Need a Sitter fer yer Critter?

Don't know what to do with your ferrets while you are away? Are you afraid to just leave them in their cage? Of course! That's why your critters are more than welcome at Motor City Ferrets during your absence. Many owners use a cage for their ferrets and think that a few days alone won't do the ferret any harm, but daily playtime in a supervised setting is vitally important to your ferret's health and well being! So even if you are going away for only a couple of days, the safe bet is to either have a friend stop in to check on the weezils and let them out for at least a short playtime, or find a sitter to tend your critters while you're away.

We are happy to offer sitting services at the shelter; however (here comes the BUT ha), we run into trouble sometimes with the sheer volume of critters all wanting to stay with us at the same time - usually during the holidays. We board because we understand how difficult it s to find a place for your critters to stay, so we never want to turn anyone away. The only way we can handle the many critters we'll have

at certain times of the year is through proper scheduling. Therefore please give us as much notice as possible about any travel plans you have. We need at least two weeks notice for boarding arrangements, with a month or more being that much better for helping us plan. Summertime is busiest as you might imagine, so we often ask families in our Sitting Cooperative to board critters when we're too full. But of course these families are doing the same Summertime traveling that you are planning on, so again we need to know about your travel plans as far in advance as possible!

Sitting Fees: $3 per day for one ferret; add $1 for each additional ferret.

We're happy to share our home with your critters. All you need to bring is proof of vaccination for both rabies and distemper (current = administered within the last year), a supply of their own food, any necessary medications and any "can't-live-without" toys or treats and be on your way! Critters will have daily playtime in the fun filled ferret room. Any special needs, such as medicine or special feedings will be provided as you instruct, of course. Critters will be returned freshly washed, clipped, fluffed and otherwise tortured, unless iyou think this cruelty would be too stressful for critter (HA!).

Remember that Motor City Ferrets is an active shelter. Therefore, at any time contagion could walk through our door. We do keep boarders separate from others (unless we're making new friend intros at your instruction), but it's impossible to completely encapsulate all of our guests in protective bubbles. We require that boarders be up to date on their vaccinations for their protection. If you have a ferret that is older/infirm or can't receive further vaccinations due to past allergic reactions, we'll talk about the particular situation. Diseases such as viruses (colds, flu, etc.), parasites, canine distemper and so forth could walk in our door at any time. Of course mentioning possible contagion isn't meant to scare you, just to give you a heads up on the sort of conversations we must have regarding watching your weezils! Of course you're welcome to visit the shelter prior to your trip to check the place out and make special plans for your kiddos. In fact, we encourage folks who will board their ferret(s) for the first time to indeed stop in for a visit before the first stay. We feel this visit can lessen the stress of coming to stay at the Shelter during your vacation. So if you think you might need a sitter in the future, you're welcome to stop by - perhaps during one of our Open House events - with your ferrets!

Would you like to offer boarding services or find a sitter closer to home? Consider joining our Ferret Sitting Cooperative!

Swap sitting services: You and one or more other families will watch each others critters. This arrangement typically involves no costs to the parties involved, with each family bringing their critters and supplies to the others' home when they travel and receiving the same from the other partner(s). This is a great arrangement for folks who live reasonably close to each other and works out great for folks who like to take short trips! If you are interested in setting up this sort of arrangement, please contact the Shelter and let us know where you live and a bit about your furry family. We'll scan our list of families in the area that are also interested and try to put you in touch with a family with whom you can potentially swap sitting services!

Boarding services for the masses: If you have time in your schedule to do some boarding from time to time, please consider doing so! You need not be ready and available for each and every request. Whether you would be able to host the critters of one family or 100, if you can board for anyone you will be doing a great service! If you would be interested in opening your home for boarding, the cooperative will be happy to loan you the supplies you'll need (cages and cage necessities, accoutrements, etc) so you don't have to spend tons of money to be ready to go.

Of course there are a variety of ways folks can arrange for a sitter and the main goal of our cooperative is simply to make more options available by bringing folks together. We are happy to support anyone who wishes to offer boarding, whether in a swapping arrangement or for the masses, should any issues arise during a boarding arrangement (serious illness, accident, behavior issues, etc). So if you think you might be able to participate in some way, please contact us to join. We'll be in touch to discuss the specifics of your situation and find out exactly what you need or would like to do! Thanks!