Pet shops

apache

I was wondering what opinion people have of pet shops was? I've learned a good bit on this forum and wondering was it ok for them to sell small animals etc do people think? Their cages are too small for a start. People talked before about overbreeding and there's probably a few more reasons not to buy from a petshop. I bought off Petstop today. I usually buy my food and hay and cleaning supplies in a pet shop but is there an argument for boycotting them?

pinktoe

It depends on the pet shop. I think the chains have bad quality small animals but some small independent stores have good quality pets. It's seems rats in some of the chains we're probably bred in the same place that kills and freezes snake food. Rats seem dumb as hell from the chains compared to the last guy we had who was pretty damn smart and lasted nearly 3 years. Hamsters are the same story.

Reptiles, Tarantulas and scorpions etc and are so incredibly overpriced in the chains compared to independent shops or Facebook groups.

Even in the past I thought I was doing something wrong with our fish they lasted so short, but went to both of the small aquarium shops and the fish are fine there.

I don't know anything about rabbits or dejus etc as I never owned them.

There is a certain pet shop in Carlow with very cool and rare pets at times. The owner and staff are very interested in these and same story with a local independent shop near me, just he has less of the rare finds. The chains don't seem to care about anything only profits

VonVix

There are some pet shops out there that make everyone look bad, and there are some that put animal care first. It's really problematic when people lump all pet shops as one entity with the same approach towards selling animals. People also often forget it's not the staff's fault for what they sell or where they get their animals from, it's the higher ups that often control that.

People should take a bigger interest in where an animal is sourced from (whether it's a dog or a hamster), but sadly too many people don't think about this.

If you have an issue with something, vote with your wallet and speak up about it, and by speak up I don't mean have a go, but educate.

I went and visited a large chain pet shop a number of months ago, I was speaking with a staff member and was not happy with the information I was given and I asked to speak with their manager, I wasn't aggressive, but I made it clear that this was simply not acceptable to sell an animal in the condition he was in and the information I was being given was very harmful to that animal's care and makes them look bad. They were trying to sell an animal that was clearly dying to anyone who has any interest in reptiles. I don't know if anything has changed since then, but I just hope I planted a seed in their heads that will make them be more aware of the needs of the animals in their care.

Rubberchikken

Years ago we bought a rabbit for our child (me:) and because he was in a cage with a guinea pig, and we couldn't leave him on his own, we got the pair of them. They lived a long and hopefully happy life in a cosy hitch with access to outside whenever they wanted and we used to bring them inside weekly to give our guinea pig his vitamin c drops.

It was a small independent pet shop in the next town.
Having said that I'd never buy a pet from any shop ever again. I think the years have made me realize a lot of things.

We do buy our pet food online from petstop and equipet and find them great for the food/delivery etc.

bertiebomber

I really believe the way we treat animals has to change in the long term look at Covid we abuse them far too much and this is the result. Everyone really needs to ask themselves what it means to them to have the privilege of a connection with animals and how much more we can do to live in harmony with nature and treat her with respect. I love animals i leave out food for birds foxes ferel cats whatever might be hungry & cold i wish everyone was the same.

boomerang

I never purchase anything from pet shops that sell animals. I've yet to see a situation where the animals were being bred ethically for the purpose. Many times, the animals are not in good health. And the ignorance of some pet shop staff charged with selling these animals is shocking. I had one staff member tell me I was anthropomorphising when I pointed out that one dwarf hamster needed a vet for euthanasia as it had got caught in the wall-mounted, metal holder for the water bottle and had its leg cut off.

Bear in mind also that the point of selling the animals is to get the customer to buy all the accoutrements that go with them. In many pet shops, that means selling cages or enclosures that are way too small or otherwise inappropriate.

VonVix

boomerang wrote: »

I never purchase anything from pet shops that sell animals. I've yet to see a situation where the animals were being bred ethically for the purpose. Many times, the animals are not in good health. And the ignorance of some pet shop staff charged with selling these animals is shocking. I had one staff member tell me I was anthropomorphising when I pointed out that one dwarf hamster needed a vet for euthanasia as it had got caught in the wall-mounted, metal holder for the water bottle and had its leg cut off.

Bear in mind also that the point of selling the animals is to get the customer to buy all the accoutrements that go with them. In many pet shops, that means selling cages or enclosures that are way too small or otherwise inappropriate.

There's one dedicated pet shop in Dublin that only sell appropriate habitats for all the animals in their care (no goldfish bowls, hamster cages are strictly a minimum of 80x50, and so on), customers are quizzed before an animal is sold and must provide proof of their setup if they are interested in any animal in the shop. Sale refusals are regular and they will not use rodent mills, this only exists because the owner/management is extremely passionate about animal welfare and will not compromise.

I've come across another petshop down in the countryside that are striving to do the same thing.

There is hope. If only other pet shops would take the baby steps in the right direction.

Sandor Clegane

I think getting animals off these large chain pet stores is a bad idea for a few reasons, pet shops no next to nothing about animal welfare/husbandry, they sell things like guinea pigs, rabbits, mice, hamsters etc but have hardly no appropriate supplies for any of these animals...housing, nutrition and stimulation are all sub par for these animals.

These animals are also more than likely poorly bred and have bad genetics which leave them open to a host of issues.

apache

There is a place in Blanchardstown that boards them. It is called 'The Rabbit rooms'. I haven't used them myself but will use them in the future as they sound like they know what they are doing.

Also there's a place I think in Lucan.

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schauf

Thanks that’s great we can shop around then, there is an exotic pet vet in Bray too that does boarding.

apache

A new Pet Depot opened in my area recently. They opened right beside a Maxi Zoo. You would think it wouldn't be good business sense.

Knine

apache wrote: »

A new Pet Depot opened in my area recently. They opened right beside a Maxi Zoo. You would think it wouldn't be good business sense.

Especially as there is another one 20 minutes drive away

Graces7

apache wrote: »

A new Pet Depot opened in my area recently. They opened right beside a Maxi Zoo. You would think it wouldn't be good business sense.

Maybe they are aiming to capitalise on the covid "boom" in keeping critters with folk working from home?

I realise that I have never in a long life ever been in a pet shop.