The Petsmart by me

[blaze98]

I don't understand what's so bad about it. The employees working there know a lot about animals, and the small animal cages are fine. Although the guinea pig cages are a bit small, they have a fair amount of hay, pellets, and water, and they are separately caged. I don't understand why people think this place is so bad.

(You're gonna kill me for this...)

[jilovecavies]

We're not going to kill you for this, we're just going to explain WHY they're bad. Knowledge is power.

I'm sure there are some knowledgeable employees out there, but VERY few are. They want to sell THEIR products, not what's best for the guinea pigs. So instead of getting a large C&C cage, fresh hay, good quality pellets, plain fresh water, fresh veggies, and a friend, they get a tiny cage, poor quality hay, unhealthy pellets, water with vit. C drops, no veggies (!), and no friends. There are many piggie owners that are so misinformed because of this.

Their cages are not a bit small, they are VERY small. Even if they have hay in them (most of the ones I see do not), it is most likely not enough and because hay needs to be replaced frequently, the piggies probably do not have fresh hay (the hay they're fed isn't good quality anyway).

Also, the pigs are almost always sick. Do a search on this forum for that and you will be amazed at how many people bought pigs from pet stores and they were missexed, pregnant, had mites, lice, URI's, etc.

By buying small animals from pet stores, you are continuing the breeding cycle. You have to see the bigger picture-if you buy a piggie at the pet store because you want to "rescue" it, you're really contributing to the problem. For every animal the pet store sells, they have to order another one, which creates a supply and demand chain in which the breeder keeps on breeding, and more pigs end up in shelters after people decide they don't want them...it's a huge cycle that's very depressing.

Anyway, those are just a few reasons why petsmart, and other pet stores that sell animals, should not be supported.

[John4216]

I would point you to the links at the top of this and the other forums. They answer your question quite well.

[MCR_Rox]

Something on one of my websites:

The Process of Buying Bred Animals

On this page is a post I made on a guinea pig forum (Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home.) this applies to all animals that are bred. It can also apply to breeders.


Here is the process that you slow down when you adopt instead of buy:

1) Female pig gets bred over and over again. All guinea pigs are sick because mill doesn't care about their overall health.

2)Person (possibly you) purchases guinea pig.

3) Pet store runs out of guinea pigs; They order more "stock".

4) Guinea pigs are shipped in horrible conditions. About 60% die. They are cheap, so pet store doesn't care.

5) An uneducated person comes along and buys another guinea pig. Pet store runs out of "stock," and the process starts again.

6)Meanwhile, guinea pigs are being euthanized due to over-population. People could've adopted the ones that were euthanized, but instead went to the pet store, breeder, etc.


If you do not buy a guinea pig in the pet store, step #3 will be slowed down. They will have guinea pigs left, so they will not/not need to, order more. Sure, it won't be stopped, but in the total history of the store, less guinea pigs will be neglected.

The Process of Buying Exotics

1) Supplier sends out people to X country to gather "stock."

2.) "Stock" is taken to supplier where the conditions are horrendous. "Stock:" is abused greatly.

3) Pet stores order some "stock." They do not know how to take care of the "stock."

4) "Stock" is shipped in horrible conditions. 60% dies during 100 mile trip

5). Pet store creates care sheet that is terribly correct.

6.) Person buys exotic "pet", and the process is started all over again.

Meanwhile, hundreds of the species are being euthanized because nobody wants them. Person who bought could've adopted.

7) The species is unbreedable because it has to be in its own habitat to breed. Species in wild becomes endangered. Species eventually comes extinct.

#7 actually does happen. One example is the strawberry hermit crab. It is a threatened species due to people capturing it to sell. Also, the coconut crab (Birgus Latros) is endangered, yet is still being sold. It is not sold in the US, but it IS sold in other countries.

vs.

The Process of Adopting

1) Person stops at shelter. They find a ton pof the species and breed they want. Most are going to be euthanized tomorrow if nobody submits an appklication.
2) Person picks several of the species/breed, and submits an application for them.
3) Meanwhile, many more of the species are getting put in the shelter due to people not wanting them. Pet stores are a big part of this, because they were the ones who gave the poeple who did not want them the animals.
4)More people come and submit an application.
5)Everyone gets their companion animals, and 20 animals are saved from euthanasia

It is at Pet Store Truth | The Reality of Pet Stores. .

[John4216]

I would direct you to this website also:

Little Shops of Sorrows: API's Pet Shop Campaign and Undercover Investigation

[MCR_Rox]

Do they have vegetables?

[Piggersrule]

Most pet stores don't offer fresh veggies on a regular basis because that will cut into the profits. Buying fresh veggies would cost them too much money and they don't usually have a place to store it properly. It's the same with hay and forget about medica care, pet stores usually let the animal die because it is cheaper to repace the animal than is it to treat the poor sick animals, which their illness is usually brought on by the pet stores.

[thalestral]

The pet stores also don't often care about where they get their pigs from. They don't check how the breeders are producing the animals and so there are often health problems, from illnesses due to the conditions they are/have been kept in like mites, to congenital problems like heart problems due to bad genes.

Just because a piggie looks fine doesn't mean they are - my Rosie is from a pet store and while she was fine at first, lately it's just been one major health problem after another and while I don't begrudge a penny to my little girl she has cost us a small fortune.

[MCR_Rox]

Can they get vegetables wholesale?

[ortal]

I dont have a petsmart by me but saw one when I was visiting someone, and went to it 3 times (to look at the cute GPs), and they NEVER had veggies, NEVER had hay (the guy said they get 2 handfuls a day), and the booklet said to give them vitamin drops in their water. right.

plus the whole 'where they come from' fiasco.
I try not to fo to pet shops in my area because I am afraid I will buy one. I want to bring them all home but thats not for the 'greater good'. At least when I was vacation I knew there was no way I can do that.

[TrekkiePiggies]

Originally Posted by landhermie

Can they get vegetables wholesale?

That would be nice. However, vegetables are often considered unnecessary for the animal's typically brief stay at the store. In addition, where do you store a Costco-sized box of veggies in an already cramped store? When I worked at Petco, the only animals that received vegetables, in the form of Spring Mix from the Safeway across the parking lot, were the iguanas and tortoises. We had a tiny mini-fridge in the back room for this. The hamsters occasionally received cabbage sprinkled with Bene-Bac if they had diarrhea.

[luvmyboyz]

I was at the petsmart by me today and the guinea pigs had no water.My husband who is usually calm started to get upset and said something to a worker,the guinea pigs were given water and a plate of watermelon.If we would`nt have been there would any one had noticed or cared?

[mommyoffive]

Originally Posted by TrekkiePiggies

That would be nice. However, vegetables are often considered unnecessary for the animal's typically brief stay at the store. In addition, where do you store a Costco-sized box of veggies in an already cramped store? When I worked at Petco, the only animals that received vegetables, in the form of Spring Mix from the Safeway across the parking lot, were the iguanas and tortoises. We had a tiny mini-fridge in the back room for this. The hamsters occasionally received cabbage sprinkled with Bene-Bac if they had diarrhea.

I'm so glad my store isnt like that...at least my manager goes to Raley's once a week and stocks up on romaine, butterleaf, and green lettuce and carrots. And now they have a new rule if openers (morning petcare associates) do not give the animals veggies in the morning they will get written up!

[MCR_Rox]

Couldn't they sell the leftovers?

[babybunny]

In no way advocating or supporting the pet stores, however the Petco I got my Elvis from did have hay and fresh veggies available to them.

[Susan9608]

It really doesn't matter if a pet store provides vegetables or not, has good sized cages or not, gives hay or not, or puts vitamins in the water or not ...

If a pet store is SELLING living, sentient beings as merchandise then there is the problem. That fact is what makes pet stores so bad.