Some things I noticed in Petco Yesterday...

[Percy's Mom]

Depending on what you're looking for Hildi, there are tons of places online. CritterStore.com - Small Pet Supplies and Products has great prices and they charge what UPS actually charges them for shipping. Pet Products at The Ferret Store - @ The Ferret Store is owned by the same people, but their prices are a bit higher to cover the "Free Shipping Over $35" that they always offer. There is Oxbow Pet Products | Welcome for pellets and hay that are quite good quality, and they also have a retail locator that might help you find some stores you're not aware of. Kleenmama's Hayloft :: Home has exceptional pellets and hay. Her shipping may seem high, but if you add it to the cost of the food/hay and divide by the pounds, it's extremely reasonible. I've also purchased things for my pigs on eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices and in various stores you might not think of. For example, my pigs have 2 mirrors in their cage that I purchased from an auto parts store.

[fourbwabbys]

And the argument that those 1-8 dogs that were put down, it sure sucked for them is a very bad argument in my book. Living beings die all the time, it sucks, its sad get over it.

I just have to say this is the most stuck-up, selfish, horrible statment I've ever heard. You need to actually walk INTO a shelter, see all of the dogs in that ONE shelter and look them in the eyes as they are being eithanised and re-think that statement. So you're basically saying living things die, you won't care when one of your family members die because it's just a natural part of life. What if it was your fault they died? Would you just leave it be and move on without mourning at all? You're a very heartless person to think that way.

[SugarSpice]

So in some areas peoples only choice if they want a guinea pig is to buy them from a pet store.

I'm sorry I just don't agree with this. I live up north Canada in Nunavut. Basically can't get any more isolated than this. There are no pet stores here and there are no shelters here either. I still managed to find a pair of guinea pigs who needed a loving home ( the only two guinea pigs in Iqaluit at the time). I believe they were found for me when I needed them most . No matter where you are or where you live you don't have to depend on pet stores or breeders.

[salana]

Originally Posted by CavySpirit

The ONLY item that makes sense to buy from a pet store is bedding, only because it's not cheaper or easier to have it shipped.

People who live near Pennsylvania (I'm in NJ) can get CareFresh on sale ($12.99/50L) from PetFoodDirect with one of their many coupons, with cheap shipping.

I got four bags for about $54, which is much better than the $80+ I would have spent going to a pet store--plus transportation.

[Slave to the Wheek]

On a side note,

Many people also forget that FEED stores usually carry higher end Guinea pig products and they almost never offer animals for sale. If they don't they will often order them for you from their supplier. I even have a Feed store near me here in San Francisco area! It's located in the center of an urban area and they have an huge selection of pet supplies as a result, but don't assume you don't have a pet supply near you that doesn't sell animals. .
It's also one way to guarantee super cheap, high quality hay!

To be honest, very few stores that sell animals last very long here in California
People simply won't shop at them.

Petco ONLY makes it because they LIE and say that they are "adopting" out their guinea pigs. They LIE and MISLEAD the public about their animal policies. Believe me, if they COULD make money selling dogs and cats here they would, but because Californian's won't support that type of store they HAD to change their policy or go out of business.

Smart, Educated people make more money and therefore spend more money on their animals. 90% of the educated public would NEVER buy a dog or cat from a retail store. These people assume that guinea pigs are NOT over-populated or they wouldn't be selling them. They assume that it's not a big problem or they would have heard about it. In fact, it probably never occurs to those same people that guinea pigs are automatically put to sleep at many humane societies because they don't have space or desire to rehome them. They don't bother posting them on their websites or encourage people to bringing them in because they would be overloaded with them in days.

Smart, Educated GUINEA PIG owners never go into a Petco, because the products they carry SUCK. THAT is PETCO'S stupidity. It's their absolute blindness to their customer base that makes carrying small animal supplies such a narrow part of their business.

They do NOT carry high end products such as Oxbow and they DO carry products that are bad for guinea pigs. Balls, Yogurt drops, Vit C for the water..etc etc. They do NOT carry items for sick pigs. They ARE the problem when they COULD be the answer.

As far as pet supply stores go, I actually did google search and found a ton of little pet supply stores I didn't know existed. I called around until I found one that said they didn't offer ANY animals for sale and stated they were "rescue friendly".

Don't forget that if you are in a small town, you will likely be able to find a local merchant who will special order items for you as well. In one town I lived in the local ACE hardware actually carried pet supplies and special ordered.

[Hansel]

Its been some time since I have posted here, but Trekkie really made me livid!

Hildi ~ Check out Kleenmamas hay and pellets Kleenmama's Hayloft :: Home, they are to die for and if you get them your pigs will love you forever...and scream for more anytime you walk into the room !

[Niimu]

Ha lost of agrument breaks out here, eh?

I can also say that petco is one of the higher end petstores when it comes to how they treat the animals. I went to this new pet store once it was awful =[ 6 guinea pigs cramped into one aquariam thing. The only animal in a normal cage was the chinchilla but it was all wire- yuk.


Ok listen here, I live in chicago where trillions of petstores thrive of little kids making their parents but they small rodents- The thing is its because of quanity and convience quality is something you try to aim for but sometimes people settle and just go for the petstore that seems to give the most care and thought. The start of this topic was just complimenting petco for TRYING to do a little better than other pet stores. Not "Ohh THATS too small" "Did you actually CHECK or read a sign?" "They carry BAD iteams"

It doesnt matter [what] they carry they would always use the best that they carry there and it mostly matters on how well the workers do their jobs. Obviusly Petco tried and succeeded in getting a bit better in their petcare- truely I am greatful- this isnt something people should go haywire about.

[standuprookie]

Originally Posted by Niimu

I can also say that petco is one of the higher end petstores when it comes to how they treat the animals.

Like we all said before they sell live animals so it really doesn't matter.

[momof2pigs]

Petco ONLY makes it because they LIE and say that they are "adopting" out their guinea pigs.

I'm sorry.... I tried to stay out of this whole thread but this made me laugh. As I said before, yes I do work for Petco (for the time being). I DO feel like a hypocrite at times but the above comment is also a "lie".

Our Petco does indeed adopt out almost ANY animal in need of a new home. We don't just take our "unsellables" from the back once they are well. We also have taken in ferrets, rats, hampsters, and yes guinea pigs that were owner turn-ins. They were NOT returned animals that were purchased from our store.


We adopted out two ferrets that a guy could no longer keep. We recently took in two adult guinea pigs (even though we had many of our own to sell) and adopted them out for free too. Petco SHOULD stop selling their own animals to really put their money where their mouth is, but it is a lie and propaganda to say THEY lie and don't really "adopt" out animals, that they only re-sell animals from our "sick-room" Untrue.

[zambonigirl]

Originally Posted by Susan9608

Personally, I would love to see the day that guinea pigs hit $100. Then perhaps people wouldn't buy impulse buy them for their kids and then ditch them a few months later.

I actually had to stop in at Petco a few weeks ago due to my bird seed spilling out in the sink (I'm clumsy sometimes), and I stopped to look at the piggies. They were very small compared to mine (and Snoopy isn't even full-grown yet), and one was very ill. I pointed the ill one out to a store clerk, gave her the name of the rescue that I got my boys at, and noted that the pigs were being sold for 53.99 each. This was incredibly interesting as I rescued my boys for only 50/pr. I thought to myself, "No one is going to buy them. Good."

The best part? Over the weekend, I noticed a certain type of worm in the food, which turns into a very annoying little brown moth and pretty much will infest an entire house in about two weeks, if memory serves correctly. (It's been a few years since I've had this problem with bird seed.)

Needless to say, I'm completely pissed off at Petco right now, and there's very little that anyone can say to make me think that it's got anything going for it beyond convenience.

Then again, scouring a bird cage while said bird flaps around and chews on your hair while cursing Petco isn't exactly "convenient", is it?

[standuprookie]

Originally Posted by zambonigirl

Then again, scouring a bird cage while said bird flaps around and chews on your hair while cursing Petco isn't exactly "convenient", is it?

Whats right isn't always going to be convenient, but thats not why we do it, we do it cause we believe its right. I haven't bought anything from petco since I found this site.

[zambonigirl]

Originally Posted by standuprookie

Whats right isn't always going to be convenient, but thats not why we do it, we do it cause we believe its right. I haven't bought anything from petco since I found this site.

I'm actually really enjoying the irony (read: hating this) that the one thing I buy from Petco after years of boycotting happened to be infested with vermin.

[momof2pigs]

and noted that the pigs were being sold for 53.99 each. This was incredibly interesting as I rescued my boys for only 50/pr. I thought to myself, "No one is going to buy them. Good."

What country are you from??? Petco has the same prices at every store. I have NEVER heard of them selling GP's for more than $29.99 EA. You must have looked at the tag wrong or it was for a different animal. NO way would they ever ask $53.99 ea.

[standuprookie]

Originally Posted by zambonigirl

I'm actually really enjoying the irony (read: hating this) that the one thing I buy from Petco after years of boycotting happened to be infested with vermin.

Yeah they don't always have the best quality.

[zambonigirl]

I wonder if they were a specific breed of GP? Their noses were really tiny, and their fur looked different, so maybe they were "special"? Or I could have seen it wrong, that's a possibility. Whatever it was, I hope no one bought them. If one was sick, it was probably only a matter of time before the others came down with it.

[attackofthebear]

There is no reason to get a guinea pig from a petstore. Plenty of rescues are out there willing to adopt out a piggy, so they can take ten more in. Dont expect them to just give it away to you either. They may make you send a pic of the cage you plan to house them in and could even visit your house, but you should be thankful for that because it shows they care who gets the piggy.
I remember one day I went into a petco and saw an opposite sex rat in the cage with other rats. I cant remember if it was male or female. The lady I told, took it out imediately and put it with the proper sex. They are better than petsmart but they are still a petstore. They sell live animals and contribute to the amount of homeless and sick animals out there that end up in rescues or die because of neglect.