I have to tell someone about this, I wish someone can stop petsmart from doing this.

[Evelyn]

Ok first of all, I'm no expert about chinchilla. I have my chin, gizmo, for only two months so there are still a lot about him that i'm still learning. But I definitely know that the way PetSmart treats them is not right! I went into the store today to buy gizmo's bedding. I passed by the big glass cage that they sell the chinchilla. There are four of them in there. The Hays are gone. The pellet bowl was empty. Three chins (one very very big) sleeping in the hiding house that is the size of one chin. Another one is the one that broke my heart. He looks sad, and looks sick. He's outside by himself looking at people. I wish I could show you guys the picture. It was horrible.

I gotta admit. I didn't plan on getting a chinchilla. Gizmo was more like a fate. I went to PetSmart that day on spring break because I was bored and dare my boyfriend that I'm going to get a guinea pig if he doesn't take me out. I didn't even know what was a chinchilla (not to mention I've never seen one). I'm from Thailand by the way and chinchilla is almost impossible to survive in that weather. Anyway, I am soooo glad I bought Gizmo out of there. I have no idea how long he was there before I met him. I hope its not too long though. I also know a guy that works there. He said they never quarantine them before they put them together. What worse than that is one of their guinea pig is blind! And I have seen him since two weeks ago that I've been there!

I wasn't a pet lover. I used to judge people who spent so much money on their pet. But now that I have one, I just realize how much I love him! I might not be a very good chin owner yet but i'm learning to become better! And that make me feel sad for those other thats not as lucky.

Part of me wants someone to buy them out. But other part of me wants no one to even give them attention so PetSmart think that it is not a good market to have small pets in their store and doesn't give a crap about them. The one i'm talking about is in Amarillo, TX. I really think they should be someone who stop them from selling them in the store.

Sorry For the long post, again, I just want to tell someone about this.

 

[Essentia]

If you buy them they will replace them.

If it was was me, I would stay out of the store. You can purchase bedding from the feed store (hay and pellets too for that matter) for a whole heck of a lot cheaper. I can't go into a pet store. If I do I want to save everything I see, which I know I can't.

 

[Riven]

Congrats on being a pet owner. It's amazing how they can steal your heart isn't it?

It's great that you have the chance to own a chin being here! Did you move here from Thailand or are you here on an internship or exchange program?

Unfortunately many of the pet stores only care about the money they make. They did not care about or learn about how the animals should be treated or cared for. I try not to support large chain stores for that reason if I can help it. You can try to talk to the manager and sometimes they will listen, but sometimes they will not. If you try at least then you know you've done something to try and help them.

Good luck, and welcome to chin ownership.

 

[Anna]

Evelyn I TOTALLY know what you mean, I have resorted to having to buy all my supplies for Furby and Ralphy online because if I go into Petco I want to take all the chins home with me which, sadly isn't feasible and I know they will be replaced. Well, one day Ralphy managed to chew through his water bottle so I went on a quest for a glass one. (The only reason I had a plastic one was because he never chewed it before and got bored I guess) I went to Petco because this was an urgent matter and saw like 4 chins in a glass thing as well and they had no hay, a few pellets and FRESH LETTUCE AND CARROTS! Ahhhh! Bleh I was fuming about it all the way home. Sorry for that rant. It's so frustrating

 

[eroomlorac]

What worse than that is one of their guinea pig is blind! And I have seen him since two weeks ago that I've been there!

That guinea pig would definitely be coming home with me. Good thing it's in Texas and I'm not.

 

[CJR]

Sadly, that happens. A lot. I completely know how you feel. The other day I was very tempted to buy a chin from a pet store, but I didn't. The pet stores will continue to carry small animals until... well, until no one buys them any more.

I'm glad you love your chin though, they are such sweet little things.

 

[Linda]

Sadly, that happens. A lot. I completely know how you feel. The other day I was very tempted to buy a chin from a pet store, but I didn't. The pet stores will continue to carry small animals until... well, until no one buys them any more.

Well said. Until they quit making money on the live animals and the huge cage setups they sell with those animals, they'll keep doing it. Corporate makes the decisions, and Corporate only thinks profits.

I'd encourage people to go one step further. It only takes a couple of minutes. Don't just quit buying the live animals and their supplies. Send a quick e-mail to Corporate every time you go elsewhere (including online) to make a reasonably large purchase, and make a brief statement in the e-mail that you considered buying at their store but chose elsewhere because they continue to sell live animals. Help them know exactly why you aren't spending your money there. If we all did this, they would end the sales of live animals and become supplies only.
Linda

 

[Evelyn]

Well, one day Ralphy managed to chew through his water bottle so I went on a quest for a glass one. (The only reason I had a plastic one was because he never chewed it before and got bored I guess)

What i'm about to say is a lil bit out of subject but Gizmo is the same with Ralphy. Like I said I got him from PetSmart and it was immediate decision so I didn't really do research and take their words for everything, all of gizmo's stuffs are plastic, the bowl of pellet, water bottle (its hanging from outside), hiding house, and the wheel. I heard a lot about chin can chew through almost everything. But my chin havn't done any of that. The hiding house still in perfect shaped. The bowl and everything still looks fine. Only thing that has a sign of chewing is the wood plate. I figured that he probably hasn't realize his own ability yet lol

And to correct myself the blind guinea pig that I saw was from petco which worse than petsmart in every cases! (At least down here). No matter what they are all bad for animals ironically.Their animals cages always so gross and unsanitary.

Oh and as Riven asked, I have been here for four years for school and i'm getting married so I probably will be here permanently. If your question concern where will gizmo be after I leave.

 

[3CsMommy]

It sucks, but the best thing for every small animal stuck in the pet store system is to leave them there, but raise the roof on the places about their horrid, unsanitary, unhealthy keeping practices. Depending on how bad the store is, I've called the Humane Society/SPCA on stores with feces-caked cages and dead animals in 'display' enclosures. If you can, document the things wrong with their set up and spread the word to animal authorities in your area. With all the raids on animal suppliers in that part of the country recently, it might be an additional log on the fire.

 

[Anna]

I heard a lot about chin can chew through almost everything. But my chin havn't done any of that. The hiding house still in perfect shaped. The bowl and everything still looks fine. Only thing that has a sign of chewing is the wood plate. I figured that he probably hasn't realize his own ability yet lol

Haha some chew and some don't! Ralphy chews everything and maybe when I hung up the bottle again it was more in reach of his teeth than it usually is. Or maybe he was extra determined to make me mad. My other chin Furby doesn't really chew anything but wood so having a plastic bowl and bottle is okay for him. Guess it just depends on the chin

 

[ticklechin]

Rocco was a petco chin, I bought him things from the store and had the small animal specialist give them to him during his stay there. 6 months later he was still there and John could not stand it anymore and bought him for me and presented him as a gift. He is just the best chin.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

I know that this will sound hard to believe, but the Petsmart near me in Denver is pretty conscientious about the care of all of their small pets, especially the chinchillas.

Although they are housed in that horrid tank, they are provided with chinchillers, loose hay, pellets and water.

I stop in from time to time just to touch base with the manager and see if there are any chins there. If there are, I am allowed to purchase chews and toys for them and he and the small animal specialist dole them out for me every day.

If there are people looking at chins, I always try to chat them up and make them aware of the special needs and care that they require. I always tell them that they are a long-term commitment, since they can live 15-20 years if properly cared for. I also tell them about "Grandpa", a chin owned by a rancher friend of mine. Grandpa's cage tag has his birthdate on it, and it is 1987!!! He is retired from breeding, and is still ticking!!!

When they ask about what kind of pets they make, I always tell them that as much as I love mine, and they are affectionate with me in their own way, the bottom line is "they are rodents and they live in a cage". They are NOT a cuddly, snuggly, watch TV and sleep with you type of pet!!!

I don't care if I discourage people -- especially the ones with the small kids that want something little to hold. I say that maybe a hamster or gerbil would be a better choice.

If you frequent this store, I would encourage you to do as I have done -- make a friend of the manager and the small animal specialist, let them know that they are doing something wrong. I was shown the corporate care book when I saw them feeding baby carrots. I explained that wooden chews were better and safer for them. They actually stopped feeding them the carrots because of my inquiry.

I always say that I can't save every petstore chin. My Mr. Whiskers was himself a petstore chin in a small independent petstore in a small town in Wyoming, living in a tank when I first laid eyes on him. It was love at first sight when he crawled right up my arm and whisked me with those fabulous whiskers for which he is named. I spent the afternoon at the library reading about chinchillas and decided to "rescue" him and give him a much better life than what my futurevision foretold.

I was never sorry that I bought him. I now know that you can get better, healthier, pedigreed chins from breeders for far less than the petstores charge, because I have 2 of them, too!!!

I don't think that they will stop selling them anytime soon, since people continue to buy them, so I feel that trying to educate people when I can is my little part of making life better for all the petstore chinnies that I can't bring home.

 

[T-Train]

Petco is the worst in my book for sure i got aspen bedding from them one time and it had a dead animal in it looked like a mouse or something but it was so old and processed you couldnt even tell anymore. All they did to was say that it must have got in the bag at there factory and they will replace it. i asked could i talk to someone in higher power and he just kept replying for what like he didnt care so i contacted higher ups and like after 3 weeks they only gave us a call saying sorry about this and the guy has been spoken to about his actions. Nothing ever happened with it though he still is is there and he is still a jerk to everyone just all around bad place.

 

[CJR]

I'm going to try and talk to the Petsmart near me and see if they'll let me buy the chins stuff to chew on. They're pretty good with their animals, the chins have chillers and loose hay, but they always have that plastic igloo which they chew to pieces.

The Petsmart here does do quarantine and such, and they have a back room where they take care of sick animals. My "second mom" works there, and she's told me all about it. She really loves animals, so I know I can trust her.

 

[Anna]

Petco is the worst in my book for sure i got aspen bedding from them one time and it had a dead animal in it looked like a mouse or something but it was so old and processed you couldnt even tell anymore.

That is disgusting.

 

[T-Train]

yeah it was bad and they acted like it was nothing even though they have never seen it before.

 

[Riven]

Petco is the worst in my book for sure i got aspen bedding from them one time and it had a dead animal in it looked like a mouse or something but it was so old and processed you couldnt even tell anymore. All they did to was say that it must have got in the bag at there factory and they will replace it.

What did you want them to do. They don't make the shavings, they just buy them and resell them. They don't open the bag and put dead mice in them. I don't understand, they said it must've gotten in at the processing place, which is probably did. They offered to replace it... I don't know what else they should do.
It's like when people get hay with say a dead grasshopper in it. These products are not made in sterile conditions, and don't claim to be. Things happen. I remember someone finding part of a frog in their hay once actually...

 

[bpayne1217]

I went in to a PetSmart today. They have atleast 4 "male" chinchillas together in a ground level cage. The bowl was disgusting a full of bedding. Everything in there was plastic and they all looked disgusting. I got a picture of 1. He was tiny!! He looked like he hadn't eaten in months.

 

[Cloverr]

meh the pet co by me had a beautiful mosaic stuck by himself in one of those like, 1x2 ft gerbil displays. I don't generally like purchasing from there, but Im trying to talk my bf into getting one more... that beautiful chin deserves better than that

 

[chicolane16]

Im going to petsmart and petco tomorrow and if i see anything wrong ill throw a fit.