Small Mammal Sitting

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In-Home Small Mammal Sitting

 

I'm Kaitlin, the owner and sole pet caregiver at Bird Girl Pet Services. I provide in-home small mammal sitting in Hicksville and throughout Central Nassau County, so your pet can stay in their familiar environment while you're away.

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In-Home Care for Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Chinchillas and Other Small Mammals

 

Some small mammals do well with boarding. Others are more comfortable staying home in the enclosure and routine they already know.

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In-home pet sitting is a great fit for bonded animals, pets with large or customized setups, animals who become stressed by travel, or households where moving an entire habitat simply isn't practical.

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I'll come to your home and keep your pet’s usual routine on track, including meals, cleaning, enrichment, and the kind of handling and interaction they’re used to. 

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I'm fully insured and bonded, and I treat your home with the same care I give your animals.

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What I Check During Every Visit

 

Small mammal care involves much more than filling a food bowl.

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Depending on your pet's normal routine, visits may include:

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• Fresh hay, pellets, greens, and other foods 

• Fresh water and checks of bottles, bowls, and crocks

• Litter box cleaning

• Spot cleaning of bedding, fleece liners, pee pads, or enclosure surfaces

• Refreshing hay racks, hay bags, and feeding areas

• Checking hides, tunnels, cooling surfaces, and other habitat items

• Enrichment and interaction based on your pet's normal routine

• Medication support when arranged in advance

• Checking enclosure doors, gates, pens, and other barriers

• Monitoring appetite, droppings, movement, posture, energy, and behavior

• Household tasks such as bringing in mail and packages, watering plants, and checking doors, windows, and water

 

After visits, I send a photo and care text update via Precise Pet Care so you know how your pet is doing and what I observed. If something seems different from your pet's normal behavior or routine, you'll hear from me right away.

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Rabbit Sitting

 

Rabbits thrive on consistency. I follow your feeding routine for hay, pellets, greens, and other approved foods, along with your litter box and enclosure-cleaning schedule. 

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I can refresh hay feeders, clean litter areas, check water bowls or bottles, and maintain your rabbit's usual exercise and enrichment routine. I also watch how your rabbit eats, moves, rests, and uses the litter box.

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Rabbits can become seriously ill if they stop eating, and reduced appetite or fewer droppings can be early signs of GI stasis, a dangerous slowdown of the digestive system. 

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During each visit, I monitor appetite, litter box output, posture, movement, and any changes from your rabbit’s normal behavior. 

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If you have a bonded pair, I care for them together and keep their shared feeding, litter, exercise, and social routine as consistent as possible. 

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Guinea Pig Sitting

 

Like rabbits, guinea pigs have care needs that set them apart from other small mammals. 

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They need constant access to grass hay, a reliable source of vitamin C, clean water, and enough space and enrichment to stay active and comfortable.

 

Their enclosures also need regular upkeep, especially when they use fleece liners, pee pads, or high-traffic hide areas.

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During visits, I refresh hay and water, provide pellets and prepare fresh greens and vegetables as directed, spot-clean liners and bedding, tidy feeding areas, and check hides, tunnels, and the rest of the enclosure for anything that needs attention.

 

For pairs and groups, I watch each guinea pig individually. I pay attention to who is eating, how active each animal is, and whether one is spending more time hiding, moving differently, or acting unlike itself.

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Because guinea pigs are prey animals, they can hide signs of illness until a problem is more advanced. Changes in appetite, droppings, breathing, movement, weight, or behavior can all be important, so I watch those details closely during every visit.

 

Chinchilla Sitting

 

Chinchillas need a cool, dry environment and a predictable routine. Their dense coats make them especially vulnerable to heat and humidity, so every visit includes checking the room temperature, air conditioning, and any granite stones, ceramic tiles, or other cooling surfaces used in the enclosure.

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I follow your established schedule for hay, pellets, fresh water, dust baths, cage cleaning, fleece or bedding, shelves, hides, chew items, and enrichment. I also watch how your chinchilla moves through the cage, uses favorite shelves and resting spots, and responds to normal interaction.

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Their teeth grow continuously, so access to hay and appropriate chew materials is part of daily care. Dust baths will also follow the schedule your chinchilla is used to, with attention to keeping the bath clean and the enclosure dry.

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During each visit, I look for anything out of the ordinary, including reduced appetite, fewer droppings, lower activity, changes in posture, or a difference in coat condition, and I let you know right away if something looks off.

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Small Mammal Enrichment and Routine

 

Rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and other small animals benefit from opportunities to forage, chew, explore, hide, and interact in ways that are normal for them.

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Your care plan might include:

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• Hay-based foraging activities

• Tunnels and hideouts

• Cardboard enrichment

• Approved chew toys

• Grass mats

• Floor or exercise-pen time

• Scatter feeding

• Rearranging or refreshing familiar enrichment

• Social time with bonded companions

• Interaction with me when your pet enjoys it

 

I follow the routine your animal already knows. I don't introduce unfamiliar foods, toys, handling, or force social interactions with animals who might be shy or unused to being handled.

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A Hicksville Sitter With Small Mammal and Exotic Pet Experience

 

Before founding Bird Girl Pet Services, I worked with exotic veterinarians. That experience gave me a strong foundation in small mammal care and taught me to notice subtle changes that can matter with prey species.

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I'm a Certified Professional Pet Sitter through Pet Sitters International and have emergency first aid training for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. I'm also CPR and First Aid certified, fully insured, and bonded.

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Getting Started With Small Mammal Sitting

 

Before your first visit, I'll schedule a consultation to learn about your pet and their normal routine.

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We'll go over feeding, hay and water, enclosure cleaning, litter or fleece care, enrichment, handling preferences, medications, bonded companions, normal behavior, and any health concerns I should know about.

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From there, I build a care plan based on your instructions, and we set your visit schedule.

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During your trip, I follow that plan at every visit. If anything changes with your pet's appetite, behavior, activity, or overall condition, I contact you right away.

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If you're looking for an experienced rabbit, guinea pig, chinchilla, or small mammal sitter in Hicksville or Central Nassau County, contact Bird Girl Pet Services to schedule a consultation before your next trip!