saw a pet store yesterday...

[cookie_gal]

I was after some hay for my bunny and happened across new a pet shop. Well!!!! I dared to look at the animals and found guinea pigs kept in glass cages, with only chopped straw - NO hay AND these were little babies and were housed with bunnies!!!! (shouldn't be with bun's at all but its 100 times worse when they're babies!)

Also in 2 of the 'cages' which were 3x 3 feet I counted 12 piggies plus 3 bunnies which were at least twice as big as the piggies. It was also hot in there, granted they had two fans but so what!?!? you couldn't tell the difference made by them!

In additon they had 'naked rats' you know, no fur supposedly. Why on earth breed them like this?!? But I am a bit suspect about these rats because I looked closely and they actually had very short fine hair. They looked almost as if they had had something done to them to make them like that!

I got their address and am writing a letter to them and sending a letter to the RSPCA. Whats the betting no-one will give damn??

[PiggieMom]

All you can do is try with the RSPCA. Be consistent, be thorough, be tough. Follow through with your letter by calling their head. Do it several times if needed.

As far as the naked rats they were originally bred like that so skin products and make-up could be tested on them. It's very sickening.

[*Cavy~Cuddler*]

That makes me so made that pet stores can get away with housing there animals that way.

[cookie_gal]

I was furious, as I walked out I was loudly talking about the disgusting way of them being kept, making sure poeple heard me. I'll let you know how the letters go.

[bunnydude]

The way pet stores keep their animals makes me sick. The pet store in the mall near me houses all the small animals in glass enclosures. A couple of weeks ago they had ferrets in the same enclosure as the rabbits. There was only a plastic divider that kept them separate. Ferrets were bred to hunt rabbits! And none of the animals have anything in the cage other than dirty water.

[vince]

There is a petstore in loveland that is horrid when it comes to taking care of their animals. I went in last week just to look around and found Cavies housed in a "temporary" cage. This cage is a wire cage meant primarly for SMALL animals such as gerbils and hamsters. The door on the cage isn't even big enough for the piggy to fit thru. As of 10 am today those cavies are still in the Temporary cage. I complained to the owner and was told not to come back to his store again. I left and informed animal control of the situation

[vics2004]

The pet store near me was bad enough, about4 piggies and 2-3 bunnies, but 12 piggies is terrible!

Where in the UK are you from, I will write in too, it's horrible. I pruposely go into the store to talk to my hubby about how bad the conditions are in a hope of putting people in there off!

[genuinejeans101]

I bought my cavy from a pet store near my house but they treat there animals very well they don't breed and the owner takes in stray dogs and finds them loving homes.

[cookie_gal]

Just because they don't breed doesn't mean they do not support it. Are all the animals they sell from rescues then? or do they buy them from breeders to sell??

[emoxrobot]

I am so tired of pet stores it makes me sick to think about how small animals are forced to live. I go to every pet store near me once a week to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to for the small animals they sell. No one has ever told me to never come back to a pet store before they usually do what I say . I can be scary when I'm really ticked off.

I even had to point out the other day at petco that this gorgeous baby abbsynnian had a large cut on his ear (probably from the other boar). The lady took him out and told me he was going to go to the vet. I don't know if I believe it.

Lots of luck with this situation!