Questions about budget, organizing, supplies, etc...

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Melissa

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
3,688
Location
Savannah, GA
I'm trying to start myself a budget since I'm going to have start paying back thousands for my student loan and student line of credit. And since I eventually want to start a rescue, I NEED to get myself organized.

Now, I've had 2 ratties for 2 years and they really weren't that costly. I'm going from that to 10 (maybe more depending on how well I can sway my bf and organize things in the pet room.

I need to figure out what I need to have on hand in case of emergencies and that type of thing. I also need to know the best way to purchase food and supplies for my ratties. I'm going to have a car for the long weekend and will be in Ottawa, so I will have a chance to stock up on things I can't get here.

Any suggestions, words of wisdom, places to buy products in the Toronto and Ottawa are are much appreciated!

PS, if this isn't the right place for this post feel free to move it where you think is
 
I'd say load up on blocks and bedding.
You'll need more cages, some toys, something cheap like ping pong balls, boxes for hidey holes, start saving all your toilet paper tubes for fun chewing, homemade hammocks.
And the most costly will be the vet bills. I pay on average $80 a month for my Baytril. Then there's the "surprise" vet visits, that runs me about $100 and these surprises happen I'd say every three months, give or take.
I'd keep buying the Harlan Teklad, it's quite cheap and I think you have MumsRat on the other forum to pick it up for you right?

Now I'm sure others like OldsGal and Kimmiekins will have more to offer.
 
Jo pretty much summed it up. We buy in bulk whenever possible (food, toys, blankets, etc), we stick to dollar stores, clearance sales, garage sales and eBay and forums (people selling supplies). At times, things are cheaper in "lots", even if you're paying shipping. We used to buy most things new (for our boys), but since the rescue opened, we've found that's silly. If it can be cleaned, it can be "recycled". We save a lot of money this way. We get a discount on the vet for the rescue, but a vet fund is a must with many ratties and a rescue, no doubt.

Getting organized is the best thing to do. I'm still not happy with the way everything is and want to stick to a strict schedule for the rescue and my own boys. Of course, making it and sticking to it are the hard parts. :p I'd say starting off as organized as possible would be a huge advantage.

I also suggest stocking up on everything Jo said.

Try and stock up as much as you can before starting a rescue... We ran into a problem pretty quickly where we ran out of cages. People will need travel cages, and you probably won't get them back. Also, sometimes it just makes sense to send a cage with some rats, especially if they are traveling quite far and will be staying somewhere in their travels. So stock up on travel cages and a variety of cages for large and small rats and groups. Happily, we went from a few cages to more then we need, so that's good. :D

Don't assume, when it comes to a rescue, that people will donate off the bat (actually, try to assume no one will - because there will be times where that's the case). We are just now getting a good flow of cages and supplies donated. At first, I think people were weary because we were new and unknown. The money donations can not be counted on ever, as they will not be steady at all. Start a fund as soon as possible in advance, and add to it where you can. Plan that at least some of your own funds will be put into the rescue each month. We "donate" to the rescue every few weeks when we can, to keep money available. I don't know, personally, of an animal rescue where a good chunk of the money doesn't come from the pocket of the owners of the rescue.

I hope that helps. :) You'll find a huge jump in everything since you are going from 2 to 10. It'll be more work, more things needed and more money... But that's also many more kisses and rat-lovin', which balances out well. :love4:
 
Very good point was raised about people taking cages to transport rats they're adopting from you and not giving them back. Sometimes it's just not possible if they're traveling from a few cities away. I lost all my cages that way when that pet store litter arrived, including a large guinea pig starter cage when one person adopted the father and three of his sons. I've noticed people sell hamster cages for a few dollars at garage sales so I guess that's something to keep an eye out for.

Dollar stores are fantastic! I buy loads of hankerchiefs to make hammocks and of course the random assortment of toys you'll find there that are rat friendly.

When raising the ten babies with their parents I found food went the fastest, bedding almost as fast.
 
Hamster cages make awesome transport cages, for sure!

It's true, though. Every time I've been promised it'd be returned or shipped back...

Not one has. :roll: :lol:
 
You might want to sign up for freecycle. People post lots of random things to give away, I have gotten rid of a couple things that way, but I've gotten rid of way more answering "looking for" messages. I so often have things to get rid of but I don't think to post them up.

You could sign up and then once a month or so put out a general call for supplies. You'll probably get offered a lot of junk, but there's always some diamonds in the rough.
 
I currently have 11 rats and that number has fluctuated in the past from 9-17 given the circumstances. I keep plenty of stuff on hand and I have one vet that I have gone to for the past few years that I have a great relationship with, they keep me fully stocked with the meds that I keep on hand in house. Just found a "new" rat vet that is closer since we moved further from "my" vet and have established a pretty good relationship with this one so he understands that I keep these meds on hand and is willing to comply.

Beyond bedding and food, I also save all my boxes (cereal, rice, pasta, any kind of box the rats can play with). The rescue I adopt from always has an open collection for toilet paper roll tubes also.

Meds I keep on hand from the vet:

metacam
baytril - I can get it compounded or the injectable to give orally
doxycycline aka vibramycin- get the vet to call it into the human pharmacy as shelf life is longer
ditrim and/or sulfatrim - oral abs, have a rat with ear issues
baytril otic - ear drops
gentamicin otic - ear drops
cosequin - joint supplement for dogs i give the rats
carravet - wound gel

normally also have eye ointment antibiotics, the kind without steroids on hand but I think a at destroyed the last tube I had!!

Stuff I keep on hand from the store:
children's liquid benedryl
ensure
instant baby cereal
bactine
neosporin
81mg aspirin if we have a rat that may need it for heart problems
 
I think you'll be set with all of the input in these posts. One thing I may add to the list is the cost of the hammocks. If you buy them from pet stores, like Pet Smart, they cost about $8 for the lined ones and a little less for the unlined hammocks. If you have a sewing machine then you're in business! When my store-bought hammocks got really beat up, I cut off the metal clips and saved them. Then finally, I was able to get a sewing machine. I made my own pattern out of cardboard in the same shape as the store-bought ones and then I purchased a lot of fleece and cotton flannel fabrics when they went on sale. I also purchased the thicker material that resembles lambs wool for the inside of the hammock. I hit a good sale at the fabric store on juvenille prints and started making my own hammocks. I also made some larger ones so all my girls could pile into it and cuddle up together in same hammock! I really enjoy making the hammocks and they are so adorable! One day I'd like to sell them! check out my avatar--my rattie girls are hanging in one of the hammocks I made.
Julie
 
So far everyone has said everything that I would probably already say. Definitely buy HT blocks. I just bought 6 bags of them the other day since I don't have a distributor close by I had to take my opportunity that was thrown in my lab to get them delivered to my door without paying shipping since someone was traveling through. I know 6 33lb bags sounds like a lot but free shipping...Couldn't pass it up.

Another thing I do when people surrender to me is that I insist pretty much that they give me the cage with them. Most of the time they are crappy hamster cages that they have kept the poor rat in for their lifetime. This way they can not get more rats later. I keep an eye open at swap meets, freecycle groups, and CL for cheap cages.

One solution to the travel cage delimma is to have co workers save shoe boxes for you and then you can send them home in shoe boxes if they are local. I also keep a watch out for the plastic tote (shoebox size) to go on sale and then I buy them up and drill air holes in them and use them to send the rats home in as well.

Now on my side of things I am a small rescue. I run mine out of my home so I have a capacity and if I am full then I refer them to someone else if possible. Now as my donations start to come in and my vet fund gets built up more then I will expand my numbers that I can take in.

I also work with my vet locally. She knows I am a rescue and gives me a discount off of services. For example a neuter for normal clients is $50 but for me it is $40.

I have asked my co workers to save their boxes for me and once a month I have one co worker who brings me 4 paper grocery bags full of small boxes that work perfect in the cages.

I don't have hardly any donations coming in as for money but I do have a lot of supporter of CCRR who donate products such as hammocks and things to the rescue effort.

I agree that the dollar store is my saving grace. I also put ads out on CL and Freecycle groups asking for any small animal items that people are no longer using.

I have found that the biggest money waster for me was bedding. I have all of my cages on Fleece so that I can wash it and for me that is cheaper then buying bedding. I also go to the farm supply store and buy huge bulk bags of rabbit food. I think they are like 30lb bags for $8. I use it in litter pans and it is the best thing I have found for odor control and it is the cheapest as well. A large bag like that lasts me two months or more when I am at full capacity.

But I definitely put pretty much 90% of my own personal money into the rescue.

Honestly though it isn't the money. Running a rescue has turned into a 2nd business for me as I already work a full time job during the day and running the rescue is like a 2nd full time job between cleaning cages, socializing, advertising, and educating.

Oooooohhhh Just thought of another expense that kills me. GAS MONEY. It never fails that most of my rescues come out of a town that is 50 miles from me. And it never fails that they can't deliver the rat to me so they want me to come pick them up.

If I think of more I will post them.
 
Yes! You brought up good points I hadn't thought to mention... Craigslist was a godsend for us when we had no cages. We now have plenty!

Also, DO talk to your vet. We get a discount as well... 50% off visits, 33% off meds, surgeries and procedures. Also, I think someone mentioned that vets will often allow rescuers (and some will allow rat parents to do the same) extra meds. Helps a lot.

We also require a cage and supplies be donated with our surrenders. We also strongly encourage a $10 donation at the least. So far, everyone but 1 has done that.

Record keeping is a must... I'm not as good with it as I want to be! Also, make sure every adopter signs an adoption contract, every surrender signs a surrender form.

I agree on bedding. We use blankets and towels. I had enough OCD when my boys used bedding. :roll:

Gas money is a killer. Everyone will want you to come to them, or at least meet up. I can say for sure that gas is our number one money eater. We've had one person pay for gas, but we went a good distance for them. We had been doing up to 3 hours, but the gas money was awful, so we've changed it to 2 hours max.

I could talk about running a rescue for days. I love doing it. I think I found my calling. :D But you have a lot of good tips here, for sure.
 
The info you shared is great! And just not for someone involved in rescue, but just for rattie owners that have several...I really got some great ideas here too. But I must comment on the price for th neuter..Wow, $50 for a neuter? That's a wonderful price. My local vet charges more than that just for the exotic exam visit! That's not including any meds or tests or procedures either. I wish I could find a vet here in Maryland near my home (Baltimore) or even if it was 30 miles from here I'd go. I have two ratties that need mammary tumor removal. I have called around and everyone is so high in price. :cry:
 
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