GRR! Petco employee giving FALSE information about guinea pig care!!

**lmarieaa** · #1 10-25-08, 04:42 pm

I walked home the other night rather than taking the subway home after going to one of my favorite pet supply stores (that dosent sell any animals) in the area. On the way home i noticed a Petco that i didnt even knew existed in the area. Right in the front window was the animal dispays and i noticed a petco employee discussing something with a couple at the guinea pig "tank". Out of my curiousity to know what kind of junk he was saying about guinea pigs i walked in the ease drop on the conversation.

Apparently the couple was just looking at the hamsters and the employee mentioned that they also had some guinea pigs. The lady asked the petco employee "what are they?". The petco employee responded "They are like big hamsters." "Oh, so does that mean it would need a bigger cage than a normal hamster cage?" The Petco employee responded: "Oh no, a regular HAMSTER cage is just fine for these guys, and all they need are some pellets, and your good to go." He even told them guinea pigs never get sick and when they do they dont need to go to a vet because they will get over illnesses on their own because thats how they do it in the wild. (um, guinea pigs dont exist in the wild..)

The couple walked off to go look at the hamster cages. I couldent let this happen. This would haunt me forever if i didnt do something. So i casually approached them and asked, "Oh your going to get a hamster, huh?" They responded "oh no, a guinea pig! they are so cute!" and i said "Why are you looking at hamster cages then?" they responded "they said a hamster cage is big enough..." I said "OH, no no no no no no....NO!" and proceded to explain TRUTHFUL information about guinea pigs. I told them that they need to do their research on their animal, and when they get one, i reccommended a good rescue in the area and told them exactly why not to go to a petstore. I even reccommended this website for good FACTUAL guinea pig care.

At the end of all of this, the couple left the store WITHOUT a pig, without anything actually. They thanked me for my advice and information. It seemed as though they just didnt know about these kinds of things, and now that they know they will be responsible pet owners. At least, i hope they will.

As for the "small animals expert" there working at petco. I am absolutely horrified that he gives this kind of FALSE information to people. It scares me that there are some guinea pigs suffering in homes because of his ridiculous information. And it was obvious that they sell plenty of pigs there because they had 12 of them that day. I filed a complaint against the "small animals expert" employee and then i called the animal cruelty sector that deals with petstores and advised them of the employee giving ridiculously false information about the animals being sold.

I hope i saved at lease one pigs life doing this.

**auburnmare5** · #2 10-25-08, 04:49 pm

But does this honestly surprise you that they give false info? That is a big part of the reason so many people on here don't support petstores. I am also very glad you told them about this site.

Also, I wanted to let you know, I do believe piggers do live in the wild. I am not sure if they still do, but I am almost positive they did at one point.

**lmarieaa** · #3 10-25-08, 04:53 pm

I guess it doesnt surprise me that they give bad information, however, its a little extreme to advise people to put a guinea pig in a hamster cage. Their hamster cages aren't even big enough for a hamster much less a guinea pig!

**Ly&Pigs** · #4 10-25-08, 05:20 pm

Wild guinea pigs still exist in the Andes Mountains and in Peru.

**5guinea5pig5** · #5 10-25-08, 05:39 pm

I'm not surprised. Petco really doesn't care for animals

**dra&pigs** · #6 10-25-08, 06:15 pm

Petco cares about making money, not animals. A real small animals expert would be much more expensive to hire than your average Joe, who could pick up a few petstore-quality information tips before starting his job...so why hire the real one? And wild cavies do still exist, like Ly&Pigs said, in the Andes Mountains and Peru, however they are different than the ones we have as pets.

**auburnmare5** · #7 10-25-08, 06:26 pm

To Petco, (Actually I don't think it is fair to blame it all on Petco...IT IS EVERY PETSTORE THAT SELLS ANIMALS!) they just see animals as a profit, not as an animal with feelings and needs that need to be taken care of. It honestly sickens me!

**SNAKE CHARMER** · #8 10-27-08, 05:23 pm

Big chain petshops were never good with hardly any of there animals for example a friend of mine just got his new sand-boa and had gone to petco for some pinkies and the guy in the reptile department told him that they eat minos and insects this ofcourse was untrue luckily I'd already given him advise and he had done other research like all people should. Not all pet stores are bad I go to one that is extremely knowlegdable on reptiles along with birds,fish,and small mammals and they won't sell any animal to someone not willing to learn I've also heard of some other good pet stores.

**AnimalHouse36** · #9 10-27-08, 05:44 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNAKE CHARMER

Big chain petshops were never good with hardly any of there animals for example a friend of mine just got his new sand-boa and had gone to petco for some pinkies and the guy in the reptile department told him that they eat minos and insects this ofcourse was untrue luckily I'd already given him advise and he had done other research like all people should. Not all pet stores are bad I go to one that is extremely knowlegdable on reptiles along with birds,fish,and small mammals and they won't sell any animal to someone not willing to learn I've also heard of some other good pet stores.

Do they sell animals? Do they buy from breeders? DO they screen their buyers and do checkups? Do they have contracts they make people sign? If not, they aren't a good petstore. The only good petstores are one who don't sell animals.

**SNAKE CHARMER** · #10 10-27-08, 06:06 pm

They breed most of there animals but they do have two reliable companies that they occasionaly buy from or they also take in rescues. They do not use contracts a piece of paper means nothing they ask for phone numbers and encourage the buyer to call them if they have any questions and I go down there every saturday and 90% of the people that bought from them come back because of the great deals on animals,supplies,and feeders. Now lets not start an argument just concide and relize that there are good pet stores out there.

**SNAKE CHARMER** · #11 10-27-08, 06:10 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnimalHouse36

and do checkups? Do they have .

Anyone with a sick animal no matter were they bought it from can get a free check-up and if it is unhealthy they will tell you what to do for a home treatment,recomend a vet,or heal the animal themselves then when its healed they give it back to the owner and give info on husbandry if necessary.

**AnimalHouse36** · #12 10-27-08, 06:43 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNAKE CHARMER

Anyone with a sick animal no matter were they bought it from can get a free check-up and if it is unhealthy they will tell you what to do for a home treatment,recomend a vet,or heal the animal themselves then when its healed they give it back to the owner and give info on husbandry if necessary.

I wasn't talking about that kind f check up. But I should have included the other ones. I was talking about home check-ups to see if the animals has a good home.

Quote:

They breed most of there animals

Which adds to over population and endargers the life of the pregnant female.

Quote:

they also take in rescues.

Which they turn around and sell for a profit.

Quote:

They do not use contracts a piece of paper means nothing

This is not true. The decleration of independance? Was that written on a rock? No on paper. Besides that, rescues have contracts saying they can't breed, they can't sell, they can't abandon, and if they need to rehome they have to bring it back to the shelter. If they don't they receive penalties.

Quote:

Now lets not start an argument just concide and relize that there are good pet stores out there.

You didn't convince me. All this only adds to my certainty that the only kind of petstore is the kind withOUT animals.

**SNAKE CHARMER** · #13 10-27-08, 06:51 pm

Some people bring in pictures of there set-ups or sometimes an employee will go see a set-up. I'm pretty sure I answered them did you see my other post?

**AnimalHouse36** · #14 10-27-08, 06:56 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNAKE CHARMER

Some people bring in pictures of there set-ups or sometimes an employee will go see a set-up. I'm pretty sure I answered them did you see my other post?

You didn't see my edit.

**Ly&Pigs** · #15 10-27-08, 07:13 pm

Quote:

Now lets not start an argument just concide and relize that there are good pet stores out there.

The ONLY good petstores are the ones that do NOT sell animals period. I will argue that point all day long.

**SNAKE CHARMER** · #16 10-27-08, 07:59 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnimalHouse36

You didn't see my edit.

Oh sorry about that. They take all precautions to insure the health of both the parent and offspring. Yes they do resale some of the rescues after there healed or severely sick one are kept. I would rather them breed healthy animals than importing them. I respect your opionions that you don't like pet stores but in return respect my view aswell I like the pet store they care for there animals don't bother trying to change my mind now lets get back on topic.

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