What I noticed at Petsmart....

[jthocker]

We bought two pigs at Petsmart about two months ago (BEFORE I started to read this forum). They were bought about one week apart. Well recently we found out that one was not a he but a she so we went back to that store to complain. As I was there i made not of the living conditions of the animals. They actually werent that bad, not great, but for a pets store not bad. The guinea pigs were in a half cage half aqurium thing (the front that faced the customers was glass and the top and back were a type of cage.) I didnt see more then 5 pigs per cage, which is about a 2x2. When i finally got around to talking to a manager she never gave me any grief, knew what she was talking about, and offered to help (we recieved free bedding and hay, which is about what i would have expected them to do). She never once said that it was my fault and admitted several times that it was the stores fault for not being more careful. She also mentioned that NOT all the empolyees knew how to sex the animals but that most of the poeple that worked in that department could so i asked her to show me how just to make sure and she was dead on. I think what made the experince better is that she never even argued that "stuff" like that neve happens like most people would to get the blame off the store. I would never buy another animal at a pet store but this has deffinately helped me to not stop shopping there either.

On the other hand, the Petco by my house is a different story. Last time I was in there it was horrible. The store its self is cramped, and even though it was small i still had a hard time finding help. When i looked at the small animal cages they were just large aquariums that had no top on them in a shelf display. There was two displays for guinea pigs and there were only two "female" pigs in EACH of the containers. It wouldnt have been so bad if they were together, but i couldnt find anyone to open the "cage" to help me. I really wish that more pet stores were like the Petsmart by my house, just because they were more into the animals and not so much their lunch break.

P.S. I did mention to the manager at Petsmart about giving people a list of references (i.e. this website), and she said that the managers cant make that call it has to come from their coperate office. But they do tell people to "Google it", which i think is lazy.

[mkkayla]

It is best not to support them at all even for supplies. After all, they make way more money off the supplies they sell than off of the animals themselves. I'm glad the employee was knowledgeable, but this does nothing to stop the horrible conditions from which these animals originate. Forcing Petsmart (and others) to see the errors of their ways and stop selling the animals period is the only real answer. And the big thing these stores care about is profit. Stop supporting them period.

[jthocker]

I really dont have a choice, if there was somewhere else (besides Walmart) that i could get bedding, food and toys i would. I dont find it, i guess, reasonable to pay twice for something on the internet when i could just go to a store and get twice as much. I want trying to say that everyone needs to go to pet stores, its was just an observation that I wanted to put out to everyone.

[Jennicat]

Goodness, where are you shopping online? I've never seen anything that was TWICE as expensive on the internet. Most of it works out to be pretty close, or even cheaper (especially in terms of hay or pellets).

I find it funny that Petsmart employees would have to know how to sex animals, since Petsmart claims to only carry single sex animals in their stores. I guess the mill they're buying from can't sex animals appropriately or keep them healthy.

But yeah, if you consider having 5 animals in a 2x2 area "pretty good", and giving out false information "pretty good", and missexing animals "pretty good", and buying them from mills "pretty good", then yeah, Petsmart is "pretty good".

[fairysari]

I can't believe that you live in San Diego and there isn't a single pet supply shop that doesn't sell animals. They're usually not giant superstores or big chains, but they exist - you just have look a little harder. I googled "san diego pet supply" and I got a bunch of results for stores that look promising. Or you could just open up the yellow pages, and look under Pet Supply, as opposed to Pet Stores, or call around to see which don't sell pets.

[nismosmama]

Pet People doesn't sell animals . I was actually there a couple days ago and didn't see any animals at all in their store. I don't know if ALL Pet People don't sell animals, but the one I went to in San Marcos (San Diego County) doesn't.

[jthocker]

I saw them when I was looking. I plan on going there this weekend to get some food for them. I was talking about the shipping cost on top of the regular cost. Id rather go to a store and get it so i have it right then and there.

[zambonigirl]

I, too, refuse to buy from Wal-Mart. I bought several cuddle cups from Weaver at an excellent price, I've bought fleece from the fabric store for bedding, and I buy towels whenever I see them go on sale. I purchased hay and pellets online for about a dollar a pound. It was all a bigger investment at first, but it's definitely paid off in the long run. I have right now a 40% off coupon for Joann Craft, which includes any one cut of fabric, so I'll probably get three or four yards this weekend so that I'll have a few more bedding changes.

It is difficult to boycott places like Wal-Mart and Petsmart, particularly when they cater to the cheap, convenience-loving person within us all, but I always remind myself that it's for the greater good. You're also getting much higher-quality goods when you go elsewhere. Convenience is one thing, but it rarely means quality.

[Ontariocavy]

Petsmart is alot better then many pet stores...the cages are never full of fessies and they are pretty well taken care of to a point.Hve any of you been in Petcentra its not as good at all.I went in there to look for a dog crate and there was only 2 poeple working,one at cash,one everwhere.Well i needed help so finaly when the lady was free i walked up to her and said"I need some help to find a crate"right after that she walked to these people who where walking in the door and said"how may i help you today" they said "we would like to buy a mouse" she looked over at me and walked away with them!I was so mad

[jackrussellgirl]

I don't have an option but to shop at Petsmart, Petco, or Pets Supplies Plus. All three sell "pocket Pets" and reptiles. I've just sort of taken the lesser or 3 evils and gone mostly with Petsmart.
I'd also like to add that Petco is now neutering their rabbits before they sell them.

[Shaffy]

I've never really liked petco. I have heard too many sad sad stories surrounding them. I have known people who i think have sued them.

[fourbwabbys]

I'd also like to add that Petco is now neutering their rabbits before they sell them.

I thought Petco wasn't allowed to sell rabbits anymore?

[momof2pigs]

On the other hand, the Petco by my house is a different story. Last time I was in there it was horrible. The store its self is cramped, and even though it was small i still had a hard time finding help. When i looked at the small animal cages they were just large aquariums that had no top on them in a shelf display. There was two displays for guinea pigs and there were only two "female" pigs in EACH of the containers. It wouldnt have been so bad if they were together, but i couldnt find anyone to open the "cage" to help me. I really wish that more pet stores were like the Petsmart by my house, just because they were more into the animals and not so much their lunch break.

P.S. I did mention to the manager at Petsmart about giving people a list of references (i.e. this website), and she said that the managers cant make that call it has to come from their coperate office. But they do tell people to "Google it", which i think is lazy.

It is no secret on this forum that I happen to work part-time for Petco ( I am a teacher looking for a full-time teaching position. I substitute days, work at Petco nights, weekends, and holidays). I have NEVER heard of a Petco displaying guinea pigs in such a manner. ALL the stores in the company are planogrammed. All the small animals are housed in large self-contained/ventilated glass aquarium "units (4 sections per unit). The ONLY time guinea pigs are housed in glass "containers" on a shelf are the owner turn-ins that we put up for adoption. Our GPs get hay and red bell peppers every day. The Petsmart across the way didn't even have hidey houses for theirs.

P.S It isn't hard to go to the cashier and ask him/her to page someone to the area you are in/headed for. It isn't the employees long lunch breaks. Heck most of our managers work so hard they are lucky if they get a lunch break. The rest of us get a half-hour break ONE at a time. You sound like you WORK for Petsmart, thus promoting it.


I don't plan on staying at Petco. Money' s tight and jobs are hard to come by. I am doing this until I can find something better and more permenant.

P.S My manager knows I promote C & C cages and knows I don't recommend the Vit C drops and he doesn't care. He knows the GP's come first for me.

[Susan9608]

Let me reiterate a point that has been made countless times on this forum:

Promoting pet stores that sell animals, including Petco and Petsmart, on *this* forum is NOT okay. Treating animals as merchandise is NOT okay. No matter how fabulous the conditions are at the particular pet store you happen to be talking about, if they sell animals, they are still NOT good places. Period.

I am tired of all of these threads popping up with people saying, "Oh but the Petco/Petsmart by *my* house is really good and I don't have any choice about shopping there anyways."

You always have a choice. You can choose to go out of your way to a place that does not sell animals, you can choose to pay extra for shipping and buy online, or, as radical and extremist as it may seem, you can choose NOT to have pets if you absolutely must buy their supplies from a place that contributes to overpopulation and cruelty.

Pet stores that sell animals get NO credit and NO praise here, not for any reason, until they STOP selling animals.

[standuprookie]

Pet stores that sell animals could house in cages that meet our minimum, feed quality pellets and give their pigs veggies, but they would still sell animals and contribute to the over-population of guinea pigs. But they don't even do that they shove as many animals in a cage they can fit, give them very low quality food and they defiantly don't give them enough/if any veggies.

I notice a lot of people saying they can't get pet supplies any where else, I was just wondering what food you feed your guinea pigs?

[Djakarta]

If you are in San Diego, try buying your supplies from Wee Companions. ( Wee Companions - Small Animal Rescue and Adoption )

Wee Companions is a small animal rescue located in Imperial Beach ( South San Diego). You can purchase hay, bedding ( both Aspen and Carefresh) and pellets from them.

The rescue is run from a private home. so you may need to contact them initially via email to make arrangements.

You won't have to pay for shipping, like shopping online, and you will help support the local rescue.

[Jennicat]

Originally Posted by fourbwabbys