CAT BUTLER TRAINING

STARTING YOUR SHIFT

  1. Always begin your shift by checking in with an Animal Care Specialist (Purple). They will give you any special instructions for your time with us, and let you know about any internal movement that needs to happen.
  2. Once you have checking in with staff, it is time to gather your supplies! Please grab a grey cart located by the microscopes in the hallways by the Dog Area.  You can stock the cart with the following supplies from Behind the Scenes Area.

BEGIN CLEANING

  1. Rooms F & G (Rooms with Kennels)

    *If you are assigned to clean Room F, this should always be the room that you clean first!

    1. Start by sanitizing your hands before entering the room.
    2. Grab your litter bucket with a doubled- up grocery bag, litter scoop, Accel spray bottle, and 1-2 wash clothes.
    3. You’ll want to start by picking up the current blankets and toys on the floor.
      1. Shake them out and check to make sure they are good for continued use.
      2. Set them up off of the floor while you continue cleaning
        1. If there is something gross on these items, you can remove and replace them. Otherwise, they can stay in the room.  Our Saturday Cat Crew Volunteers do a complete strip down of the rooms!
      3. Next, you’ll want to pick up your water bowls (inside and outside) and dump the water in the sink and set them aside on the counter.
      4. Any cat carriers that are in the room must be removed and taken to the Grooming Room for cleaning.
      5. Grab your bucket and litter scoop and start scooping all of the litter boxes in the room and Catio (cat patio).
        1. Unless the litter box is heavily soiled, please do not change them. If you need to replace a litter box find a purple so they can get you the correct size.  If the box has less than an inch of litter in it, add more litter from the litter bin in the cat hallway.
      6. Pick up the rug/towel that the litter box is sitting on and shake it out. Rubber backed rugs are preferred to use under the litter boxes in communal rooms.
      7. Shake out and refold any linens on the shelves or in the cat heads, beds, etc.
      8. Take a washcloth sprayed with Accle and wipe down any shelving that has debris on it- using the TOP DOWN Method, start from the highest or top shelf and work your way down.
      9. Once litter boxes are scooped and linens shaken out, sweep out any debris on the catio. Then reset the catio with a floor blanket and appropriate toys.
      10. Now, it’s time to move back inside! If you have cats in the kennels that need to be cleaned, follow these instructions:
        1. Read any signage that indicates if the cat can be let out of the kennel, or if they need to stay in their kennel. If you are unsure, please ask a purple!
        2. Start by scooping the litter box. Shake out any linens as necessary and wipe down the walls with an Acceled wash cloth if there are any debris.
        3. Dump and refill their water bowl, and make sure that they have several toys in their kennel.
        4. To finish, check the top of the kennel bank and wipe that down as well.
      11. There are wall boxes that you will need to check any bedding or blankets in to make sure that they’re clean. Take a wash cloth sprayed with Accel and wipe down the inside and outside of the wall boxes.
      12. Wipe down any dirty windows with Windex and a washcloth.
      13. Throw away any leftover food trays.
        1. ALL food trays must be out of the room before 11AM.
      14. Once kennels are clean and furniture/windows have been wiped down, you’ll sweep and mop inside the room. Make sure that anything that can be picked up is removed from the floor.  When sweeping and mopping, be sure to get under any furniture and kennel banks in the room.
      15. Allow the floor to dry before resetting the room.
        1. Each room should have a floor blanket that goes in the middle of the room. These blankets should be thick, quilt-like blankets and should be folded in 1/4th so they don’t take up the whole floor.
        2. Set everything back where it goes.
        3. Refill water bowls 3/4th of the way with fresh water
        4. Add some cat toys from the box in the room

IMPORTANT NOTES BEFORE YOU CLEAN

When cleaning kennels with kittens in them, there are a couple of important things to remember:

  1. Always check in with a Purple before your shift.
  2. ALL Food trays and carriers must be out of the room before we open to the public at 11AM.
  3. If you see vomit, loose stool, or have a general health concern, please let a purple know so they can communicate it with a medical staff member.
  4. ALWAYS use a different scoop and bag between rooms. There are NO EXCEPTIONS.  This prevents the transmission of disease between rooms.
  5. Change gloves or thoroughly sanitize your hands between each kennel. This helps prevent the spread of sickness between kennels of kittens.
  6. HEALTH REPORTS WHITEBOARD > If a cat has a health issue (runny nose, runny stool, vomiting), please notify Animal Care staff and write it on the whiteboard posted outside of the Treatment Room.
  7. FEEDING > only staff are permitted to feed the cats (this includes treats, wet food AND dry food). Please do not feed them.  It is VERY important to follow this Health Protocol!
  8. SOFT STOOL > When a cat has loose or soft stools, please use a fecalizer (found in the cabinet above the sink) to take a sample and give to a staff member. **There are directions above the sink.
  9. READ ALL SIGNAGE > Pay attention to kennel signs. If a room has kennels, check for labels “Staff only”, “Tuna protocol”, “Bite Quarantine” (BQ): Do NOT interact with cat or open the kennel.  DO NOT take down any signs. Only staff can put up/take down signs.
  10. ASK FOR HELP > ALWAYS ASK STAFF OR LEAD VOLUNTEERS IF YOU ARE UNSURE, UNCOMFORTABLE, OR NEED HELP. Let staff know of any kennels you skipped.
  11. REPORT > REPORT alarming, confusing, unusual, or aberrant cat behaviors to staff immediately.
  12. DON’T LET CATS OUT OF THE ROOM > Make sure room doors are closed before cleaning so cats don’t escape. If a cat gets loose and shows signs of stress, get staff immediately.
  13. MINIMIZE CATS’ STRESS BY WORKING QUIETLY > Gently close kennel doors, speak softly, and take care to avoid loud, banging noises and sudden movements.
  14. FOLLOW THE TOP-DOWN CLEANING ORDER > Clean all high-up spaces such as shelves and wall cubbies first. In rooms with kennels, clean the top kennels first, followed by the bottom kennels.
  15. BITES > BY LAW, ANY BITE THAT BREAKS THE SKIN MUST BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY.
    • Take the bitten person up front to notify staff immediately.
    • Do NOT touch another person's wound; instruct them to wash it thoroughly and give them the first aid kit.
    • Note: Scratches from claws do not require bite reports.

AFTERNOON SHIFT: ADULT CAT ROOMS

AFTERNOON SHIFT: KITTEN ROOM

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