Which would bring the total to almost $500.

I don't have to worry about their level of knowledge. The vet nurses are the people that clean out the cages daily, and can easily pick up if there is anything wrong - in which case they will be taken down to my very rabbit savvy vet just down the road.

They won't have someone there overnight. But there is a high level of security to get in, and the animals are checked on before they leave and when they get in in the morning. She said it is almost a full time job just doing the boarding bit as there are so many cages and pets to look after.

This is only for the small animals - rabbits and guinea pigs. The vet is a specialist in small animals and noticed a lack of boarding services for the small furries so started up the boarding unit. I wouldn't dare put them in a boarding service with cats and dogs.

Saying all of that. I am still not confident. I would absolutely kill myself if anything were to happen to them whilst they were at boarding. I didn't like leaving them with my grandparents..but I knew my grandparents, and knew that I could trust them.
 
Hi all

Thank you very much for your compliments on my boarding facilities. :D

If I could just clarify re veg: as standard I offer to supply dark leafy greens, spring greens, carrots and apple as this seems to be the main veg that most people feed. Due to cost, this is all that IS inclusive in the price, if people feed other veg regularly they have to bring it with them or provide extra cash for me to purchase it if the bunnies are here for a long stay. It costs too much to supply baby corn, pak choi, etc etc which I was originally doing but when looking at finances I realised that I was barely breaking even because of this!

My clients have to fill in a detailed questionnaire which takes stock of all dietary requirements (amongst many other things) so I can mimic diet exactly.

I do not feed my rabbits / the boarding rabbits carrots or apple every day by any means, I am simply saying that these are the basics I am prepared to purchase and provide.

I hope that helps to clarify.

Jo
 
Hi all

Thank you very much for your compliments on my boarding facilities. :D

If I could just clarify re veg: as standard I offer to supply dark leafy greens, spring greens, carrots and apple as this seems to be the main veg that most people feed. Due to cost, this is all that IS inclusive in the price, if people feed other veg regularly they have to bring it with them or provide extra cash for me to purchase it if the bunnies are here for a long stay. It costs too much to supply baby corn, pak choi, etc etc which I was originally doing but when looking at finances I realised that I was barely breaking even because of this!

My clients have to fill in a detailed questionnaire which takes stock of all dietary requirements (amongst many other things) so I can mimic diet exactly.

I do not feed my rabbits / the boarding rabbits carrots or apple every day by any means, I am simply saying that these are the basics I am prepared to purchase and provide.

I hope that helps to clarify.

Jo

Hello :wave:

That sounds very reasonable. :D I think that was what I guessed in my posts above.... phew! Hope I didn't make any misleading claims re. veg about your wonderful establishment :)

ETA and thank you for clarifying, it's very reassuring.:D
 
Last edited:
:wave: Hiya...

No I was just worried that someone might get the wrong impression and think that was all I had to offer and that I thought it was ok to give carrots all day every day!

Thanks for your lovely comments. x
 
I'd board my bunnies with you Jo :love: Now all I need is for you to move to Essex, please...
 
Back
Top