Is Oxbow really that great?

[gooberific]

Why was this thread bumped up again? It's a little bit aggravating when this happens, and recently, it has happened more often than I have ever seen it happen before on here. I get emails of new posts, and I think it's a pretty recent thread, which they usually are. Then, I come on, look at the date, and it was from last summer. I don't know how to get these emails into a sepearte folder either, so they end up coming in with everything else.

I get emails, too. I use gmail, and use a label for all my GPC stuff to go into a "folder"... which I largely ignore. But it's there if I need it. So uh, yeah, if you use gmail, there's a link there somewhere to learn about labels.

[sophistacavy]

I actually enjoy getting the emails, I'll just have to look harder to see if/how I can create another folder. I use Windows Mail. Thanks for the advice though!

[IluvePiggies]

Thank you all, this is the type of discussion i was hoping for. I'm not saying stop using Oxbow. It's a good product, why make your piggies suffer? I just wanted to point out that boycotting petstores by not buying their product and then ordering the exact same product online is getting you nowhere, but helping to stock the shelves of your local petstore anyway.

As for the critical care posts. You can't buy it at petsmart anyway. Even the oxbow site says it can only be sold through veterinarians or by prescription from a veterinarian. Although someone sent me a link today to buy guinea pig supplies that did sell the critical care, and that makes me wonder about that site enough to not purchase anything from them. But critical care is another discussion and you've missed the point of this particular topic at hand.

What I'm talking about is helping to actually reform petstores. Not buying their product from their shelves and going to the manufacturer directly obviously does no good. Again it would be the same as buying a guinea pig straight from a mill and not a petstore. Is Oxbow anywhere near a animal mill, no way. Just an example.

What I'm asking all of you wonderful cavy lovers to do is to stop being so harsh and judgemental of others buying high quality guinea pig products from a petstore. Instead take the time to help educate the general public about where the live pets being sold in that store are coming from. In reality the general public is never going to not shop at petsmart. The want a product now and they want it cheap. It's human nature in general. Petsmart is quick and cheap. But you can, if only one person at a time, educate the public not to purchase live animals from petstores. They will listen to you there. Everyone loves to "save" something. They honestly think that they are "saving" those pets in the petstore. They either refuse to really hear where those pets are coming from or they just don't know. But if you explain how getting a pet from a rescue or a shelter that they are then truely saving a pet, they will hear that.

One of the reasons that petstores keep pets in those horrible conditions is it appeals to the nature of a person and makes them want to save that pet. It increases impulse buys and profits the store. Of course that's just one of many reasons.

What I want to point out is if a large amount of people stopped buying just the live animals from petstores that the petstore would see that in their pocket and respond. If they saw that they were loosing money on the live pets, but still making a profit on products. They would change their marketing and strategies to sell product more than live pets. They would then have to allow the rescues to adopt out, much like they do with dogs and cats.


I'm not saying anything negative about someone who shops for products at petsmart. Even if you think you are saving a pet by buying it there I just would like the opprotunity to try and educate you. I understand in reality petstores will never close. So I'm trying to get people to think about what will and won't work in getting them to change.

Thank you! I buy from petstores and I've seen the videos but ordering online is so expensive!

[IluvePiggies]

Cangy, I think you need to think about adopting from a rescue and I've heard that you can leave comments with the petsmart/petco employee. And you should probably tell them that you don't like them selling live animals. But tell them that there are small Animal rescues in their state usually(Just look it up on petfinder)have a lot of small pets. I mean, Petsmart or Petco doesn't sell live dogs or cats(Well, Petco does)they have rescues come in. Why can't they do the same thing for Guinea Pigs? Cangy, I think you need to look through the kitchen and read a little bit on petsmart and petco...maybe watch the video that shows the mill that Petsmart buys small animals from. The man purposly steps on a Hamster and then they drown animals that are getting sold to petsmart and petco. What do you think about it now?

[Cagney]

Cangy, I think you need to think about adopting from a rescue and I've heard that you can leave comments with the petsmart/petco employee. And you should probably tell them that you don't like them selling live animals. But tell them that there are small Animal rescues in their state usually(Just look it up on petfinder)have a lot of small pets. I mean, Petsmart or Petco doesn't sell live dogs or cats(Well, Petco does)they have rescues come in. Why can't they do the same thing for Guinea Pigs? Cangy, I think you need to look through the kitchen and read a little bit on petsmart and petco...maybe watch the video that shows the mill that Petsmart buys small animals from. The man purposly steps on a Hamster and then they drown animals that are getting sold to petsmart and petco. What do you think about it now?

Hi Iluvepiggies,

If you would take the time to look at what you were reading you would have noticed this thread is a old thread. So before you offer advice on what I need to and should be doing you might want to look at that. I do not and will not purchase my pets, any of them, from a petstore. Never said I did. So thanks for the tip, but that's already under control. I have been a member on here for awhile now and have spent plenty of time reading and looking through the kitchen. So again, thanks, but under control.

I do not shop at petsmart at all anymore for food or anything. I found a previously unknown feed store in my area and now purchase the mazuri 25lb bag of pellets for the pigs and food for my dogs from them. Some of the reasons for this are because of this site, mostly though I never liked petsmart at all. This site just helped motivate me more to find other places to purchase feed.

If it might interest you any I now run a very small scale pig rescue in my area. I work with my local humane society and have placed around 10 piggies so far in the last 7 months into new homes that are educated on proper cavy care. The males are neutered before leaving me and I send all of them out the door with a premade C&C cage, unless the new adopter wishes to make their own. Currently I only have my 3 permanent females and no rescues. I am sure this will change once school lets out and the classroom pets are needing homes.

There are many good things that come from this site, which is why I still lurk from time to time. I am sorry to bump this thread up again, since it is so old. I just felt since I was specifically addressed I should respond. I appreciate your concern, but I wish you would have taken the time to look better at my posts and not make assumptions. I have never purchased from a petstore and never said I did. If you got that from my posts you missed the point entirely. I am currently doing what I think is best by educating one person at a time in my area and so far I feel good about what I have accomplished. As for what I think about things now, I was incorrect in some of my earlier posts and still believe other points I made. I may not be in full agreement with some on here, but I do what I think is right and have made a difference in my area. What I think is some on here need to fully read someone's post and if they are unsure about what is being said they need to ask for clarification. Especially since I am pro rescue for any animal no matter what and always have been. Thank you for your concern.

I wouldnt' even bother with leaving comments with a petstore employee. Many aren't even aware of the name of the pet they are selling let alone what to do with a comment. There are no known guinea pig rescues in my area by the way. Myself and possibly one other person are it. I do what I can afford to do and am satisfied with that. I am aware of petfinder as well. I have been a member on there since it first launched many years ago doing dog and cat rescues, this year I have adopted out over 25 plus dogs and 10 cats. It is just recently I have included cavy rescues to my petfinder page and have been rather successful. Most people want to save or rescue their pet and petfinder is a great way for them to conncet with rescues. Again thanks for the tips but I am fully aware of the rescue operations in my area and often refer others to them every chance I get.

[Ly&Pigs]

I am going to close this thread. It doesn't serve a purpose anymore.