To properly follow quarantine, you must adhere to the following:
- During the 3 weeks of quarantine, absolutely NO NEW RATS may be taken into the same contained air space as the rats registered for the show. Contained air space means any room(s) that have the possibility of sharing the same air flow, which in turn allows many viruses to spread.
- Ideally, any trading, shipping, or purchasing of rats will be conducted after a show. However, if there is no way to delay such plans, the only way to remain in quarantine is to have new rats stay in a completely separate air space. This means having a friend keep them for you, or putting them in a separate building that is not in any way connected with your registered rats (via air vents, etc).
- You will need to make arrangements to clean yourself before and after you come into contact with any new rodents. Change your clothes, scrub your hands with soap and water (like we all learned to do when Covid started up), and give yourself at least a couple hours before coming back in contact with your registered rats.
- Do not allow people who own rodents to be in contact with your registered rats! Meet them outside or at an off site location. Explain to them why you are in quarantine. If they would like to meet your other rats, set a date after QT is over.
- How does this affect ride sharing and staying at another's home the night(s) before a show?
- If you decide to carpool or share a residence with another rat owner before a show, then it is your responsibility to make sure that all rats you come in contact with have also been following quarantine and their rats show no signs of illness or pests.
- If during health check, a health issue is found with your rats or the rats of the person you stayed with, all rats will be denied entry to the show.
- If ANY rat having air contact with your show rats becomes ill, dies unexpectedly or have unexplained issues you should withdraw entry from the show. If you have questions on their illness or unexplained issues, please report this immediately to either the show director or the RatsPacNW board. They will make final decision as to if the rats are safe to enter the show or if you need to withdraw entry.
- Quarantine ends after health inspection at the show. If you have one rat found to be ill, then you will be asked to leave with all your rats! Please, do not bring ill rats and reconsider bringing any if you suspect a problem. Contact the show director or a member of the RatsPacNW board for help deciding.
Show and beyond:
- Plastic show boxes are preferred on the judges table. If you present your rat in a wire cage, the judges will ask that you borrow or rent a plastic show box. The club will provide show boxes for rent for $5 each, which can be used for the entire day.
- While attending an event, do not handle others rats or allow your rats to be handled. If handling occurs insist on the use of hand sterilizer before and after.
- Do not allow rats to come into contact with your clothing.
- Do not allow rats to run loose on cage tops or carry rats around a room that are not in a plastic show box. Beware of rat sales in the parking lot.
- RatsPacNW does not condone rats being traded, sold, or transferred outside the show building. These rats may not have been through a proper quarantine. If you see such a sale, please notify a RatsPacNW member or the show director.
- Improperly quarantined rats may still pass on viruses to rats in the show by people who have handled them and unknowingly bringing it into the show.
- If you have rats that did not make the age mark of 6 weeks for the show you will need to make other arrangements for delivery.
- Quarantine after the show is recommended for a minimum of 2 weeks, with 3 weeks being ideal.
- We recommend that all cages at the show also be disinfected with a bleach and water mix or another disinfectant.
- If a health problem occurs, quarantine should begin all over again. Some viruses require a period longer than 3 weeks to be eradicated.
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