Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Navigation
Front Page
Forum
Gallery
Wiki

Ads by Google


Go Back   Hamster Central > Hamster Central Forum Topics > Hamster Chat

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-30-2007, 06:04 AM   #11
Holly
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
Holly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Leicester UK
Posts: 3,751
Default

I saw this thread yesterday (though I didn't watch the video) and, on the spur of the moment today, I went in to the Leicester branch of Pets At Home, just for nose around.

It was pretty empty, just a couple of other customers and me, so I lurked in the aisles watching and listening to the staff (I must have looked highly suspicious if they've got cameras but I don't think the staff noticed anything untoward!). The lady feeding the small animals seemed very knowledgeable - I listened as she talked to a man who was asking about hamsters - he said one of his children's hamsters had died and they were thinking about replacing it. He was pointing at the Syrian hamsters but talking about introducing a new one to a cage with several in together . The assisstant told him that Syrians can't be kept together and showed him the dwarf hammies (Campbells I think, though I'm no expert)...he recognised them (sigh of relief) but then said he thought the one that had died was being bullied - the assisstant said she certainly wouldn't recommend introducing a new one to an established colony anyway and certainly not if one of the originals had possibly been killed in there. The man then left.

I then asked her about the Syrian hamsters in the two tanks as my friend's son (mad on our hammies) has been told he's allowed to get one by his mum at the end of this week (though we are going to my lovely family owned pet shop to get him). They were awake (just been fed I think) and they all seemed very interested in me and not at all timid - the lady said they'd only come into the shop yesterday after being kept in quarantine for a month and that they seemed quite tame and very well handled compared to some of the hamsters they get - she said this not me. I watchd her (from a distance)handling the mice while she cleaned their tank and she seemed very competent and kind - she was talking soothingly to them.

I also asked about cages and the male assisstant said that lots of the cages they sell are only really suitable for dwarf hamsters - he pointed out the Ferplast Duna Fun (I think that was the name) to me as being a good size for a Syrian.

So, in conclusion, I had a fairly positive experience there - I felt that what I was being told matched what I know about hamsters and everything seemed clean and well run though the tanks were very small. Obviously I didn't see the back room and I only spoke to a couple of the staff who seemed knowledgeable enough - I can't comment on other P@H branches.

Oh and I fell in love with a beautiful and inquisitive little Golden Banded hammy ...had to tell myself firmly that we aren't having any more (yet!) and that we are going to a breeder next time - but it was very hard to walk away
Holly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2007, 06:20 AM   #12
SnuggleHam
Former Admin
 
SnuggleHam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2,590
Default

It is refreshing when you speak with an employee at a pet store that seems to know what they are talking about. But remember that is just one person. I wonder, how many other staff members are there that really don't give a crap about the animals and are just there for the check? And then even if the store provided a pleasing experience (which they want you to have so you'll come back!) that still doesn't change the fact the animals they have shipped in are in all likely hood from a large breeding facility that does not focus on bettering the species.

Ive never been to Pets At Home, the article was original about Petsmart, though I wouldn't be surprised if all the large chain stores worked similarly.

When I bred gerbils and was looking into a place to bring the pups when they would be ready, I went to a local pet store and ended up talking with a young woman who seemed to have a good amount of knowledge about gerbils. She knew they were communal among many other things, and each of the rodents cages were lined with carefresh. I felt so great about the place when I left, that a few weeks later I ended up giving them some of my gerbil pups when they were ready to be rehomed.

Then a week or two later on another visit I was at the same pet store. I was in the rodent room and looking at the hamsters when I noticed a over filled tank of dwarf campbells where there were half eaten bodies of other campbells in the cage for everyone to see! I confronted an employee that was there working at the time and their response was.. and I kid you not "Yeah, they do that sometimes"

So in short.. don't be fooled by the outward facade of one person at a store.. that really in my view doesn't automatically make them wonderful. Still I recommend that people adopt from a shelter or hamster rescue organization or go to a breeder. It would be better of these pet stores only sold supplies.
SnuggleHam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2007, 06:39 AM   #13
Holly
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
Holly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Leicester UK
Posts: 3,751
Default

That's terrible about your gerbils, Snuggleham, you must have been utterly horrified to think you had left your animals there. I suspect I was probably lucky with the staff I spoke to this morning - as I said I didn't see the back room and only spoke to two members of staff. I haven't actually been into that shop since it was Petsmart many years ago - I left, horrified, when I heard two young lads choosing which mouse they wanted to feed to their snake (after telling the staff what they were doing, of course) and haven't been back since.

I can't stop thinking about the little hammies in there this morning - wondering what will happen to them, if they'll get good homes. I know buying animals from these large chains isn't a good idea and that if nobody bought them they'd have to stop selling them but that doesn't help those that I saw this morning and nor does it stop me thinking about them

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnuggleHam
It would be better of these pet stores only sold supplies.
Absolutely - I wish they would. Then it would feel ok to shop there which would sometimes be useful.
Holly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2007, 06:51 AM   #14
SnuggleHam
Former Admin
 
SnuggleHam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2,590
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Holly
That's terrible about your gerbils, Snuggleham, you must have been utterly horrified to think you had left your animals there.
I feel horrible when I think back on it, almost sick to my stomach. If for any reason I need to find new homes for any of my rodents I will /never/ leave them at a pet store again! Its a huge regret that I still have an extreme amount of guilt over if I let myself think about it too much.

And that is horrible about the little mice.
SnuggleHam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2007, 08:12 AM   #15
racinghamster
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
racinghamster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Central Scotland
Posts: 13,415
Default

I keep hamsters, mice AND gerbils and I totally sympathise with the experience you had Snuggleham. Baby gerbils are just adorable and you thought you were handing them over to people who cared and knew what they were talking about. I think it`s safe to say that most (if not all) pet stores/shops are out to make a profit. Yes, they have to house, feed and care for the animals for sale, but I despair sometimes at the people who walk out the door with animals are even worthy of having them?

Can I say a few words also about mice here? I got panned on another forum for basically mentioning that breeders of `feeder` mice breed `willy nilly` and don`t much care about gassing pinkies for the reptile trade. (I must add that that`s all I said and I was`nt the original poster of the topic). Well I suddenly became enemy number one for loving mice and another member took offence because she WAS a breeder of feeder mice.

What i`m saying is, I can`t stomach what people do to these glorious wee pets because I think mice are just wonderful wee animals (like hammies) and can`t get my head around the reptile trade at all. I mean, I know they have to eat, but should`nt these snakes and lizards be left to live in their own tropical countries?
__________________
Get A Life, Get A Rodent!
racinghamster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2007, 08:30 AM   #16
SnuggleHam
Former Admin
 
SnuggleHam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2,590
Default

Odd.. what is a breeder of feeder mice doing on a forum for mice lovers? It sounds as though you weren't in the right mouse community if some of the members were only in it for profit. You probably would have been better off on a forum where that was strictly about keeping mice as pets.

I have mixed feeling about the market for reptiles. From what I understand many of them require specialized attention, and its not uncommon for many reptiles to have nutritional deficiencies because there just inst enough known about them. Also I'm pretty sure that captive reptile dont usually live as long as they would in the wild ( I could be wrong). I feel that if an animal cant be kept easily enough as pets, and if you cant easily breed them in captivity they should be left in the wild. Those are clear signs to me that they are not fit for the pet market. Only Zoo's should be able to keep such species.

However, these carnivorous reptiles do need to eat, and whatever region they come from their diet I'm sure includes whatever small rodents thrive in their parts of the world *shrugs* They need to eat. Its hard to justify not wanting them to eat mice but then finding it more acceptable to eat their mouse cousins from other countries in the wild.

I'm sure many people could argue that all the animals we domesticated should be left in the wild.. look at the bird trade for example. You could even argue that hamster would be better left in the wild after reading about all these wetail and diabetes problems and seeing the small spaces we make them live in *shrugs*
SnuggleHam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2007, 08:53 AM   #17
racinghamster
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
racinghamster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Central Scotland
Posts: 13,415
Default

Well your right about the `in captivity` thing Snuggleham and if this did`nt happen, we would`nt have our little furries as companions. So in that respect, I totally agree with you. Reptiles on the other hand are not what you might call a `cuddly` pet! But more of an `interest`?

Actually, the forum I belong to is a fancy rat forum and the subject about feeder mice was posted in the `Other Pets` section and I stupidly replied to it.

I am a member of a fancy mouse forum too but no breeders or purpose bred litters (or feeders) are allowed on there. This silly posting was actually fuelled by a member who breeds rats AND mice and I was oblivious to this until she actually butted in stating that I was so wrong etc, etc.... I just could`nt understand why someone would be so involved in the rat fancy, but kept mice to breed purely for the reptile trade? How could she justify being a `mouse lover`? It just confused the hell outa me I can tell you.

Anyway, I`ve moved this off topic so appologies for that. x
__________________
Get A Life, Get A Rodent!
racinghamster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2007, 08:58 AM   #18
SnuggleHam
Former Admin
 
SnuggleHam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2,590
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by racinghamster
I just could`nt understand why someone would be so involved in the rat fancy, but kept mice to breed purely for the reptile trade? How could she justify being a `mouse lover`? It just confused the hell outa me I can tell you.

Anyway, I`ve moved this off topic so appologies for that. x
I can understand your confusion.. I find the story about this person a bit perplexing myself lol. And no need to apologize, Its a thread about the welfare of animals in relation to the pet market
SnuggleHam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2007, 12:29 PM   #19
racinghamster
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
racinghamster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Central Scotland
Posts: 13,415
Default

Thanks for understanding. Actually, feeding mice to reptiles alive is illegal here in the UK, but I know it is`nt in the states. This is why these poor wee mice are constantly bred from and their wee ones taken from them and....well I won`t go on because we know the outcome already. It`s just something I don`t agree with although zoo reptiles are also fed dead rodents too, they are there to educate the public and for breeding programmes because of their status in the wild. I just think it`s a sad situation for the mice. x
__________________
Get A Life, Get A Rodent!
racinghamster is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
My ham stores all his food! badaztek01 Feeding/Nutrition 4 02-10-2009 05:59 AM
Attn USA: Please Don't Shop at PetSmart! loyal_tree Hamster Chat 1 01-22-2009 03:12 PM
Have P@H standards Really changed since the petsmart days? Matty Day Hamster Chat 8 01-27-2008 11:04 AM
me and my dad are protesting petsmart this weekend Hamster Chat 13 02-07-2007 06:43 PM
Chinese and Pet Stores jenmac_85 Chinese Hamster 13 03-26-2006 06:57 AM

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.43 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2022, Hobby Solutions
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:41 AM.