How to Start a Rodent Grooming Business

Learn how to start you own business grooming mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and other rodents.

People that own cats or dogs know where they can take them to have them groomed. There is a pet groomer in every city and town across the country. However, what do owners of other pets such as rodents do when their pets need grooming?

Grooming is just as important to the health and well-being of other kinds of pets as it is to dogs and cats. You will provide a service for these pet owners by providing this vital service to this under served portion of the pet population.

What kinds of animals would need your services? A good deal of these pets would be in the rodent family. This would include mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and others. You might also want to include other animals such as rabbits or pets that are considered ‘exotic’.

You will likely be surprised at the kinds of animals many people keep as pets but are unable to bring to the average groomer. This might include ferrets, chinchillas, specialty hamsters such as Chinese, dwarf, or Syrian breeds, African dormice, flying squirrels, foxes, hedgehogs, monkeys, skunks, opossums, wallaroos, raccoons, kinkajous, pot bellied pigs, and prairie dogs.

Obviously, before grooming the more exotic types of creatures you will want to do a little research to find out the best way to clean and care for each particular species. There is no way that you could possibly be prepared to groom each and every species of animal without putting forth a little time into researching their proper care.

What should you charge? For smaller animals, such as those in the rodent family, you could charge about $10 per animal. You should charge enough to cover both your time as well as any supplies that are used in the care of the animal. You might also want to keep extra amounts of the products that you use to offer them to your customers at a small markup.

What kinds of supplies will you need to have on hand to perform these grooming services? You will need to have nail clippers that are appropriate for the breed and species that you will be grooming. You should also have on hand small cages, tubs, shampoos, conditioning treatments, and anti flea treatments.

You should also have washcloths or sponges and plenty of towels for drying the pet off. You might also want to have a selection of ribbons or other decorative items to make their grooming really shine. These items will not be difficult to locate and can all be purchased at your local pet supply store.

What is involved in cleaning and grooming these kinds of animals? First, of course is the cleaning you will be doing with soap and water. Often you can use gentle human shampoos or liquid soaps, which can be very inexpensive. Then there are nail clipping and anti-flea treatments.

You will definitely want to wear some sort of protective gloves because all creatures tend to bite when they are faced with a stranger or a situation that they may perceive as dangerous (such as being plunged into a tub of water).

Where will you provide your services? Your customers lead busy lives and would really appreciate a service that came to them. Either you could offer to pick up their precious pets, perform your grooming services at a location of your choosing, and then return them using your own professional vehicle, or you could provide onsite grooming.

This would require you to visit the homes of these pets and use their sinks or tubs and towels. In a case like this, you would also be expected to clean up the facilities after you groomed the animal. You might be surprised to find People that own cats or dogs know where they can take them to have them groomed.

There is a pet groomer in every city and town across the country. However, what do owners of other pets do when their pets need grooming? Grooming is just as important to the health and well-being of other kinds of pets as it is to dogs and cats. You will provide a service for these pet owners by providing this vital service to this under served portion of the pet population.

What kinds of animals would need your services? A good deal of these pets would be in the rodent family. This would include mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and others. You might also want to include other animals such as rabbits or pets that are considered ‘exotic’. You will likely be surprised at the kinds of animals many people keep as pets but are unable to bring to the average groomer. This might include ferrets, chinchillas, specialty hamsters such as Chinese, dwarf, or Syrian breeds, African dormice, flying squirrels, foxes, hedgehogs, monkeys, skunks, opossums, wallaroos, raccoons, kinkajous, pot bellied pigs, and prairie dogs.

Obviously, before grooming the more exotic types of creatures you will want to do a little research to find out the best way to clean and care for each particular species. There is no way that you could possibly be prepared to groom each and every species of animal without putting forth a little time into researching their proper care.

What should you charge? For smaller animals, such as those in the rodent family, you could charge about $10 per animal. You should charge enough to cover both your time as well as any supplies that are used in the care of the animal. You might also want to keep extra amounts of the products that you use to offer them to your customers at a small markup.

What kinds of supplies will you need to have on hand to perform these grooming services? You will need to have nail clippers that are appropriate for the breed and species that you will be grooming. You should also have on hand small cages, tubs, shampoos, conditioning treatments, and anti flea treatments.

You should also have washcloths or sponges and plenty of towels for drying the pet off. You might also want to have a selection of ribbons or other decorative items to make their grooming really shine. These items will not be difficult to locate and can all be purchased at your local pet supply store.

What is involved in cleaning and grooming these kinds of animals? First, of course is the cleaning you will be doing with soap and water. Often you can use gentle human shampoos or liquid soaps, which can be very inexpensive. Then there are nail clipping and anti-flea treatments.

You will definitely want to wear some sort of protective gloves because all creatures tend to bite when they are faced with a stranger or a situation that they may perceive as dangerous (such as being plunged into a tub of water).

Where will you provide your services? Your customers lead busy lives and would really appreciate a service that came to them. Either you could offer to pick up their precious pets, perform your grooming services at a location of your choosing, and then return them using your own professional vehicle, or you could provide onsite grooming.

This would require you to visit the homes of these pets and use their sinks or tubs and towels. In a case like this, you would also be expected to clean up the facilities after you groomed the animal. You might be surprised to find that even the smallest pet can make quite a mess when faced with soap, water, and a determined groomer.