What's in your pet store animal?

[psmadden]

I will say, there is a pet store near me who house both male and female pigs together, and they have like 15 of them in a huge tub looking thing and they should not be allowed to sell the animals. Places like petsmart are only allowed same sex animals to aviod in store breeding or accidental breeding. As far as mites, lice and URI, those animals must show up with those ailments prior to coming into the stores. It is sad that so many people really dont care enough when they work in petstores and its those people who give pet stores a bad reputation. If more pet store owners cared, maybe the animals would not be so sick ect.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Not at all. You keep missing the point.

It doesn't matter how nice the employees or owners may be. I'm sure many are nice. The breeders and pet millers may be "nice" as well. The store may be clean and the animals "may" appear healthy.

They are still making money by selling and breeding animals in poor conditions. Do you know about puppy mills? Google it. Same industry.

Meanwhile the same animals are getting killed in shelters because they are unwanted, dumped in parks, etc. If the owners and employees were really "nice" , they wouldn't be supporting a disgusting trade.

If the animals had such ailments before they get to the store (whether or not they are exposed to it in the store), then why is the pet store supporting a pet mill/ breeder with sick animals?

[salana]

The difference is that the rescued pigs are treated before you get them. They're treated for mites and lice, they're put on pregnancy watch, they go to the vet, and if they have any chronic conditions, you know up front.

[Alice]

I was at a pet store last week and before they sell the piggies they check them and the first ones ear was bleeding, the second the lady got out had a lump and the third had mites so i'm guessing they all probabally had mites or something else wrong with them.

I do own a piggy from a pet store and nothing appears to be wrong with him and i've had him for nearly two years but if I get any more piggies I would go to a rescue.

[xxlizzybordenxx]

I have to be honest here i bought my guinea pig from a pet store. My family and I owned guinea pigs when i was a child and they were givin to me by other families who had guinea pigs. Those pigs were very healthy and i had no problems. When i bought the newest edition to my family i was un-informed about the mistreatment of small animals due to the breeding conditions. I was aware about the puppy mills and such but when i saw the pigs in the petstore they looked healthy so i bought one. (stupid me!)

It has been over a year since i had her and i had no problems until about a week ago. She has mites and i feel terrible about it! i took her to the vet yesterday and had her treated.

Thanks to this forum i feel so much more informed about cavies and how to make them happy, and also how many cavies out there need good homes.

I will never purchase a guinea pig again from a pet store.

And in response to the post above this, of course some guinea pig rescues have health issues but so do the pigs in pet stores. By buying the ones in pet stores we are supporting a greater evil. By rescuing ones from a shelter we are helping pigs that one day could be euthanized.

When my pig is all better and mite free i will be adopting her a friend!

Thank u all for all the information it has made for a much happier pig and a much more aware owner

[ptbruiser]

I am new here, and YES, I bought my two piggies from pet stores. They both looked very healthy, and still are. I didn't do any research and did not find this site until after I got Henrietta and Gizmo.

Since then, I have rescued three piggies (and found this site). I lost Hamilton. He was an older male (about 5 or 6 according to the previous owner) and he suffered from impaction. When I got him, I noticed that his behind was funny, and so were bowel movements. I did everything I could but the vet said that there wasn't much I could do.

So, I did not have them together. I kept "Hammy" by himself in a play pen during the day and his cage at night. He was so sweet. He loved to be held and petted. He passed away in my arms about a week after I got him. We all miss him a lot. But I still have the other two girls that I rescued, and I will not be buying any from stores again now that I know more about them.

I got lucky that my "pet store babies" were healthy, but I also feel bad about the babies out there that the owners are not taking proper care of them and they wind up like my Hamilton did. I have notified my local Humane Society that if they get anyone with Guinea Pigs to call me. I am going to start up a rescue here in my area.

I do have a lot to learn, but I know that this is the place to be.

[yo FOO xD]

This is just another reason to adopt instead of shop. I have ten rescued Piggies that haven't had any sicknesses except for my tri-color Abysinnian, Roxy, who has brain damage from abuse.

Please go rescue a Piggy in need!

[bobismyturtle]

I totally 100% support rescue. However, if you live in a small remote town such as I do,there is no other option. Our pet store sells maybe 10 guinea pigs a year at most. Most of which go to kids in 4-H. They do not get them from mills. They are bred only for people who ask for a guinea pig. They are given a handout about guinea pigs before they take home a pig. Not all pet stores are bad. It just depends on your situation. Not all breeders are bad either. I got my first bird there. He is the best pet I have ever owned. The breeder still stays in contact with me,and still to this day gives me advice. That is just my opinion. I dont think people should speak so badly if they havent reviewed EVERYONES situations.

[Peggysu]

You don't 100% support rescues if you bought a bird and guinea pig from a store where there are animals who are purposely breed for profit.

If you have a petstore near you then you have homeless guinea pigs.

[Jennicat]

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

I totally 100% support rescue. However, if you live in a small remote town such as I do,there is no other option. Our pet store sells maybe 10 guinea pigs a year at most. Most of which go to kids in 4-H. They do not get them from mills. They are bred only for people who ask for a guinea pig. They are given a handout about guinea pigs before they take home a pig. Not all pet stores are bad. It just depends on your situation. Not all breeders are bad either. I got my first bird there. He is the best pet I have ever owned. The breeder still stays in contact with me,and still to this day gives me advice. That is just my opinion. I dont think people should speak so badly if they havent reviewed EVERYONES situations.

I don't want to be rude, but I'll be blunt. People make this argument all the time. The last time it was made, I found 3 rescues and dozens of Craigslist ads within an hour of the person.

[bobismyturtle]

Im not going to argue with it.I know my situation and I thought I would post my thoughts. Im not willing to drive an hour either. Its kinda hard when I dont have a car. And I didnt get my bird from a driver.I got it from a breeder. I checked craigslist.I would have to drive 2 hours. Thats not an option.

[bobismyturtle]

Sorry,Im not sure how to edit.I accidentally put I didnt get my bird from a driver.I mean I didnt get my bird from a pet store. I had driving on the brain.

[meghannmariexx]

I bought mine from a petstore before I knew about all these horrible things. I wish we could stop Puppy mills and other animal mills, because its just bad. I just want to take all of the animals in the pet store and get them all fixed, so I can rescue them, but then they just get more and more in.

[bobismyturtle]

Not all pet stores are like that.Some dont get theirs from mills. Some dont immediately replace them.

[Paula]

If this is true:

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

Im not willing to drive an hour either ... I would have to drive 2 hours. Thats not an option.

Then this is NOT true:

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

I totally 100% support rescue.

You can't support rescue at all if you are willing to and have purchased animals from a pet store. If you aren't willing to travel to acquire rescues, but would rather go to the pet store that's convenient, you are not supporting rescue at all, much less 100%.

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

However, if you live in a small remote town such as I do,there is no other option.

There are always other options if you are willing to seek them out.

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

Most of which go to kids in 4-H. They do not get them from mills.

4-H supports breeding. It's a cycle.

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

They are bred only for people who ask for a guinea pig.

Are you really saying that someone comes in to this pet store of yours and asks for a guinea pig, and then someone breeds two pigs and creates an entire litter? What happens to the other pigs that weren't "asked" for? Please.

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

They are given a handout about guinea pigs before they take home a pig.

With what information, exactly?

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

Not all pet stores are bad. It just depends on your situation.

If they sell animals for profit, or sell them to promote the sales of other, higher profit items, they are bad.

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

Not all breeders are bad either. I got my first bird there. He is the best pet I have ever owned. The breeder still stays in contact with me,and still to this day gives me advice. That is just my opinion. I dont think people should speak so badly if they havent reviewed EVERYONES situations.

Breeders are creating lives to sell for money. Meanwhile, countless others (many of which came from those very breeders) die or face the possibility of death because they aren't wanted. There is certainly nothing GOOD about that.

Originally Posted by bobismyturtle

Not all pet stores are like that.Some dont get theirs from mills. Some dont immediately replace them.

But one way or another, they ALL get them from breeders and that is the problem. And that they don't "immediately" replace them makes them no better. They still replace them, and that means they still view and treat them as merchandise and not as the sentient beings that they are.