| Critter Camp is a Not-For-Profit Registered Charitable 501c3 Tax Exempt Corporation Critter Camp is a 100% NO-Kill Shelter/Sanctuary Operated by Volunteers All income supports the rescued animals |
Before You Get A Pet * Learn about many kinds of pets. Caring for a lizard is very different than caring for a cat * Determine where you will live and what your income will be for the entire life span of your pet. Many of our rescues come to us when their owners have had to move and cannot take them along or they cannot afford to care for their pet. * Think about what you want to do with your pet – Hold it? Play with it? Watch it in its enclosure? Take it for walks? How much time can you honestly spend with it every day? Talk to someone who already has the type of pet you are interested in and spend some time with that pet. Many of our rescues have been abandoned, abused or neglected because their owners had unrealistic expectations of what they were going to do with their pet. * Be tested for animal allergies. Often our rescues come to us when their owners discover they are allergic to that particular animal. * Consider adopting an animal from a shelter There are many animals waiting for homes! SEE Looking For a Pet? for resources. A Happy Healthy Pet Needs: The right kind of FOOD – Is it a vegetarian? Does it eat seeds or leafy greens? Is it a carnivore? Does it need high protein? Is it an omnivore? Does it have special food needs? For example ferrets need extra taurine in their diet. Do Not rely on commercial foods that say they are for the animal you have to be healthy. You must read the ingredients and find out if that brand of food is actually right for your animal. For example, many hedgehog foods contain low protein and lots of fruits and vegetables which are very unhealthy for hedgehogs – they need a very high protein diet with little to no vegetables or fruit. The right type of COMPANIONSHIP: Is your animal social like ferrets and rabbits and needs the company of others of its own kind, or is it solitary like hedgehogs and hamsters and must be alone or it would fight with its cage-mate? Your pet will need to have YOUR attention everyday to stay friendly, whether it is with other animals or not. The right type of HOUSING: What size and type of cage will your animal be comfortable living in? This will depend on several factors: Does it need to climb? Does it need quiet dark places to hide? Does it need a wheel to run in? Will you be taking the animal out to play everyday, and for how long? Is it nocturnal (awake at night)? Will you be letting the animal run around supervised in a plastic exercise ball often? How warm does it need to be? Does it need to chew? For example, all rodents need to chew or their teeth will grow into the roof of their mouth and they will become sick and even die. Larger rodents cannot be in plastic cages as they will chew a hole in them and escape. Even a small mouse can find a weak spot and gnaw until they get loose. QUALITY VETERINARY CARE: You must have a veterinarian who is knowledgeable in the kind of pet you have as soon as you get your pet. Do not wait until there is a problem and you have to try to locate a doctor in an emergency. If you are not prepared to take your pet, no matter what kind of pet it is, to a vet when it needs it then DO NOT get a pet! |
| Critter Care Featuring: Before You Get a Pet and General Pet Care Coming Soon: Care information for more types of animals we have Click here for Ferret Care Click here for Bearded Dragon Care |
| Critter Camp Exotic PetSanctuary |