On Behalf of some of the GOOD petshops.

[CaviesRDABest]

Well, really, one that I live near.
It has been recently taken over, and the previous owners didn't sell animals.
This petshop sells everything- literally. They have the most massive Cages, seriously. they had about 2 x 3 for 2 guinea pigs, only (okay I know that breaches minimum requirements on here, but come on, it's a whole load better than some pet shops I could mension!), They sell vetbeds, all differant types of feed, hay, and bedding. They sell all differant types of housing, bowls, littertrays. They have earwipes, eyewipes, shampoos, cage cleaners. they have treats. They have squashed the aisles together so their is wide enough room for people to move around the cages without knocking them over. There is soooo much more than that, which I cannot add because my fingers are hurting, but I do think that their are better pet shops out ther than you give credit for.

I do agree, by the way, that there are about 1,000,000 times more bad pet-shops, though, and this I cannot abide. But my local, really do care for their animals!

Love
Tania
x

[CaviesRDABest]

Oh And i don't think I made it clear, they sell 2x4 cages in their as well! (but for a high-price so I think it is better to stick to making your own!)

[VoodooJoint]

it doesn't matter if the GPs live in a veggie filled paradise in that pet shop. Here are the bigger problems you are overlooking.

-where do the GPs come from? Probably breeders with filthy living conditions and ill cared for animals.

-the GPs are going to be sold to anyone with money to buy. They will be treated a objects. Many will go into inadequate homes.

-are the GPs seperated by sex? If not how many people will be buying a pregnant GP.

-the purposful breeding that takes place to supply the pet shop adds to the overpopulation problem and takes homes from GPs sitting in rescues and shelters.

[daftscotslass]

My local pet shop cares for animals. They made a decision not to sell them any more. They sell all the things I can't get anywhere else, like Carefresh. Anything they don't stock that is obtainable, they will order in. They stick a sign in their window that says: "The following animals are available from the local SSPCA...."

THAT is my kind of pet shop, and the one I try to support.

[Slap Maxwell]

All pet shops that sell animals are bad. Period.

[happie gurl]

Well, not to argue or anything..but where do you think that the gps from sheters come from? Probalby the same places the petstore ones do, exept someone bought them from a petstore and didn't want them, so gave to a shelter.
Sorry, but thats pretty mush what I think of when you guys say this stuff.....correct me if I'm wrong..

[VoodooJoint]

Sigh...I'm tired of explaining this but here goes.

Person #1 buys from a petshop...the petshop makes money and orders 5 more GPs from the breeder to replace the one sold. The person gets bored with the GP and dumps it at a shelter.

Person #2 wants a GP. They can buy from a pet shop...giving the petshop more money or they can adopt the GP at the shelter...the petshop gets no money.

Do you see how this works? By adopting we are discouraging the petshops from getting in more animals from breeders because they aren't selling as many.

The breeders will end up breeding less because they have no buyers. Less GPs are subjected to lives in horrible housing, bad food and having litter after litter until dead.

[RubyPiggie2]

Voodoo, we need to make something like that a freaking sticky. We're always explaining it to someone. XD jk...

[VoodooJoint]

Way ahead of you Ruby...I will be writing something and stickifying it soon.

[widallas]

After reading these forums for awhile, I've got to say you make such a good point. The best petstores are those that spend their energy, time and retail space on selling good pet products. If you have animals for sale on site, then the care and upkeep those animals receive is maintenance -- keeping them alive and healthy enough to sell -- not quality care. It doesn't matter where they get the animals from, if they are sold FOR A PROFIT, then money is at the root of the matter, not the welfare of the animal. I adopted two pigs from a rescue for less money than I would have spent at Petsmart, and I'm happy knowing that the 'profits' went into taking care of other animals and not towards gross monthly sales.

[carrotflavour]

Originally Posted by voodoojoint

-where do the GPs come from? Probably breeders with filthy living conditions and ill cared for animals.

can I just add that not all breeders treat their animals badly. I know 2 small breeders (I know their daughters) and they treat their animals well.

[carrotflavour]

Just to add that I'm against the sale of GPs in petstores. I'm just saying the pigs arent always ill-treated.

[CavySpirit]

Just to add that I'm against the sale of GPs in petstores. I'm just saying the pigs arent always ill-treated.

I think the point needs to be continuously made that no one is saying they are -always- ill-treated. I think that is one of the standard misconceptions people have about why pet stores are a problem. Sure it sucks when there are the crappy pet stores that don't care or have no clue, but good or bad store, that is just the tip of iceburg--and it's one big honkin' iceburg!

[carrotflavour]

Aye, but to is say that they're 'Probably breeders with filthy living conditions and ill cared for animals.' is generalising breeders a bit too harshly.

[VoodooJoint]

Any breeder that would sell their animals to a pet shop is an irresponsible breeder. It doesn't matter if they take good care of their animals or not. They ultimatly do not care what happens to the animals they create.

[John4216]

Breeding is dangerous for ALL animals so anyone that breeds animals for a profit knowingly puts the life of the animal at risk. Look at how many women and children died in childbirth before modern medicine hit....Breeding is breeding no matter what spin is put on it and I have yet to see any breeder that has a logical reason for breeding beyond profits. It would be like me forcing my wife to stay pregnant and give birth repeatedly so I could sell the children. Only difference is that the human part offends people so it is illegal where as the pet part does not as much. A responsible pet owner has their pet fixed (or ensures they can not get pregnant). Gee, Bob Barker has been preaching this message for many many years on the Price is Right show and logically it makes sense.If someone could show me a logical reason for breeding beyond profit then I would change my stance but so far I haven't seen one.

[cavy-cool-crazy]

I bought both my pigs from pet shops. I was 14 when I got Charlie, and now, being 16, I've grown up a lot and realised that if I were to try adding a cavy to my mini-herd (2 pigs), to adopt from a rescue.

I'm very ashamed to admit that I was very poorly educated on caring for guineas before I got Charlie in 2003...I relied on my Mum to teach me everything she knew. I was agoraphobic at the time, but I just about managed the trip to the pet shop and saw this gorgeous scruffy piggy in a large hutch/covered run (about 3 ft by 3 ft in size) and thats how I got Charlie.

If people start "having a go" at me for buying from pet shops, please bear (sp?) in mind that I volunteer at a local rescue and do all the cleaning out jobs on a weekly basis (I'm the longest serving member of the volunteer team), AND I'm fostering guineas who desparately need some intensive one-to-one training for a month. My goal is to start my own guinea pig holiday boarding home one day, and perhaps even expand into a rescue.

I think that little lot shows how much I've learnt over the last few years.

PS. I'm totally against the breeding of any animal, especially cavies.