1. Animal Care Intro to Proper Animal cleaning, handling, and Care

2. KEEP IN MIND Misconduct with or around the animals is a Level II offense and will be written up. More hands make the work lighter –Perform your assigned task completely. –Tasks will be rotated weekly. Your performance will be evaluated. –Poor performance will result in no animal privileges.

3. Step 1: Receive you Animal You be broken up into groups of 2-4 students. The groups will be assigned a cage to clean. Each group will be required to complete each step correctly and completely before being evaluated by the teacher.

4. Removing your animal 1 student will be responsible for watching the animal once removed from the cage. –The animal is either held in the lap or placed in a holding container Acceptable holding containers include –Box, Ball (mice only), or Hide A Way house

5. Safe Handling of your Animal Rabbit Mice

6. Safe Handling of your Animal ALWAYS SUPPORT YOUR ANIMAL’S FULL WEIGHT!

7. Safe Handling of your Animal Rat Chinchilla

8. Safe Handling of your Animal Parakeets do not get removed from their cage Snakes cages are cleaned once a month only. Hedgehog

9. Cleaning your Cage: Small Animals Step 1: Remove animal to a safe secure place. No Escaping! Step 2: Empty your dirty bedding into the large trash can. –You can use a scope or CAREFULLY carry the cage and dump it Step 3: WIPE OUT the cage with a wet paper towel and any available cleaner Step 4: Add new bedding –2 inches of chips (LOW OIL) –1 hand full (about a cup) Cedar (for smell) (NONE for hedgies) Shredded news paper (add 2 hand fulls for mice and rats) None for Ferrets Step 5: Replace animal in the cage, remove and throw out old food Step 6: Sweep ALL bedding around your cage onto the floor. It will be swept up.

10. Cleaning your cage: Birds Step 1: Remove bottom tray Step 2: Throw away old bedding Step 3: Wipe the tray clean Step 4: Replace bedding Step 5: Replace tray Step 6: Sweep around your cage

11. Feeding your Animal Rats and Mice –MORE PELLETS THAN SEEDS –Mixture of seeds and pellets. Fill the bowls on Wed, Top off bowls on Friday, Fill halfway on Mondays Hedgies –Fill bowl with pellets. Cover the top with meal worms (Only on Wednesday Rabbits –Top off gravity feed bins. Hand full of hay

12. Feeding your Animal Chinchilla –Fill bowl half full with pellets. Hand full of hay Guinea Pigs –Line the bottom of bowl with feed. Hand full of hay Birds –Fill bird seed container Ferrets –Fill feed container

13. Almost Done! Finally water your animal! Dump out the old water Run HOT water in the water bottle Dump out hot water Refill water bottle with cold water Place the water bottle properly in the cage

14. Take a Moment After the animal has been clean, fed, and watered: –Take a moment to observe your animal. Is it acting strangely? Does it appear to be in good health? No signs of pain or injury? Make sure ALL openings in the cage are secure. –Contact teacher immediately if there is a problem

15. Finishing Touches When animals are out, observe for health –Nails need to be cut? Lesions? Tender areas sensitive to pain? Report to teacher for evaluation of cage once completed Wait quietly until dismissed –You may “play” with your animal after you have been cleared by your teacher

16. Conclusion Having animals is a privilege!! Lets take care of them!

17. Animal Care Quiz! Take the quiz! Turn it in! Will be graded! Passing= allowed to sign the paper stating you are qualified to care for our critters!