Those horribe conditions!

**sweetspice221** · #1 06-05-06, 07:42 pm

Almost everyone on this forum has seen the horrible conditions that the pets at pet stores live In. Every time I see that or even think about that I want to buy tham all (not only because they are so cute), But to get them out of the horrible conditions that they live In, And give them a healthy,And loving home.

**MetallichicA** · #2 06-05-06, 07:51 pm

It is heartbreaking... but you have to be strong with this sort of thing.

Just think... if you buy one of them, that means another one will take its place. Now, instead of only one having to suffer, another one also has to. And of course the pet store laughs all the way to the bank because they don't spend money to take care of the animals, but they make a ton of money on them and supplies.

**sweetspice221** · #3 06-05-06, 07:56 pm

You are so right. But I still want to cry about it. I cant even stand looking at a pet store.

**PiggieMamaKelly** · #4 06-05-06, 08:30 pm

I actually have the opposite experience. The pet stores in my area always have nice clean cages, fresh water and hay etc. and sometimes the cages are pretty big. It looks good on the outside, it's the behind the scenes that is so rotten. Almost every pig I see in the petstore, if I watch long enough I can tell has mites. Goodness knows what else... So in my area, the outside is good looking, which entices people and the cycle perpetuates.

**sweetspice221** · #5 06-05-06, 10:58 pm

The pet store near my house Is the worst I have ever seen. They have no hay,hamster food, pind bedding, and a VERY small cage! The next time I go into that pet store I am going to set them straight and tell them what needs to be done!

And make sure that those guinea pigs get exactly what they need!

**PiggieMom** · #6 06-06-06, 12:23 am

The pet stores by me are all awful as well. No hay, no veggies, hamster food for the pigs, rabbits and pigs housed together in small aquariums, no separation of sexes. I've made countless complaints to the management, but I hardly ever go in there (only in an emergency when I don't have the time to wait to order something online) so it's hard to check up on them. We can only do the best we can and that's not supporting them.

**Maisiepaisie** · #7 06-07-06, 05:54 am

I hate pet stores. I won't give my custom to pet stores that sell live animals but I go in them to check the conditions the animals are kept in and see if there's anything I can complain about.

**bee1101** · #8 06-08-06, 07:45 am

Personally, I don't believe rescuing a pig from terrible pet store conditions is wrong. If you buy a rescue pig then it may have been in the pet shop, been bought by someone and have experienced a bad life up until you got them, so it is still a pet shop pig.
If you had bought it before it got sold to some uncaring idiot then it would not have had the mental trauma and possible long term health implications that come with being sold to an unsuitable person.

Saying that, I do understand the argument of not patronising pet stores, but unfortunately, I don't see pet stores ceasing to exist, they must be forced to keep animals in better conditions and ensure they go to a good home.

**katiecavyNC** · #9 06-08-06, 09:38 am

Ok, I'm in the kitchen so i guess I can take the heat if it comes...

I got 3 of our piggies from PetCo, and one from PetSmart. Granted, if I had found this site first, I would have definately looked into adoption instead, so don't shoot me - you live and learn. I just never thought there would be another place you could get guinea pigs.

Anyway, I have to say that the PetCo near us seems to be better than most. The cages have always been spotless when we have gone in, the staff was very knowledgeable about the piggies - even recommended getting the largest cage and giving lots of floor time - and the woman who sold us the pigs talked about how much she liked to take them out and play with them. They also only have 2-3 pigs per cage about 2x4 ft size. Not one of our C&C piggy palaces, but not crowded compared to some petstores I've seen. You can definately tell the difference in the 'skitish' factor with our PetCo piggies vs our PetSmart one. Even the ferret cage at petco didn't stink, and that's a testament to very regular cleaning.

The PetSmart was also very clean and neat, but didn't have quite the warm and fuzzy feel, and our guy was not as used to being handled, but has come around quite nicely.

All their larger pocket pets (like ferrets and chinchillas) were neutered also. Thought that was good. (didn't even think you could do the same to a piggy)

I'm sure it's not like that everywhere you go, and I'm really not defending the petstores, but I am just pointing out there is a huge range of difference in the level of care and space given from one to the other (and obviously from one petco to another, etc)

In my opinion, the PetCo pigs I saw are probably way better cared for than most of the homes they go to where they are crammed into small cages and left alone to languish when the kids tire of their new toy.

On the other hand, the 2 small bus pet stores near us keep their pigs in horrible conditions - even in my pre-enlightened days I knew it isn't good to keep 2-3 pigs in a 15 gal aqu with only a vented lid. Never see anything but pellets in there - have even seen some kept on cedar.

**Percy's Mom** · #10 06-08-06, 09:41 am

I can see where your heart is bee1101, but the sad fact is that most pet stores don't think of animals as living beings. They consider them merchandise, and like any other merchandise, when some sells, they order more. In the case of animals, they can bring in 2 or 3 babies to shove into the space of an adult that just sold, and this means going back to a breeder or pet mill where the animals are often in worse conditions than in the stores and the sows are backbred until they die.

However, as much as it might hurt, if you do NOT go into the store and buy the guinea pigs that are sitting there, since the merchants look at them as objects to be sold, the laws of supply and demand require that they do not order any more. If the pigs aren't sold, there is no profit in keeping them and no need to order more or breed more to resupply their stock. Eventually, and it might take months or years, that store will turn into a pet supply store that does not sell any animals.

**Ly&Pigs** · #11 06-08-06, 12:14 pm

Quote:

Personally, I don't believe rescuing a pig from terrible pet store conditions is wrong.

No matter what you may think or believe, when you go to a petstore and give them money for a pig, you are "buying" that pig as merchandise from the pet store NOT rescuing it. In turn by "buying" that pig, you are supporting and condoning what the pet store does. So if you buy a pig if you don't know there are rescues and shelters, that's one thing, but if you knowingly go into a pet store when you know there are thousands of pigs in rescues/shelters, you've just condemned a shelter/rescue pig to death.

**sweetspice221** · #12 06-08-06, 12:22 pm

Wow percy's mom, I never knew that. That Is good I hope that happens to every pet store. But I dont think that will happen any time soon because, Not enough people are Informed about the Issue. So when they want to get a new pet they dont even think about adopting and just purchuse the animals.(Unfortunately). I think we should create an E-Mail about this horrible issue and send It to everyone we know. We need to get the word out to speed up the no petselling Issue/breeders & stores that sell pets. People need to know to adopt.

**suzilovespiggie** · #13 06-08-06, 01:18 pm

What you are also not seeing is the back room or the GP mill the GP's are coming from. They are not so clean. My guess is they are not fed well, given veggies or hay. A male and female is used for one thing and one thing only, babies. A sow is used over and over until she dies to give the petstore those cute little babies that the customer just can't resist. When that sow dies one of her offspring will be put in her place to breed until she dies. You buy a baby in the store and the store will replace it with more. Then turn around and breed another sow so more can keep being replaced. It's all supply and demand. Then there is the other whole issue of babies being born, bought and abandanded, to shelters, Humane society's, let loose, (My Matilda was found in the intersection of a major road. To frightedned to even run.)
That is why the whole cycle must be stopped. Everyone of us, at one time bought a pig at a petstore. Now we know better and are telling others and getting the word out. Every new person who finds this website will learn it is better to adopt and why. I firmly believe in my heart this is one of the best websites on the internet for education of adoption and the care of GP's. Cavy Spirit is changing the world one person at a time and it's fantastic! Keep preaching it!

**kathrynj** · #14 06-08-06, 09:30 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bee1101

Personally, I don't believe rescuing a pig from terrible pet store conditions is wrong. If you buy a rescue pig then it may have been in the pet shop, been bought by someone and have experienced a bad life up until you got them, so it is still a pet shop pig.
If you had bought it before it got sold to some uncaring idiot then it would not have had the mental trauma and possible long term health implications that come with being sold to an unsuitable person.

Saying that, I do understand the argument of not patronising pet stores, but unfortunately, I don't see pet stores ceasing to exist, they must be forced to keep animals in better conditions and ensure they go to a good home.

Yes but that same uncaring i**** is still going to buy a guinea pig regardless, so there is two piggies in the equation instead of one, you get one but one is still going to have the mental trauma and health troubles, and likely end up in the rescue.

**Jennicat** · #15 06-09-06, 05:36 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by katiecavyNC

Ok, I'm in the kitchen so i guess I can take the heat if it comes...

I got 3 of our piggies from PetCo, and one from PetSmart. Granted, if I had found this site first, I would have definately looked into adoption instead, so don't shoot me - you live and learn. I just never thought there would be another place you could get guinea pigs.

Anyway, I have to say that the PetCo near us seems to be better than most. The cages have always been spotless when we have gone in, the staff was very knowledgeable about the piggies - even recommended getting the largest cage and giving lots of floor time - and the woman who sold us the pigs talked about how much she liked to take them out and play with them. They also only have 2-3 pigs per cage about 2x4 ft size. Not one of our C&C piggy palaces, but not crowded compared to some petstores I've seen. You can definately tell the difference in the 'skitish' factor with our PetCo piggies vs our PetSmart one. Even the ferret cage at petco didn't stink, and that's a testament to very regular cleaning.

The PetSmart was also very clean and neat, but didn't have quite the warm and fuzzy feel, and our guy was not as used to being handled, but has come around quite nicely.

All their larger pocket pets (like ferrets and chinchillas) were neutered also. Thought that was good. (didn't even think you could do the same to a piggy)

I'm sure it's not like that everywhere you go, and I'm really not defending the petstores, but I am just pointing out there is a huge range of difference in the level of care and space given from one to the other (and obviously from one petco to another, etc)

In my opinion, the PetCo pigs I saw are probably way better cared for than most of the homes they go to where they are crammed into small cages and left alone to languish when the kids tire of their new toy.

On the other hand, the 2 small bus pet stores near us keep their pigs in horrible conditions - even in my pre-enlightened days I knew it isn't good to keep 2-3 pigs in a 15 gal aqu with only a vented lid. Never see anything but pellets in there - have even seen some kept on cedar.

They just built a Petco near us. (I'm in NC too). I'd disagree with the Petco pets are better taken care of. They don't get vegetables, they have a crappy seed mix, and they live in aquariums.

At Petsmart, they do get orange slices (which still isn't right, but at least they HAVE a vitamin C source), they're eating a solid pellet, and the back of the tanks are at least aerated.

Of course, I try to do a weekly "sweep" of both places to look at the animals, and every week I've had to report a sick animal at both places. That were VISIBLY in distress.

Both are pretty crappy places to obtain animals from, frankly.

*tempts you* There are lots of rescues in NC (I work with one now!) if you ever decide to move up to six pigs.

**Ly&Pigs** · #16 06-09-06, 12:21 pm

Quote:

I'm sure it's not like that everywhere you go

PetStupid in North Little Rock keeps at least 2-3 adult guinea pigs in a small aquarium and often you will find at least 4-5 pups in another small aquarium. One pigloo per aquarium, no hay and no veggies. A pellet mix and water is all I have ever seen them have in their cages. One cage didn't even have any pellets left, the dish was empty. The conditions at PetNotSoSmart are no different in North Little Rock either.

Now the ferrets in PetStupid get 2 large display pens to live in with plenty of room to run around in and there are usually only 2-3 ferrets in each of these display pens. I don't remember seeing bunnies in there the last time I went in which was in early May but that doesn't mean there weren't any. I got mad wanted to talk to an employee but there were none to be found so after waiting for about 5 minutes I finally left. The only reason I went in was because I was waiting for Best Buy to open to check the price of something and PetStupid is two doors down from Best Buy. Dad was with me and he was even appalled at the conditions those poor pigs were in. I had to be at my doctor's appointment soon or I would have waited longer to have spoken to the manager about the appalling conditions. I was actually 5 minutes late to my doctor's appointment that day.

The conditions of these petstores do vary from place to place and all the ones I have been in are horrid. Even the local mom and pop pe

Thank you MetallichicA for this useful post, says:
sweetspice (06-05-06)

Thank you Percy's Mom for this useful post, says:
sweetspice (06-08-06)

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