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Original poster

My Hamster Letter

32 replies

StrawberryMartini · 27/10/2007 13:24

What do you think? I had to write it in fits of giggles due to the ridiculousness of it all.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you to inform you of a change of circumstance. I am a registered childminder, registration number EYBlahblah.

I have recently acquired a hamster. I have informed the parents and asked them to sign permission forms to allow them to handle the hamster and to also help with cleaning out the cage.

I understand the risks involved with owning a hamster are minimal, compared with a larger pet such as a dog, however I have thought about the possible dangers and these are as follows:

· Child putting fingers through cage and getting bitten
· Child handling hamster and getting bitten
· Child becoming ill through handling hamster or from cleaning out the cage

In order to minimise these risks I:

· have placed the hamster?s cage on a fairly high cupboard
· have spoken to the children about the consequences of putting their fingers through the cage bars
· will never let a child handle the hamster without supervision and will wait until I have tamed the hamster sufficiently before allowing them to touch it
· will ensure that the children wash their hands both before and after handling the hamster, and after cleaning out the cage.

I hope this is acceptable to Ofsted and I look forward to hearing confirmation that you have received this letter and made a note of my change in circumstance.

Many Thanks,

HA HA HA

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chel86 · 06/11/2007 10:26

LOL at this thread. It's ridiculous the way Ofsted have treated the hamster situation. Especially as when I got a puppy all I had to do was call them with a couple of details! Now surely that's not right??!!

BoysAreLikeDogs · 03/11/2007 16:12

Strawbs you have given me a good laugh this afternoon.

Good letter too !

Heh heh heh. Ju

looneytune · 03/11/2007 14:41

another dog (i.e. extra dog)

looneytune · 03/11/2007 14:40

You know what's the craziest thing.....a CM friend recently phoned OFSTED to ask if they need to be informed if a CM gets another day (i.e. extra dog) and they said NO, they don't need to know. Now SURELY that's something they SHOULD know about??!!!

ThePrisoner · 03/11/2007 12:50

Make sure that the hamster doesn't take you over your numbers, or you will have to try to get a temporary variation.

MaureenMLove · 02/11/2007 23:50

Now then, its quite handy that this thread has come up again, because my neighbours have just bought a hamster. When they go away, and they do often, I look after their pets. Not particularly sucessfully, but thats a whole other thread! So, when I have said hamster, do I need to inform OFSTED? It'll only be here a few days, maybe a week at the most. I will probably be minding during that time, so whats the drill?

AskABusyPerson · 02/11/2007 23:44

LOL at this thread - I love the 'are hamsters a legitimate expense' quote!!!

I bet Ofsted reply with an action - they'd have to find one even if you'd covered every situation that might occur.....how about hamster losing weight and squeezing through the bars to escape!

LOL also at the risk of children being traumatised when hamster dies line!

Worringly I think Ofsted will treat this as seriously as we've treated in jest....

MaureenMLove · 30/10/2007 20:21

I had an frog in the house yesterday. He hopped around for some time before dh managed to get himout. The mindees were facinated, HOWEVER, I didn't get him CRB'ed and he wasn't on my list of regular visitors either! God, I'm sooo in trouble - don't let them will you!

Original poster
StrawberryMartini · 30/10/2007 20:11

TP can you really contact Ofsted about that? I would love to know what they say!

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omega2 · 30/10/2007 20:09

have you considered the spiders lurking in the corners?

ThePrisoner · 30/10/2007 19:28

I know that I've mentioned this before, but now I am getting worried ... do you think I need a policy for the hand-reared hedgehog which still lurks in our garden? We also have several (not personal friends like this one) that hibernate over the winter on our land. Can I do a carte blanche policy which includes all hedgehogs, or do I need a separate one for each hedgehog (particularly the hand-reared one)??

And snails ... we have quite a few of those although, admittedly, none of them are hand-reared. My mindees regard them all as pets.

I will be contacting Ofsted for advice.

Original poster
StrawberryMartini · 30/10/2007 18:25

No worries there, it was a reputable Pets at Home.

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Squiffy · 30/10/2007 09:19

I am very worried here. You haven't explained the nature of the pet shop from whence this hamster originated. this is vitally important. I can just see the thread title now..... "Help.. my child touched a working-class hamster today".

Original poster
StrawberryMartini · 30/10/2007 07:39

I was actually thinking of claiming it as a business expense... little blighter cost me over £50! (I think the actual hamster was only 50p or something!).

And yes I do have to inform Ofsted - I rang them up and they said that wasn't good enough - needed it in writing.

I wonder if I should tell them about the spider living in my bathroom .

OP posts:
alyblackcat · 29/10/2007 22:01

...."Are hamsters a legitimate business expense?"

quote of the week

MatNanPlus · 29/10/2007 21:53

Crumbs,

Red tape gone nuts.

Love the letter.

Blu · 28/10/2007 18:17

I think you should write and ask the Inland Revenue whether the cost of any replacement hamster would be tax deductible, on the grounbds that it is a necessary equipment fpr your business, especially in the case of child trauma on death of original hamster...."Are hamsters a legitimate business expense?"

islandofsodor · 28/10/2007 18:10

Do you really have to inform OFSTED about hamster? The world has gone mad.

Dd's nursery had a hamster (ds is there now but thinking about it I havn't seen the cage recently .)

How about (as they have a very limited life:

"danger of children becoming traumatised when hamster carks it"

Original poster
StrawberryMartini · 28/10/2007 16:45

at you lot.

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ThePrisoner · 28/10/2007 14:09

And a separate sleeping area too, obviously.

And have you talked about and practised emergency cage evacuation?

MaureenMLove · 28/10/2007 13:57

I had that very thought too TP! I do think that SM seems to have forgotten that hamsters have rights too. I hope she has rigged up a curtain in his cage so that he can pee in private!

ThePrisoner · 28/10/2007 13:52

What about the danger to the hamster of allowing children to be near it? I do feel that you should have a written policy to protect your hamster's rights.

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 27/10/2007 17:17

Does everyone on here know that this hamster thing was mentioned in the Daily Telegraph article???

MaureenMLove · 27/10/2007 17:12

Hilarious!

Original poster
StrawberryMartini · 27/10/2007 15:13

Of course you may. Although I'm not sure that the African Snails bite? There may be a risk of 'sliming' which of course as you know can be fatal.

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