Pet Stores I sorry but I DISAGREE with most people on this site.

[arionat799]

Perfectly said Scintie!Beautiful WildCavy, just beautiful.

 

[CavyMama]

The truly sad cycle is: Breeding mill sells pigs to petstore ---> pig is bought making space for more pigs ---> store orders more pigs from breeding mill ---> breeding mill manufactures more pigs --->breeding mill sells to petstore...and the cycle continues.

The cycle stops when people stop buying pigs from stores. Then stores aren't paid --->breeding mills arent paid --->no pigs are created.

I too, would be willing to never have pigs again if it meant that pigs were no longer being created in breeding mills and sows weren't suffering at the hands of those breeding mills then destroyed when no longer useful to them.

I am satisfied, knowing that when I DO adopt pigs, the money I pay, goes toward the care of the other pigs in that rescue and also toward keeping open the space that takes in the pigs that are dumped after people make an impulse buy at the petstore before realizing how much work, time and money it takes to care for a guinea pig.

I am satisfied, knowing that the money I pay does NOT go toward paying the breeding mills to create more pigs when so many are already in need of homes. Sitting in shelters and rescues where eventually, the ones created by the breeding mills will end up.

 

[Senamian]

It's true though, I have seen (not on this site itself, but heard and seen ANYWHERE) about the "bad petstores boycot ths boycot that or else YOU ARE TERRIBLE" so I kind of get what you are getting it lol.

Also, some stores do get their pets willy nilly, so you just gotta be careful all my babies were from pet stores... one I bought, two the previous owner bought. I have no intentions of breeding, only loving! ^.^ However if we had an spca closer that had guineas I totally would have adopted because they would need homes more than a pet store pet, right?

Depends who works there too...not just where the pets are from... For instance, I promise that if I do get the job at this pet store, ALL animals will be cared for not just "puppies and kitties" which the only employee there, happens to do. She's made some animals sick and left dead ones in the customer's view! So it's not just the pet store, it's who works and who is paid and doesnt work...

 

[Guineapigpigs]

This is not something to argue about! True, some pet stores aren't the best in the world but not all of them are the worst things in the world. There is no reason to fight about this

 

[CavyMama]

@Guineapigpigs - if a petstore is supplied by breeding mills, I dont care how well they take care of the pigs in the store, they are contributing to the overpopulation problem.

 

[arionat799]

Fighting? Welcome to the kitchen Guineapigpigs!

 

[Senamian]

It's not really fighting, it's opinionating over something that is truly controversial... However, look into your pet stores so you know their background anyways... Where do they come from? a "breeder"? "wholesale retailers"? or an "owner"? Here, the pet store usually ends up with bunnies, rabbits, guinea pigs and some kittens from owners who come in and say "hey, I can't keep them will you take them?" and I know this because I had worked there for school, and that's usually what happened... Actuall most of the guineas are returns or "don't want/can't keep" situations...

However, yes wholesale retailers and breeders who choose quantity over quality are a big problem... But boycotting "all pet stores" makes very little difference, if you think about the chain stores - one store doesn't make the quota, they aren't even hurt... But, it would be easier to point out to people "why pet store bought giuneas" are not the greatest... Information, is better than nagging, yelling, accusing, snubbing, etc... (not directed at any of you, I don't know any of you ). I found, instead of saying "don't buy ___ at this store" I told them "Hey, I know two rescues that have them!" or "I have them if you'd rather adopted a guaranteed healthy one, with their health background right in front of you!" Or "I have noticed they are very sick in the store... I got mine from...." because the message gets across better, and encourages adopting.

For instance, my bf wants a gecko or holdable lizard.. His mom suggests the spca in the city, over one in the store. Because then it is cheaper - AND he would be giving a lizard a home, who needs it

 

[grace505]

I do think that everyone has a right to their own opinion and you have a right to express yours, just be aware that others are going to express theirs right back!

 

[arionat799]

Just to avoid confusion, I'm pretty sure that comment made by CavyMama was directed towards Senamian, not Guineapigpigs.

 

[CavyMama]

Just to avoid confusion, I'm pretty sure that comment made by CavyMama was directed towards Senamian, not Guineapigpigs.

Oh wow...yes yes! My mistake. The comment was to Senamian, not Guineapigpigs. Thank you for catching that, Arionat!

 

[Guineapigpigs]

Okay I thought all of this was about me. I probably made it a lot more comfusing

 

[Senamian]

lol. it still depends where the guineas come from... Like I said the one here takes in animals people "don't want" or "can't have" anymore. I personally am staying where I live because the other place won't allow me to have guinea pigs and I am not about to dump them off in some store, pound, road or person. lol I agree though, mill bred aren't the way to go. Except the 2 I adopted are mill bred... and came from a bad home that didn't care what food they gave them or bedding they used, or how often to clean.

Should see the dogs here. The "breeder" said the pups were chiwuawa (spelling off sorry) crossed with pomeranian. One looked like a toy chiwuawa, the other looked like a terrier mutt lol the suppliers here suck all around... mostly mills or wannabe breeders who don't know anything about what they breed.

 

[Clovers]

We are all aware that most guinea pigs found in rescues have come from pet stores but the reason we adopt is to not support the pet stores. If people stop trusting them, they will have to stop selling live animals and stick to the supplies and accessories. We want no guinea pigs (or any other animal) to be sold in pet stores but instead to be adopted or bred. We do not fully support the breeding as there are perfectly fine guinea pigs waiting to be adopted. But lots of people want baby guinea pigs and if the breeder is good and gives them all the play time and care they need, we are fine with it.
So what you have to understand is that as not all pet stores are bad, there are lots of ones that are. Ones that leave them in small cages and don't give them the proper care. Those make us want to stop all pet stores from selling live animals.

 

[CavyMama]

But lots of people want baby guinea pigs and if the breeder is good and gives them all the play time and care they need, we are fine with it.

We are most definitely NOT fine with breeding. There is no such thing as a "good" breeder because as you said in your own post, there are perfectly fine guinea pigs waiting to be adopted. Any breeder's purpose is to create MORE pigs when there are ones already in need of homes. This creates MORE of an overpopulation problem, not less.

 

[ILoveMillie]

CavyMama is 100% correct.

Also rescues sometimes have a lot of babies! My local small animal rescues took in 115 guinea pigs from a hoarding situation with probably more than of them half pregnant moms! Rescues do have baby guinea pigs so there is no reason to go to a breeder for babies. You're still supporting breeding and no responsible pet owner will breed their animal.

In my opinion babies are messy, crazy, squirmy, and have really sharp nails. Though they are adorable (really REALLY adorable!!), they aren't going to be as sweet and calm as an older guinea pig. I would rather adopt an older guinea pig than babies if you had the choice.

 

[mufasa]

Wow! I'm a newbie here, but I popped over to check out this thread since I bought Mufasa from a pet store without realizing I could have gotten a rescue, and it's quite intriguing.

I would never, ever, ever buy a cat or dog from a pet store. My cats were either directly rescued by me or from a shelter. More and more people are getting educated about those animals, but for some reason that isn't transferring over to other pets, like piggies.

The pet store I bought Mufasa from at least had an igloo for the piggies, but no hay and the enclosure was way too small. It was also open and placed at a level where kids can just reach right in and grab and squeeze the animals. I cringe at some of the "advice" they gave me; they couldn't even tell me if Mufasa was a boy or girl (he's a boy, but I suspect some people are going to go home with pregnant piggies since there were more than half a dozen together).

I think the problem goes beyond just selling to having uneducated people giving out advice. How many poor guinea pigs end up in tiny cages or eating the wrong things because people are given bad guidance? I had a piggy years ago, and I researched guinea pig care before I bought Mufasa because I wanted to be sure to treat him right. Even if pet stores got their pigs from good suppliers, they'd still be bad because people see them, think they're cute, and buy them on impulse with no research at all. Then they buy what the employee tells them they need, and half the time it's totally wrong.

Mufasa came with a seven day guarantee, and the employee said, "If anything's wrong with him, just bring him back and we'll have our vet look at him." I can't imagine them doing that for a $20 piggy. I'll bet it's really a one-way trip to the back room. I was attached to him within a day, and there was no way he was ever going back. He had a few little sniffles the first couple of days, and I was paranoid that he would get sick, but thankfully that seems to have passed.

Maybe it makes me a hypocrite, since I got my guinea pig at a store, but I promise I'll never make that mistake again. And as someone who's very interested in animal welfare and animal rights, I'd love to see the day when stores stopped selling any animals of any kind. It's happening slowly but surely for cats and dogs, so maybe that means guinea pigs and other pocket pets have some hope too. It's just going to be an uphill battle because so many people see them as "disposable."

 

[annie89]

I actually have a pet store in my area that offers pets that have been surrendered to them! I got my chinchilla from a breeder, before I knew about this pet store; but I got my baby Delilah from the local pet store. They only have at most 2 piggies per cage &each cage is large! They don't always have a steady stream of animals available, but then again animals aren't guaranteed to be surrendered all the time. I got my baby Delilah from them, she was held for a week and a half before I was able to pick her up because they didn't want to traumatize the piggies too much because the 2 of them were very young.

I have some regrets about my purchase though. For as good as the pet store is most of the time, they didn't have Oxbow pellets when I bought her! They did call me as soon as they got their shipment, though. The main thing that I felt horrible about was separating Delilah from her cage mage. I had NOT done much research and this was basically an impulse buy; I knew piggies lived longer than hammies and I wanted another buddy around. I had read that the guinea pigs are herd animals and enjoy company of other pigs. But I had assumed that she'd be fine because my baby Benjamin, I got him when he was 4 months old and he's been in his own cage for the past 3 years, he's so happy, he's very comfortable around me, we groom each other he sleeps in between my pillows if I let him out while I relax (room is completely chew proof and animal-safe), and he's usually out 3+ hours daily. I don't really have any other responsibilities; aside from work and school so I figured I'd get a piggie, and let her play when I let Ben out (seperated if they didn't get along), and she'd be fine with just me and/or me and Ben. The people at the pet store should have urged me to buy both piggies. Delilah is finally calm but it has taken her a month to not jump any time my hand moves. She's wheeking like crazy now every time she sees me move because she thinks she's either getting scritches, run time, or a fresh supply of hay!

It took a painstakingly slow time to get her to allow me to give her scritches outside of the cage. She now gives me kisses on my nose and fingers and lets me groom her.. she runs everywhere and popcorns around if I let her do laps around my bed. I tried calling the pet store about 3 days after I got Delilah, read about 3 books and a TON of stuff on the internet, but it was already sold and I was scared to get a bigger guinea pig to put in the cage, because she was SO tiny (the size of a hamster!). For the time being I have her housed alone; I may introduce a cage mate whenever she gets a bit bigger so that they'd be the same size (I'd adopt the next time around).

I just wish that this pet store would have told me what it says in bold letters every cavy website I visit -- GET 2 PIGGIES! But, the thing is, I also blame myself. I went in without doing weeks of research like I did for Benjamin. I am now learning thanks to this website, 3 books I've read and tons of other sites like this. And I will try the rest of her life to make up for any mistakes I made when I got her. The thing is, if you go to a pet store, you have to also take charge of your own life and choices. Just because you THINK pet stores are awesome, NEVER EVER rely on their opinion or products. Always remember that its your responsibility to take care of your pet to the best of your ability, never use a pet store as an excuse and never blindly defend petstores saying "they're good!!" that's your OPINION not a fact and you should never base anything to do with taking care of your pet on opinion.

 

[CavyMama]

Maybe it makes me a hypocrite, since I got my guinea pig at a store, but I promise I'll never make that mistake again. And as someone who's very interested in animal welfare and animal rights, I'd love to see the day when stores stopped selling any animals of any kind. It's happening slowly but surely for cats and dogs, so maybe that means guinea pigs and other pocket pets have some hope too. It's just going to be an uphill battle because so many people see them as "disposable."

No, you aren't a hypocrite. Many people here, before they found this site, had bought their pigs from a store. The difference is, once they learned about the horrible conditions of breeding mills and why buying from a store was so bad, they changed their behavior and adopted from rescues and shelters from then on. Just like you have promised to do.

As for the day stores stop selling living critters, it's not likely to happen right away but if we continue to boycott them and continue educating others on why pet stores are a bad idea, there may come a day when pet stores no longer fund breeding mills and breeding mills go out of business.

 

[weston]

Err I hate to get into this but did want to say we just got our pig from Petsmart yesterday. The gal that helped us knew about each one of their personalities and who liked to be held more and which one would be best for us. We went for a fish but young eyes looked at the hamsters but the smart gal working their informed us all about the breeds they had and let us know they would not be friendly loving pets. She suggested a pig. I had them as a kid and loved ours so I said yes. The cages were clean with full food anbd clean bedding and water. Some were one to a cage and ours was in the largest and had two. They were all snuggled up in their beds. She really helped me choose the right cage (which was the hugest so the pig had room to play) and gave me all the begginer information aboud treats, food, hay and bedding. So as for the care of ours I believe he was treated well. But that said I also agree with buying from a mill of anysort. bad bad bad. I never thought of a pig mill.

 

[mufasa]

The gal was "smart" in steering you to a more expensive animal and more expensive accessories. I'll wager the pet store cage doesn't meet the minimum standards here, and I hope the information on treats was basically that you should never buy any from a store because fresh veggies and fruit are the only truly healthy piggy snacks. Pet stores care about one thing: the bottom line. That doesn't mean there aren't some that treat their animals well, and many have caring employees, but it all still traces back to the miserable breeding mills that plug in new pigs every time one is sold.

Please don't take this as an attack on you. I was in your shoes not so long ago, buying a pet store piggy and loading up on treats, a cage, etc. because I had no clue. 15 days later he was dead from a URI he'd had when I bought him. I hope for your family's sake that your outcome is happier than mine, and I urge you to consider adoption if you decide to get your piggy a friend. For me, that was the only good thing to come out of my pet store experience. I luckily found this website right after I got Mufasa, so I knew to adopt after he died. I now have two adorable, healthy piggies, one from a humane society and the other from Craigslist. They don't replace Mufasa, but I tried to honor his memory by saving two more lives, and I love them dearly.