65 replies to this topic

[Lillias]

They do vary. Where I am, Petsmart is one of the better ones. There's still the dreaded Oxbow, but the hamsters aren't overcrowded (the tanks aren't big, but it is temporary). I've never seen any noticeably sick, injured, fighting, or dead rodents. They need to update their care recommendations and product selection, but the rodent section isn't a scene from Lord of the Flies. And I always look at the rodents. I can't vouch for the fish or other departments because I don't usually check them out.

 

There are basic laws governing large animal mills (these include regular inspections), and major pet shop companies want animals from clean facilities. It doesn't do them any good if the "product" dies in the store, or if a child develops an infection after being bit by a recently purchased hamster (that's not going to go down well for the store, regardless of how many disclaimers they make you sign). Obviously, we'd like to see improved regulation, and some mills slip "under the net" for a time; but severe cruelty is not profitable. They need to deliver "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed" animals, so that the large pet shop companies keep a contract with them.

[The Hamster Queen]

A large hamster cage, with an open top, at my local Pet Shop, although it was huge, the cage only had these things in it: 1 water bottle, one food bowl full of lab blocks, 2 hides, less then an inch of pine bedding, and 2 wire wheels. Worst of all, there were multiple mother Syrian hamsters, with their two week old babies, some the babies were on the wire wheels. Two week old hamster SHOULD NOT be eating just lab block! The store was selling the babies separably. I can't imagine a two week old baby hamster in a tiny critter trail, without it's mother or siblings, and in the care of some 5 year old.

[lil BIG dwarf]

My petsmart is better when I went a few days ago. The cages are still to small, and the wheels are mostly wire, but they feed mazuri breeder pellets, and each hamster gets a chew? better than before. What bothers me is they say Syrians are solitary, then you look up and see 2 syrians in cage. :(

[dancinghammy447]

My petsmart is better when I went a few days ago. The cages are still to small, and the wheels are mostly wire, but they feed mazuri breeder pellets, and each hamster gets a chew? better than before. What bothers me is they say Syrians are solitary, then you look up and see 2 syrians in cage. :(

The syrians are likely still young enough that it's okay.

[lil BIG dwarf]

I know, but theyre contradicting theyre words. A young kid may be like I want to, its ok, seee"! and a employee may think its fine. I have seen that happen. They got pine bedding and a critter trail... (that was before I knew to educate them)

[~Mintyhams47~]

I am lucky that I have not seen many bad pets stores. But it made me feel so sad watching this cute little dwarf hybrid is her super tiny cage trying to burrow in AN INCH of bedding. She was trying so hard to dig. 

[ILoveAnimals732]

I work at a petstore. I regularly am the one who cleans small animal cages every week. We do box them in our to go boxes in order to clean the cages. Mice,Rats, Guinea pigs, and hamsters are left in the box for no longer than 30 minutes. Boxes are NOT overcrowded. 2 rats in a box each, using 3 large boxes mice, robos are 2 to a box and Syrian are 1 to a box. There is no point in setting up cages in the backroom for them. It makes cleaning take longer and also adds more tanks to clean out. So trust me when I say this is not the worst you have seen in a pet store. It is actually great animal care. The worst I have seen is some idiot breed hamsters and wanted rid of them. He asked to surrender them to us to adopt them out. Unfortunately we weren't sure if we could accommodate so many hamsters. Told the guy to hand them over to an animal shelter. Well we caught him on camera coming back into the store with and hoodie (before covid19 so masks were suspicious) and he had a tool box that he kicked into the store and ran. Opening the box and there were 8 baby hamsters and pregnant mom hamster all in a mason jar with no air holes. Sadly one of the babies suffocated in the jar. We set them up in the back and the next day mom gave birth to 10 babies. So we had 17 hamsters to rehome. I took home,who was, the runt of the litter. Her name is Minnie mouse and she grew to be way larger than her siblings. We did finally find good homes for 16 of the hamsters (mama got adopted as well and like I said I took the runt) after 6 months. This is what a horrible pet store experience is. We couldn't even charge the guy with animal abuse because the coward ran and kicking the tool box through the door. I hate that he won't see justice.

[dancinghammy447]

I work at a petstore. I regularly am the one who cleans small animal cages every week. We do box them in our to go boxes in order to clean the cages. Mice,Rats, Guinea pigs, and hamsters are left in the box for no longer than 30 minutes. Boxes are NOT overcrowded. 2 rats in a box each, using 3 large boxes mice, robos are 2 to a box and Syrian are 1 to a box. There is no point in setting up cages in the backroom for them. It makes cleaning take longer and also adds more tanks to clean out. So trust me when I say this is not the worst you have seen in a pet store. It is actually great animal care. The worst I have seen is some idiot breed hamsters and wanted rid of them. He asked to surrender them to us to adopt them out. Unfortunately we weren't sure if we could accommodate so many hamsters. Told the guy to hand them over to an animal shelter. Well we caught him on camera coming back into the store with and hoodie (before covid19 so masks were suspicious) and he had a tool box that he kicked into the store and ran. Opening the box and there were 8 baby hamsters and pregnant mom hamster all in a mason jar with no air holes. Sadly one of the babies suffocated in the jar. We set them up in the back and the next day mom gave birth to 10 babies. So we had 17 hamsters to rehome. I took home,who was, the runt of the litter. Her name is Minnie mouse and she grew to be way larger than her siblings. We did finally find good homes for 16 of the hamsters (mama got adopted as well and like I said I took the runt) after 6 months. This is what a horrible pet store experience is. We couldn't even charge the guy with animal abuse because the coward ran and kicking the tool box through the door. I hate that he won't see justice.

Exactly. I agree with this so much.

[MrCheesy]

One time at my local pet store i saw 10 SYRIANS all looking around 8 weeks old in a cage no bigger than 200 sq inches, sawdust bedding, only pellet food and 1 wire 6 inch wheel, one bottle of water and it was really dirty

[lil BIG dwarf]

MY PETSMART IS AWESOME! We got 225 sq inch cages (meh) mazuri for food, 12 inch silent spinners, 6 inches of carefresh... I love it

[lilhams~uwu]

 

 

Definitely a meh cage, but at least it's temporary!

It's also amazing that they got more bedding, bigger and better wheels, and a good lab block!

(although i'd be even better with another mix, it is petsmart, haha.) 

I'd wish more pet stores were like this.

Edited by lilhams~uwu, 27 July 2020 - 02:13 AM.

[lil BIG dwarf]

MY PETSMART IS AWESOME! We got 225 sq inch cages (meh) mazuri for food, 12 inch silent spinners, 6 inches of carefresh... I love it

 

Definitely a meh cage, but at least it's temporary!

It's also amazing that they got more bedding, bigger and better wheels, and a good lab block!

(although i'd be even better with another mix, it is petsmart, haha.) 

I'd wish more pet stores were like this.

 

Went back today. Some hamsters have mesh wheels and a syrian has a 4 inch

Now they feed oxbow (powdered?) AND Mazuri. They also had a lone gineau pig.

[Hammie Nuggets]

I haven’t seen many bad things at pet shops near me thankfully, but I once did see something pretty bad. There was a lone guinea pig in a like a maybe 300 sq enclosure? It couldn’t move around because the cage was so small and it had like some typ of Brown mush for food. That’s the worst I’ve seen, hopefully it got adopted into a good home.

[~V1]

I once went into a store to look for stuff for hidey, and saw a really really sad looking lone chinchila in a tiny cage (300 in^2) 2 small platforms, no water in her water bottle, not very good looking food and a tablespoon of sand, i really really wanted to adopt her at least the store was cold and very quiet. I was sure it's illegal to trade chinchillas. I feel so bad for it. oh, and they sold 3 inch wheels!!    

[lil BIG dwarf]

I once went into a store to look for stuff for hidey, and saw a really really sad looking lone chinchila in a tiny cage (300 in^2) 2 small platforms, no water in her water bottle, not very good looking food and a tablespoon of sand, i really really wanted to adopt her at least the store was cold and very quiet. I was sure it's illegal to trade chinchillas. I feel so bad for it. oh, and they sold 3 inch wheels!!    

 

I once went into a store to look for stuff for hidey, and saw a really really sad looking lone chinchila in a tiny cage (300 in^2) 2 small platforms, no water in her water bottle, not very good looking food and a tablespoon of sand, i really really wanted to adopt her at least the store was cold and very quiet. I was sure it's illegal to trade chinchillas. I feel so bad for it. oh, and they sold 3 inch wheels!!    

 

If its illeagal, report it somewhere. I once saw a 1 inch wheel