Is petsmart trying to kill their cavies?

[DocDolittle]

Just look at a few of these advertisements, and you'll see what I mean:
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Multivitamins are DANGEROUS to a pig's health, correct? Vitamin C is the only supplement you should give them, right?
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Too small
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Way too small
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WAY WAY too small. And note the excercise wheel in the back of the cage. Not good for their backs. No floor room, either. Take note that this is in their guinea pig section, not just small animals section.
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This isn't even bedding, it just looks like you ripped open a cheap stuffed animal and stuck it's inside in.
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Pine bedding? Enough said.
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Once again, bad for a cavy's spine. Go ahead and look at the rest if you want.
If you want to know why I typed this up, there is a point. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? They pride themselves on being expert pet owners, and they supply pig owners with toxic bedding, small cages, dangerous toys, and health supplements that are supposed to help, but will only do harm! I would love to have a word with these people. I know that saying this will do nothing, and I am simply venting, but seriously, couldn't the company persidents educate their employees and themselves just a bit more. I bought my first beloved pig from petsmart, not doing enough research obviously. I knew that they needed special food, fresh water, timothy hay, and vegetables, but that was all I knew. I was ignorant about it. And obviously, petsmart does nothing to educate the average joe or jane who decides to purchase a pet from them. They guaranteed me that there were only girls in their cage, so I obviously believed them and thought Cocoa was a gril. Wrongo. Later that week, I brought home a young female guinea pig from a family friend's pet store, and Cocoa went insane, he was mounting her and acting unbelievable, so I took him to our friend's oet store, and they guaranteed us that he was in fact a boy. We returned the girl and bought a new boy, and they got along until the younger pig went through sexual maturity and began fighting with Cocoa. I was forced to separate them into different cages. Pebbles, my other guinea pig, passed away a little more than a month ago, and I have to thank you all for keeping me so informed. After Pebble's passing, I am planning on buying another male(I tried to adopt, but my parents did not want to drive and hour and a half to two hours for a pig) from my family friend's store, where they breed their own, and keep the pigs until sold. They keep them in superb conditions and, as uncanny as it may seem, they themselves keep their guinea pigs in C&C cages also. They advise against buying commercially made cages, and if the customers have to, they tell them where to buy the largest possible commercially cages advertised. They have even promoted C&C cages to some of their customers when they come in commenting on how their guinea pig has barely enough room to walk about in their cage. I am buying another boar from their store, and I am in the process of making myself a C&C cage. I just have to say, thanks for helping to educate me so much! And that was just me venting, sorry if you actually read it all.

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

They're trying to make money by selling stuff. You think they care? They give their money to pet mills.

 

[DocDolittle]

And you think I don't realize that? I'm not that ignorant. As I have said through my entire post, I was just venting.

 

[TinaFabulous]

cages are too small no matter which petstore you chose to pick on, and all of them offer bedding and multivits. and the colorful bedding is ment for hamsters, i used to have one. Mmm ya so dont just pick on petsmart, petco is worse in my opinion although they are now stocking oxbow products but thats about the best i can think of to say about that place. THey had a feed mix in the guinea pigs cages that had sunflowerseeds!!!

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

I just skimmed your post. I agree with you. You can complain to them, but the best thing to do it stay out of their stores or try to correct their bad info by giving them proper care sheets. They may or may not listen.

And you think I don't realize that? I'm not that ignorant. As I have said through my entire post, I was just venting.

 

[DocDolittle]

Oh and also, directed to rabbitsncavyluv, I'm sorry if my post seemed like it was in a rude manner, I didn't read it over until now. And also, I've never stepped foot in a petco, there are none near us, so I wouldn't know how bad they are.

 

[TinaFabulous]

they arnt horrible, theyve made some serious improvements, but I still cant stand it there... The pigs are in the same size light up display cases as the hamsters/mice/gerbils/snakes/other reptiles... Its a really said size.

What I mean by improvements is that last year they had on display level (about 11in by 2 ft) split in half for the pigs on one side and the boys on another, ususally about 3 on each side. They only offered small cages and all that junk cheap guinea pig feed. Now they have two displays deticated to guinea pigs (each the same size but undivided, one for the s and one for the boys) they seem to have a max of three or 4 too a cage (they have one in the s cage right now, and 3 in the boys) they offer oxbow products and have larger cages avaible. Ive also knowticed that they are improving in cage management and also keeping waterbottle levels up, we had to talk to them when there was a hamster and the cage was out of water compleatly, and the litter was soiled, non of that happens much anymore. I think it has alot to do with the complants and protests they are getting, see
(broken link removed) there are some aweful pics of animals on other sites, just search petco on like google or something...

 

[DocDolittle]

Well, it seems that your petsmart is making large improvements then! Good. But I still have a grudge against petsmart. They don't sex their pigs when they get them, so, and this is justifiable from my experience, they still keep opposite sexes together. I just wish they could be a bit more educated, you know? And our pet store doesn't sell oxbow hay, so I'm stuck with Kaytee.

 

[RubyPiggie2]

I steer clear from all petstores, unless it is absolutley necessary. Like, I didn't know my feed store carried all the supplies till about a month ago. Um, I do buy water bottles rfom petsmart, but that's only because my feed store is SO OVERPRICED. For a 16 oz it's almost 6 bucks! Nuts. Otherwise, I would just like to stay away from every pet store. I might go against Petco in the summer, with signs and such like I have seen on the internet, such as Pet-NO or Petco is the place where Pets go... To die. I've seen a lot of peopler do this, I cheer them on.

 

[CaliGirl]

You also have to consider that the petstores aren't the ones who invented thoes items, petstores are just selling it for profit(sp?), which is just as bad really. You should be mad at the ignorent people who sit at a desk all day trying to think of new items to sell without even considering the health and well-being of the guinea pig. Just my thoughts...

 

[RubyPiggie2]

Oh yes... everybody here should sign the petition, because we all are(or should be, or sort of) against pet chain stores such as Petsmart of Petco. TinaFabulous posted the link, I just signed the petition, it's at the end of the website, and I think if most of us sign it it would help!

 

[DocDolittle]

I just checked that site, and I am absolutely disgusted. You are correct, Tina, Petsmart is not half as bad as Petco... I think I'm speechless...

 

[mncavylover]

They're making money, all of them. Animals aren't live, they're merchandise.

 

[DocDolittle]

Yes, I realize that, and I have for a while, but I never realized what a monstrosity Petco was. It's a good thing I had never shooped there, because I would probably feeling guilty.

 

[Rosina]

I think most of the people are just way under educate when it comes to small animals. A lot of parents would get their kids small caged animal and think that they are easier to take care and never care about the well being of the pet. I think we should speak up more and let people know what is good for the piggy and what's not.

 

[TinaFabulous]

Its mass breeding when there are already a ton of guinea pigs needing homes... And then theres the starvation and the freezing of the sick animals... And the fact that they are simply treated as merchandise and not a living breathing thing. I try my hardest to buy from a locally run petstore, who cares for their animals, they hold them and keep them clean and in a good envorment, from local breeders or people who ly had baby animals, the people really love animals, as opposed to the petco people who just need to make some mone, my local petstore is really great, sad thing is though they just stoped stocking cavy cousine becaue they wernt selling well enough... And I to buy from petco, Ive been searching online, but thing is pet supply sites rip you off with the shipping.

I think anywhere selling mass amounts of live animals should be avoided... They make profit out of anyone who goes there just to buy a bag of feed, a bone, or just a pigloo. So really you ARE supporting the chain of breeding just from giving your money to petco, petsmart, or wherever no matter what you are purchasing... Keep that in mind... Breeding alone might not seem so bad, but the thing is they arnt treated humainly at all for the most part from the start of their lives.

 

[TinaFabulous]

I totally am with you there Rosanna

 

[leeannm81]

What site do we go to, to sign the petition?

 

[TinaFabulous]

there are loads of them, I will post the links tomorrow morning, for now i need to snooze
nite!
Tina

 

[Rosina]

Maybe it is a better idea to educate people what is good for piggy and what not to buy, then to stop the store from selling some bad product. I am not against signing a petition at all, but maybe there are other ways to change the products pet stores sell then just signing a petition and expect they care.

If people know about what to get and what not to get, there would be more demand for good product then bad product. When demand goes down, the pet store will not make much product for bad product, and eventually they would not stock the bad products anymore.