# Dear irresponsible pet stores... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 15, 2005, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355 "2005-06-15T08:48:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![boofuu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@boofuu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofuu)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/21 "2005-06-17T03:04:51Z")
> [@chatelaine](#): > > A-fucking-men and thank you to every single one of you for those posts. > > And I hope the piggie is doing well, boofuu. They really are the greatest little guys, especially when they learn to associate the sound of the fridge opening or paper crinkling with food and start their their happy popcorn dance accompanied with their trademark “Wheeeek!” Guinea pigs own, man. > > For anyone who cares or would like to do a bit of something that helps – PeTA used to have a program that rewarded good pet stores with recognition and motivated them to provide better care. I used to do this a few years ago, and it was as simple as downloading the forms from their site and visiting your local shop. After walking through and checking off the good/bad things you saw, you talked with the manager a bit about what could be done to improve life for the creatures. I did it with a local place that was just filthy, really horrible, and the manager cleaned up a lot of things considerably. He is already a smartie. All I have to do is bring the baby bottle in his peripheral vision and he starts wheeking like crazy. My other guinea has the shrillest call I have ever heard. I can set time by her calls, she is so accurate. I had never heard of that program; I will definitely look into it. I like to be active in at least letting the stores know that someone is watching. **RunAmok** , you and your aunt rock. I am not that old but I remember places like that when I was a kid. I just can’t seem to find them anymore. I would love love love to be able to run a place like that. But in the face of the PetSmarts and PetsPluses and Walmarts, you could never get people to buy them. The people shopping there already know the deal; you would only be preaching to the choir. Y’all are great! I don’t know ya, but I love ya! ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/22 "2005-06-17T07:45:39Z")
Personally, I could never stand those little pig rodents. Smelly, squeeky, freaky looking things. That said, as a living thing, they should be treated with some sort of respect. Have you taken your vet bills (and the friend who brought you the animal) to the ASPCA and reported the matter? Nothing better then sending the ASPCA after a nasty store like that. ---
**Author:** ![boofuu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@boofuu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofuu)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/23 "2005-06-17T11:22:43Z")
> [@boofuu](#): > > An extremely sick and malnourished guinea pig was brought to me yesterday by a friend. He was in store that he frequents often. A worker gave him this guinea pig and said if anyone would take it, it would be him. And if the animal died, he could, you know just feed it to his guinea pig. Doh! I meant they said to feed it to his pet snake. Offering it to his guinea pig is just gross. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/24 "2005-06-17T12:45:01Z")
> [@chatelaine](#): > > A-fucking-men and thank you to every single one of you for those posts. > > And I hope the piggie is doing well, boofuu. They really are the greatest little guys, especially when they learn to associate the sound of the fridge opening or paper crinkling with food and start their their happy popcorn dance accompanied with their trademark “Wheeeek!” Guinea pigs own, man. When I had guinea pigs, we left the door of the guinea pig cage open and put an open dog cage door right up against it, so that they had lots of space to run around in. We also made little houses for them out of plastic containers- they loved those things. At one point, we bought them an excercise wheel- they used it as a headrest. :rolleyes: They learned to recognize the sound of the garage door, and run to the end of the dogcage nearest the fridge, where they would then proceed to chew on the bars of their metal cage- a sound which, they knew, would send the humans running for food to make them stop because it was so annoying. I miss my pigs. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/25 "2005-06-17T12:53:38Z")
> [@boofuu](#): > > Doh! I meant they said to feed it to his pet snake. Offering it to his guinea pig is just gross. So he was going to feed a diseased animal to his snake? I don’t know much about snakes, never having owned one, but that doesn’t sound like a smart idea… ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/26 "2005-06-17T13:12:55Z")
> [@monica](#): > > At one point, we bought them an excercise wheel- they used it as a headrest. :rolleyes: When I was a kid, we had hamsters in those multi-level [rotastak](http://www.armitages.co.uk/rotastak4.htm) cages. They had a sleeping bit at the top, full of cotton wool type bedding, a middle level for general sitting around and doing hamstery things, and an exercise wheel at the bottom. So the hamsters would go up to the top, get the cotton wool, drag it down two sets of ladders, jam it in the axle of the exercise wheel, and go to sleep in the newly-immobile wheel. Ingenious, yet simultaneusly quite, quite stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/27 "2005-06-17T13:20:10Z")
I hear ya. I have 3 rats and there is a PetCetera near me that I refuse to get a rat from, because they are inadequately cared for. Granted, they have large areas to live in, but they are kept in glass aquariums instead of cages (poor ventilation), have large open bowls of food and water (which easily get contaminated), and are bedded with pine or cedar chips, the oils of which are toxic to rats and can cause liver and respiratory problems. Any time I’ve seen their rats, they are never bright-eyed and active like rats should be, but lethargic and sick-looking. They take quite good care of their fish and birds from what I can see, but decent care should extend to all animals. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/28 "2005-06-17T13:20:40Z")
> [@Dead Badger](#): > > When I was a kid, we had hamsters in those multi-level [rotastak](http://www.armitages.co.uk/rotastak4.htm) cages. They had a sleeping bit at the top, full of cotton wool type bedding, a middle level for general sitting around and doing hamstery things, and an exercise wheel at the bottom. So the hamsters would go up to the top, get the cotton wool, drag it down two sets of ladders, jam it in the axle of the exercise wheel, and go to sleep in the newly-immobile wheel. Ingenious, yet simultaneusly quite, quite stupid. Hey, maybe the squeaking wheel racket kept them up at night. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/29 "2005-06-17T13:23:26Z")
**AFG** , have you ever mentioned to the PetCetera clerks that the bedding they’re using is harmful? It could be that the people whose job it is to take care of the rats simply don’t know why cedar and pine bedding is a bad idea. If it’s simply ignorance, a friendly approach might get them to change. It’s worth a shot, anyway. Of course, if you’ve already tried and been rebuffed, then, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/30 "2005-06-17T13:39:07Z")
I’ve been a tropical fish enthusiast for many years. I’ve been appalled many times by the way many pet stores prioritize making a buck over the health of their animals and the expectations of the consumer. It seems to be the chain stores that are the worst offenders. When I lived in Manhattan, the two chain pet stores in my neighborhood on the Upper East Side had very poor conditions for their fish. It’s not uncommon to walk into one of these stores and see one or two fish with ick, fungal diseases or Og-knows-what swimming around in tanks with dozens of healthy fish. Come back the next day, and you’ll see belly-up fish floating in tanks while the rest of the inhabitants of the tank just sit there waiting to get infected or die from the ammonia released by decomposing tank mates. And the way many of these stores sell fish is terrible as well. I don’t blame anyone for wanting to make a buck, but it’s important to manage the expectations of the consumer appropriately. I’ve seen pet store associates sell fish that never should be placed in the same tank together to the same consumer. I’ve seen them give improper instruction regarding acclimating fish, incorrect feeding recommendations and incorrect information about the amount of space a fish will require. Chain stores routinely sell Red Tail Catfish to beginning aquarists, conveniently forgetting to convey the fact that the fish will simply grow and grow and grow from its initial 2-3" size to something the size of a small child within just a few years. So the beginning aquarist has a choice - keep buying increasingly larger tanks, give the fish back to the store or do something amazingly stupid like toss it in a local lake. OTOH, independent shops tend to do a lot better job. There’s a great one I go to in New Jersey from time to time, and they have massive tanks with utterly huge Red Tail Catfish in them. They have a sign that says something to the effect of “See this fish? It was 2” long five years ago." The enthusiasts who are passionate enough about the hobby to open their own independent store tend to be more educated about the fish they sell and more willing to share whatever information they have. Only rarely do you find that in chain pet stores. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/31 "2005-06-17T19:22:01Z")
> [@monica](#): > > When I had guinea pigs, we left the door of the guinea pig cage open and put an open dog cage door right up against it, so that they had lots of space to run around in. We also made little houses for them out of plastic containers- they loved those things. At one point, we bought them an excercise wheel- they used it as a headrest. :rolleyes: They learned to recognize the sound of the garage door, and run to the end of the dogcage nearest the fridge, where they would then proceed to chew on the bars of their metal cage- a sound which, they knew, would send the humans running for food to make them stop because it was so annoying. I miss my pigs. Ours had an enormous… uh… thingum that my girlfriend built for them, too. Did you use Pigloos for yours? We had like three of the damn things, and of course they’d all crawl into one and snuffle and struggle around until they were all piled on top of each other. And then they’d sleep. :rolleyes: But the cutest thing ever had to be feeding time – the sides of their house were made of verticle shelving [the kind you put in closets to hold shoes and such], and they’d all line up and stand on their hind legs behind the “bars.” Looked like furry little inmates. It also cracked me up when my friends would remark on how utterly cute and defenseless they were, and then one of the pigs would let out a huge yawn. My friends faces would go from 😛 :dubious: :eek: Those bad boys have some **teeth**! Sigh, yeah. I miss my guys, too. Uh… sorry. [/pigjack] ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/32 "2005-06-17T20:13:16Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > **AFG** , have you ever mentioned to the PetCetera clerks that the bedding they’re using is harmful? It could be that the people whose job it is to take care of the rats simply don’t know why cedar and pine bedding is a bad idea. > > If it’s simply ignorance, a friendly approach might get them to change. It’s worth a shot, anyway. > > Of course, if you’ve already tried and been rebuffed, then, never mind. Oh, yes. And here’s the ironic thing: The “Caring for your new rat” pamphlet that they stock along with others by the small animal section states, “Never use pine or cedar bedding! These contain oils which can make your rat sick.” When I mentioned this to one of the employees, she shrugged and said, “They look fine so far, if they get sick we’ll change it.” Sure, fine. Forget about prevention being the cure. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/33 "2005-06-17T20:17:23Z")
I went through something similar to that at a local PetLand. They had put those tubes for hamsters [you know, the kind they crawl through and sleep in] in the cage for the rats. The rats would crawl through and just \*\*barely \*\* be able to squeeze out, so I pointed out that one could easily get stuck and injure itself, and if they wanted to provide them with tube toys, they could actually cut a paper towel or toilet paper spindle up one side and give that to them. “Never happened before. We’ll change 'em if one of them gets hurt.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/34 "2005-06-17T20:42:25Z")
> [@boofuu](#): > > Pasteurella can cause pneumonia and an middle/inner ear infection. So he keeps falling over and gets rigid with the pain. We had to give him a stronger antibiotic injection, on top of the other broad spectrum drugs. Apparently, he was not really weaned, so he cannot eat solid food well. Did your vet tell you to give Kieran yogurt? Ours does whenever one goes on antibiotics. Yogurt does the same thing for rabbits that it does for humans - replaces the good bacteria which gets killed along with the bad when you take an antibiotic. I don’t know if it’s the same for the piggies though. Our vet told us to give Icarus any flavor we wanted. She loved strawberry. Daedalus loves key lime. Juno hates yogurt. We give them the yogurt the same way we give them the drugs - in one of those little syringe thignies. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/35 "2005-06-17T20:49:09Z")
lavenderlemon reads thread and then goes and holds her beautiful shelter adopted cat in her lap for an extended purring and cuddling session. I hope the OP’s guinea piggy has a good long guinea piggy life filled with lots of hay and hugs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![boofuu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@boofuu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofuu)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/36 "2005-06-19T05:17:53Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > Did your vet tell you to give Kieran yogurt? Ours does whenever one goes on antibiotics. Yogurt does the same thing for rabbits that it does for humans - replaces the good bacteria which gets killed along with the bad when you take an antibiotic. I don’t know if it’s the same for the piggies though. Our vet told us to give Icarus any flavor we wanted. She loved strawberry. Daedalus loves key lime. Juno hates yogurt. We give them the yogurt the same way we give them the drugs - in one of those little syringe thignies. Yeah, I do that with all my furry kids probiotics if they are on antibiotics-- myself, too. I generally give them a small amount of acidophilous powder. He is on alot of antibiotics so I stomach problems is last thing he needs. The aggressive treatment seems to be working; he can walk longer periods now without falling. Last visit the vet noticrd that his upper molars are deformed (too short) and he will have to have his bottom molars cut regularly. It also means that he cannot grind food well and will have to eat mushy, chopped food his whole life. Oh well. I told would not allow him to have anymore problems. So there. ASIDE: I will be damned if I am not amazed everytime I buy something for my pets, my chinchillas in particular. They are like children who get really expensive toys for Christmas but the wrapper holds much more interest. I know they need to chew things to maintain their teeth but nothing stands up more than a day when I put it in the cage. And they look at me so defiantly when they are chewing it. The “pet room” (used to be referred as my bedroom) has no baseboards to speak of and I am convinced that if I sleep too hard one night and they escape from their cage they may try to chew me. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/37 "2005-06-19T06:29:42Z")
> [@boofuu](#): > > I happily paid vet the $70 (that I was going to use to see a doctor for congestion I have had for over a month) for supplies to give him a chance to get better, and only a chance to save Kieran (named him even though he could easily die). You got to be F’ing kidding me. You forego treatment for a month long congestion to save a freaking Guinea Pig? Jeez you have some fucked up priorities. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/38 "2005-06-19T06:35:38Z")
Can I expand the thread to the stupidity of people when it comes to pets in general? I had two things today that are just setting my teeth on edge. Appologies for slight hyjack. So at my vet clinic job today, we get the Too Poor for Pets Owner. This lady has at least 5 cats that we know about. The past year has been spent focused on two cats who have cancer. Swears she spent every last free penny on the two of them. Today, she brings in the Cat with the Lump. 6 pound cat (read as: “horrendously thin”) has a 1 pound mass on its tail. We’ll call it Bob. Bob has been attached to his cat for the last 6 months. But, what with the other two cats having cancer and all, there was just no way she could possibly afford to have Lump Cat and Bob seen by a vet. Oh, no. That is just impossible. And the fleas and the tapeworms Lump Cat is growing? Well, those are from that nasty roommate she had who never took proper care of her cats. Surgery? No, no. We couldn’t seperate Bob from his cat while he was small and helpless. And now they’ve been together for so long. Well, I guess since Bob is now threatening Lump Cat with paralysis by crushing the nerves at the base of the tail, we can call up that nice Good Samaratin program we heard about and whine to them. Fuck you lady. Fuck you and your inability to meet your chosen responsibilities. You have been declared a casualty of Common Decency. Please report to a disintigration chamber. ::hate:: And then, outside of MegaPetStore, is a guy with two 8 week old kittens in a box. Trying to pawn them off on a couple of 14 year-old skateboarders. Oh yes, kids, you have to take these kittens because I just can’t keep them and aren’t they cute and you don’t want them to go to the SPCA, do you? Where they might have a chace of attracting some slightly serious owners or, at the very least, older owners who could actually take care of them? Why, if they go to the SPCA, they will surely **DIE** because that’s all those rat bastards at the SPCA care about. Murdering kittens. Fuck you Grandpa. Fuck you for wanting to help, but only if it doesn’t actually inconveinence you. Fuck you for thinking you’re such a moralistic do-gooder while simultaneously being unable to spay/neuter your own pet or properly respond to the consequences of your inability. A trained technician will arrive at your door shortly with a small syringe of bright pink fluid. Please lie still. This is for the good of the many. ::hate:: ---
**Author:** ![boofuu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@boofuu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofuu)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/39 "2005-06-20T01:53:46Z")
> [@treis](#): > > You got to be F’ing kidding me. You forego treatment for a month long congestion to save a freaking Guinea Pig? Jeez you have some fucked up priorities. Maybe. But I made a committment to treat this animal. I can easily call 911 if I need to. The animal cannot; they do not have opposable thumbs and do not know their numbers yet. I am working on it. I try not to explain to people who wonder how some people can spend so much money on a pet, an animal, and neglect themselves. I guess all I can say is that some of us are that way. Now, if I were coughing blood I probably would reconsider. Wow. I wrote just that bit of prose maybe 10 times so I did not come off as an ass. I _suppose_ I could have just ignored it. But I did feel the need to at least acknowledge your comment. Thank you for reading my post and whatever you may think about my priorities I hope you take the time to inform other people. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355/40 "2005-06-20T02:06:04Z")
You’re a good man, boofu. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-irresponsible-pet-stores/308355.md?page=3)