NOW do you see where I'm coming from?

[Cherish]

So, my cousin (lovely as she is) has never really understood why I'm so adamant about not buying animals from pet shops. I've explained my reasons for it over and over again, but she always just thinks I'm over-reacting.

Anyway, after falling in love with my guinea pigs, she decided to get a pair of her own... from a pet shop. I offered to take her to a shelter, and even look through her local classifieds with her, but no, she wanted to go to a pet shop and pick out a pair of cute little babies from the dozens they had there.

Well, she'd had them just over a week before my husband and I popped round to see her two 'girls'... and one is a boy. I mean obviously a boy. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell with young ones, but this little guy couldn't be more obviously male if he grew a beard and started drinking Fosters Brew.

So, now the female guinea pig is very likely pregnant (which is extremely dangerous, because she's still a baby herself) and I've got an extremely unhappy new edition to my herd sat wheeking for his girlfriend in the quarantine cage.

Sometimes having your point made for you isn't really all that satisfying.

Oh, well, at least the experience has left my cousin vowing to never trust a pet shop again.

Anyone have any similar experiences?

[Wheek Weak]

Isn't it so sad that people have to learn the hard way. Unfortunately, at the expense of the innocent little creatures that we try to protect.

Our Ruby was a pet store "throw-away" when we rescued her. She was pregnant with our darling little TeeJay. The people who had bought her, and then didn't want her anymore, didn't even have her long enough to know she was pregnant.

Our neighbors (also our landlords) bought a guinea pig at a pet store. Naturally, knowing that we had pigs, they asked us many, many questions about them, which we answered very frankly. We also trimmed his nails for them. They still choose to ignore us and not give Rodney the hay, food, or medical treatment that he needs.

Also, in spite of our advice...they went out and bought another pig at a pet store. The first time they brought him to us for a nail trim, we told them that he had a URI (we knew the symptoms from our own experience). We told them to take him to a vet, which (surprisingly) they did. Unfortunately, they went to the so-called exotics expert in this area. We've been to this vet. He knows NOTHING about guinea pigs or rats.

Long story short...he gave them drops to put in Max's eyes for the crustiness. That's it! We tried to tell them that he was way off base, but they wouldn't listen. He was "Dr. God" because he was a vet. We gave them the card and phone number for our vet, but the case was closed. They were not about to spend any more money on him.

Max died a month after that.

Unfortunately, there are far too many stories about people learning the truth about pet stores after the fact (in spite of being warned before-hand).

Still, we keep trying to inform and educate anyone who will listen.

[ms pixie riot]

but this little guy couldn't be more obviously male if he grew a beard and started drinking Fosters Brew.

I know it's a serious situation, but this line really made me giggle.

[dra&pigs]

Yeah me to, Pixie. But honestly...after all of the stories and testimonials of stories like these, I'm amazed some people believe that pet store guinea pigs are actually the way to go. *sighs*

[nonamian_girl]

I don't understand why people don't take help when it's offered to them. Kind of like my sister's friend's guinea pig, who is likely going to die from impaction despite us teaching the owners about proper nutrition, housing and how to clean him out.

At least you know that you've done your best. I was really proud of my sister (she's 11) for how much she has learned from me. She showed her friend how to clean out the impaction and told the parents about how serious this condition is. And she told me that she told them to throw out their salt lick "because it will give him kidney stones." Apparently they really do listen!

[banjosnotbombs]

Sigh, I know what you all mean. It's so upsetting.
I had a friend who bought two dwarf hamsters, came over to my house asking for care advice. She didn't even have a cage, or food or anything. Considering I grew up with her, and had tons of supplies, I gave her everything she needed, including all of the care advice and sources, none of which she used.
Her cat ended up knocking down her cage, really harming one, and killing her other hamster. Her family laughed at me when I told her the hamster needed to see the vet. I advised her not to get another one, because dwarf hamsters shouldn't live together.
What did she do? She went out and bought another hamster, which was a male. Had about 10 babies, most of which her cat ate. Blamed it on me, because I helped her sex him. Even though I told her they can't live together.
It made me so angry, I told her everything that she needed to do, I even came over and helped sex the pups. She kept asking for help and advice, and not taking any of it. She got greedy with it too, practically asked me to buy her cages and supplies for all of the hamsters.
I was so dissapointed in her. I can't even talk to her anymore. I know I let her walk all over me with it, but I just felt so sad for her hamsters, and tried to forget about how irresponsible she was being, hoping maybe she'll learn something.
I ended up adopting her budgies, because I felt terrible for them. They were tormented by her cat, barely ever fed, and she would smoke drugs in the room they lived in. One of the budgies passed away. Frey still doesn't completely trust anyone, but is not stressed out at all, and has a much better home.
Later on she told me she wanted guinea pigs. I kind of lost it on her.
Sorry, I kind of ended up venting there.. .