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Adoption Criteria
How do we decide who to adopt to?

To adopt one or more of our pets you must:

1-Have a suitable, big enough cage. Bigger is always better. We're happy to advise you on what cages are best. If you get your cage elsewhere we ask that you bring it in here so we can check it is suitable.

2-Be prepared to keep the pet in an appropriate social group, eg syrian hamsters are solitary, but most other small mammals are social and must be kept with others of the same species for company.

3-Be over 18. We want to encourage all members of the family to share in the joys and responsibilities of pet owning, but it is a sad fact that most of our rescue pets are here because they belonged to a child that lost interest, and the parents were not prepared to carry on caring for the pet. An adult MUST be the one responsible for the pet's welfare, including checking food and water and exercising daily, or it runs the risk of being neglected. Children should never be allowed to handle or interact with pets unsupervised.

4-Be prepared to keep the pet indoors. Rabbits and guinea pigs can play outside during the day, if they are supervised and secure, but need to be inside overnight and when the weather is bad to ensure that they are safe, secure, healthy and happy with the companionship of their human family.

5-Have some knowledge of how to care for the species of pet in question. We do not expect you to be an expert on small mammal husbandry, but just having had a pet of the species in question before is not enough. We're here to answer any questions you might have, and to suggest good books to read if need be. Not all books are equal - some were written a long time ago and have out-of-date information. We run pet care classes, and children and adults alike are welcome. Remember the adult is the one who has to convince us that they know how to look after the pet (see point 3).

6-Be willing and able to provide good health care for your pet if need be. If your pet is unwell, they will need to see a competent vet.

7-Have the right attitude. By this we mean be open to advice, be committed to the pet you're taking on, be aware that a pet is a long-term responsibility, and be sure that your decision is well thought out rather than an impulse. Try also to consider the most appropriate pet for you, rather than the pet you think looks cutest. And please be respectful and polite with our volunteers.

By far the majority of people visiting us here are lovely people and wonderful pet owners - we are not trying to discourage anyone, instead we're trying to educate people on good pet care.

We love these animals and we know that they are safe and well cared for here. We miss them when they are gone, and we simply couldn't part with them if there were any doubts in our minds about the level of care they would recieve in a new home.

Thanks for your understanding.