Petco

[TwoOfaKind]

Hi Everyone -

So, I have seen that a couple of you all have gotten piggies from Petco, and ended up having nightmare stories. I was talking to my friend and she said the woman she works with had gotten rats from Petco, and basically they were really sick and ended up dying. I have also heard a common thread about the "clicking" noises

Bailey has made these clicking noises since I got him - a few months back. I took him to the vet, but even with antibiotics, he has continued to make the noises. So I kind of wrote it off, thinking perhaps it was normal, since he was eating, drinking, playing, squeaking, popcorning, etc; Well, in light of Bailey's most recent development (the lump on his neck) - I can't help but to wonder if Bailey was sick from the get go, especially considering I have heard similar things that seem just a bit too coincidental

Growing up we always adopted or rescued our pets (dogs and cats) as we were always against pet stores holding/selling animals. I never had any type of small animal (the only thing I ever got from the petstores were fish);

I don't know, I have to say I am just beside myself .. I suppose pet stores are businesses non the less - even if it's a business that centers around animals.

I suppose I know better now, but still I have to say it's quite unsettling. Not necessarily for me - but for the innocent (and dependent) animals that need homes, and it's all the more devestating when there are so many of them in the stores - and those of them who get families, but it's too late

[Foster Teen]

You are so right I volenteer for a group called the bunny bunch and for now we are based out of foster homes and a petco. And me being an animal r look at there animals. Every time I'm their, there is some thing wrong with an animal and I'm always telling them so they know and can get them some help but I'm usualy their on Saturdays when vets offices are closed so the poor little thing has to what till Monday or he/she just dies.... So i totally know what you mean!

[d0rked]

I don't understand why Petco can't take animals out of shelters and sell them through their store, thus making a buisness into a shelter and a shelter into a buisness. It's not like they'd even be paying for the product they're selling, aside from food costs.

So, can anyone answer that? Why don't pet stores take in animals that need homes and sell them to responsible owners with the correct information on how to care for them? What is so difficult about that?

[PrincessAngel]

I don't understand why Petco can't take animals out of shelters and sell them through their store, thus making a buisness into a shelter and a shelter into a buisness. It's not like they'd even be paying for the product they're selling, aside from food costs.

So, can anyone answer that? Why don't pet stores take in animals that need homes and sell them to responsible owners with the correct information on how to care for them? What is so difficult about that?

At our local petco they have little signs on the cages that says "Think first and adopt an animal from Petfinder.com" Some store adopt out animals from shelters it jsut depends on your area.

[Foster Teen]

Originally Posted by PrincessAngel

At our local petco they have little signs on the cages that says "Think first and adopt an animal from Petfinder.com" Some store adopt out animals from shelters it jsut depends on your area.

Yeah our Petco always say "Think adoption 1st" but they are selling animals they get from breeders. I think all the Petco's have a sign or an anoncment that says that but it's all bull if they are SELLING animals I was talking to some of the people that work there and they saythat they get all their animals spayed and neutered before they get to the store. But you can so tell they're not!!! Even one of the ladies that works at Petco adopted some guinea pigs from us because she didn't like the way they were coming in all sick and stuff. So they may say it but they don't mean it!

[PrincessAngel]

Originally Posted by Foster Teen

Yeah our Petco always say "Think adoption 1st" but they are selling animals they get from breeders. I think all the Petco's have a sign or an anoncment that says that but it's all bull if they are SELLING animals I was talking to some of the people that work there and they saythat they get all their animals spayed and neutered before they get to the store. But you can so tell they're not!!! Even one of the ladies that works at Petco adopted some guinea pigs from us because she didn't like the way they were coming in all sick and stuff. So they may say it but they don't mean it!

Yeah I don't think they spay and neuter the animals, because most of the guinea pigs they sell are young and shouldn't be big enough to be fixed. I can understand maybe a ferret or rabbit but nothing else. I got a guinea pig from petco 5 years ago and I'm not sure she's fixed. There's no way I can tell.

[Alusdra]

I almost dropped what I was buying from Petco when I saw that they really are selling bunnies now. But I'm on vacation far from home and needed new dog food and mealies. I have no idea where a local place is that would sell only supplies and we're not here long enough to ship (curse snobby dog who wants a different kind and mealy colony running all to beetles at the exact wrong time, anyway). Is there some sort of animal-friendly petstore by location listing somewhere? I would think that would be a great service for someone to provide. I can never find a good petstore, if it's not rodents they're selling pathetic birds (which I consider worse, anyway- no offense cavy lovers- Sylvia made me say it).

[MCR_Rox]

What are the clicking sounds? Does anyone have a video or something of a guinea pig making one of these clicking sounds?

[pigsforlife]

Originally Posted by landhermie

What are the clicking sounds? Does anyone have a video or something of a guinea pig making one of these clicking sounds?

If the clicking sound is in between breaths then it indicates some sort of respiratory problem. But if this clicking sound is just another form of squeak than it is (as stated by various sites) very uncommon. I will continue to look for an actual clip, you could try you tube but I doubt there would be anything there.

[Foster Teen]

if you hear the clicking sound while the pigs are talking to each other it an be a dominance thing nothing to worry about. s/he is just saying I'm boss and you better remember it.

[TwoOfaKind]

Yep Petco here also says "Think Adoption First" - so I have to say that I do give them credit for that. In every Petco there is a laptop hooked up and it's soley set up with Petfinder. But while I think this is definatly a step in the right direction, I think that in and of itself goes against the fact that they are selling animals just feet away from the kiosk.

I agree, they should take animals from shelters. I know Petsmart does that for dogs/cats - but not small animals. I have seen Petco do that on occasion.

I actually do occasional volunteer work for a local pet rescue/shelter that are completely seperate from the petstore (Petsmart) but they do adoptions on the weekends through Petsmart, in addition to the shelter itself.

[Texas Rustlers]

Let me tell you a little recent experience we had with Petco's hypocritical 'Adoption 1st' policy.
A lady who was approved to adopt from us went into a local Petco before she visited us, somehow believing she could find Cube and Coroplast cages there, when she couldn't find what she was looking for she asked an assistant.
He told her they did not sell them but convinced her to buy a Marichiro cage. When she told him she was adopting 2 guinea pigs he tried to persuade her to buy them from Petco instead!
Luckily she did not, and came to the rescue to adopt, she also bought materials to make her c + c cage and took back her marichiro cage.

[TwoOfaKind]

Oh my - that's not cool

Yea, I'm not a big fan .. I have recently started ordering my stuff online, but I had to get hay (my order had not arrived and I ran out of hay) - so I went to Petco across the street, and it made me so sad/angry to see these signs behind the glass (where they keep small animals) and the signs said "More Companions Coming Soon" or something to the effect

[i-love-nev]

Originally Posted by PrincessAngel

I can understand maybe a ferret or rabbit but nothing else.

Sorry, I dont understand this did you mean maybe they should sell ferrets or rabbits but nothing else?


If you were talking about the ferrets being neutered then yes, all petco and petsmart etc ferrets are neutered at a very young age (4 weeks! ) I just dont understand why petstores "think" they have to sell animals in the first place.

[Henle15]

The "think adoption first" thing that Petco does is only to make themselves look better. They promote adoption, yet sell animals. same as "responsible breeder". anyway its totally contradictory. I worked at a Petco about 4 months ago as a transition job from sales to personal training and I was so angry at how they treated their animals that I started my own rescue.

Sure its a step in the right direction but its still contridictory. Hopefully they will get the hint some day and stop selling any animals. I don't think they realize how many people would shop and buy supplies from there if they stopped selling animals. I think it would outweigh the profit from selling animals!!

[deathnotronic]

It always breaks my heart walking in to places like that. I've only been to the PetCo around here once, but the first thing I did was look at the animals. It's so sad. You know you want to help them, but at the same time, it'll only make things worse. So you're screwed either way. Pet stores are so lame!

[MCR_Rox]

You can help by calling them, e-mailing them, reporting them, etc. You can even tell your friends and family not to shop at them.