petsmart

[QTKirls]

I know Petsmart has been talked about a lot on here, but today I went to get some kitty litter, annd took a spin by the chinchilla case as usual...first I saw a bowl of carrots, then a bowl of water! A bowl! What in the world?! Not only is that terrible, but also shows other people to do that. I thought petsmart was making improvments... I told someone about it, I've talked to the manager of the small pets many times, and she knows her business, so I don't understand what is going on... have any of you seen this??

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

i have not been to petsmart in a while so i have not seen that. but in know it does happen. a few years ago i went to petsupermarket and saw a chinchilla in a glass aquarium, that was the first time i ever saw a chinchilla so at the time i thought it was normal. people definatly go by what the petstores say and do.

 

[ticklechin]

I was just at Petsmart, there was a new sign in the rodent department stating "if you have a problem with the care of the animals call this number".

 

[Leowyldemi]

the last time i was there to pick up rabbit food they had a bowl full of carrots, i told one of the employees it was bad for the chin, but all i got was the "ok you're a crazy lady" look and a nod and they said they would take care of it, i don't know if they actually did or not as i had to leave.

 

[AZChins]

I just don't shop at their stores. I try to not recommend them to anyone either. This was a pet supply store that started out saying that they did not want to sell pets....now it's okay as long as they don't sell cats and dogs and they really do pat themselves on the back for that. Pocket pets are special and important, too...and they really ought to not sell them.

Not to mention that if I do go into a petstore and they don't take proper care of their animals, I tend to not be the nicest person. So, it's best for me to not go into places that sell animals! I know the "you're just a crazy lady" look all too well.

 

[QTKirls]

The petsmart here hosts local shelters &they bring in cats&dogs....and there is a room for cats to be in always, so I would consider the cat room 'selling' them. I didn't know they claimed to not. Hmm. Sounds like they change their minds a lot.

I should stay away from the petstores, I really should, but I feel like if I go&keep an eye on the animals I know about, I can make a difference. It probably just upsets me really, and doesn't do much good. One local store finally started feeding their chins hay&put a cooling stone in the cage though, so that's awesome! It took lots of reminding though.

 

[AZChins]

You bring up a good point though. If you didn't go, who would tell them that they are wrong? I can't go in, I just can't. For years I did, for years I would try and try to get people to listen...and it always just led to me getting angry and upset about the stupidity. How can they feed romaine and carrots? That's asinine, right? Well, they do it and I have seen it more often than not that they do not feed the right foods. Some of the smaller petstores get raided from time to time up in Tucson...the animals all suffer.

I wonder if I should make the rounds to at least try to educate the staff at stores about chins and rodents in general. Then I remember how many times I was asked to leave for just suggesting putting in something for the chin to chew or to use a waterbottle instead of a nasty, dirty bowl.

So...I don't go in...I figure that the chins will probably end up in rescue eventually and I'll have to take care of them or help someone else take care of them later on.

Anyway...stay away if you want, but chances are you are helping when you give advice!

 

[Essentia]

There is a big difference in them having an area for a rescue to host their cats and them just selling cats. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of petsmart, just saying that they indeed do NOT sell cats and dogs.

 

[Chintastic!]

Howdy, this is my first post so please let me know if I do anything wrong, I dont know 100percent of what I am doing yet.

I refuse to shop at any of our the big chain petstores. We have a little ma and pop shop in town, and they seem to really know what they are doing. They dont sell chinchillas, but they have mice, rats and sometimes rabbits- not to mention fish. The guy is so cool, he seems to know like every thing. What I really like about them is if they dont know they will tell you they dont know, but at PetSmart/Petco/Petland, they have no idea and have no problem making things up. I got kicked out of PetSmart once because I told them they needed to house the chinchilla in a cage with better ventilation, not a glass box. The manager actually asked me to leave and Ive never been back.

 

[MyLilPintoBean]

Ok I can't help but post because I work at PetSmart.....

In my store personally, we are not allowed to give the chinnies anything other then their pellets, a chew stick, and a water bottle for nutrition. Anyone who deviates from this either gets immediate removal from the department or written up. I know that this not in all stores but the majority of my department either has chins (me) or has had chinchilla (co-worker and a couple managers). I know that not all stores are like this, it would naive of me to think so, but not all PetSmarts are bad. I give my honest opinion to all my customers about anything and everything. I don't try to "make the sale" because I know I will end up either seeing a dead, sick, or unwanted animal. CnH has given a VAST amount of information that I know pass on to people that think that they want a chinchilla. I really discourage "impulse buys" and make sure the customers have done all their homework about the animal before I make the sale. There probably aren't very many employees in the company that treat the animals like I do. my philosophy when it comes to the animals at work is to treat them as if they were my own. I would never give my Chins a carrot or other veggies, same as I would never do that to one in the store.

Now what does piss me off about PetSmart is the fact that they can no longer deny anyone an animal for any reason. Even if the person admits that something is going as a feeder, we still have to sell it to them. :hair: Sorry that's my little rant. Anyways if you guys do have questions about the going ons at PetSmart I can tell you whether it is per corporates PnP's or not.

 

[AZChins]

You can't refuse sale? That is the worst thing I have ever heard! I refuse sale to most of the people, who contact me in email or call.

I hope that they write people up for putting in veggies... That's just not good. I wish so much that they'd just stop selling chins, but I don't think that that would happen. I guess that you could pass on that rescues and breeders may actually recommend them for selling cages and things if they would not sell chinchillas anymore. I'd be more willing to send people to Petsmart IF they wouldn't sell the chins...

 

[MyLilPintoBean]

Yeah funny thing is that I usually ask people to look up local breeders before buying. That way they can get to know the background on an animal. All that I can tell them right now is "yes, that's a gray chinchilla that is male. Looking at size it could be about _ months/years, but there really isn't a way of telling." My manager will not sell chins during the summer at our store as she doesn't think the habitat stays cool enough. I whole heartedly agree with her and know that at least the store I am at takes good care of the chinchillas that we have even though we don't know anything about them.

 

[tunes]

I was just in the Petsmart here locally on Wednesday. I made it a point to stop by the chinchilla habitat to see how their care was. They had pellets, hay, a dust bath, an igloo to hide in and branches to climb on. They cage didn't have bright lighting either. I was pretty impressed with it actually. I stopped at Petco as well and they didn't have chins there at all, which surprised me, as they always have in the past.

I think just like with pet owners and breeders, pet stores are hit and miss as far as the care they provide. Some do it right, some don't. Hopefully the more people keep pointing out what they are doing is wrong, the more the changes will be made. If you have a problem with the store, do as Dawn stated above, and use the number to call. I never spazz out on the managers or the people that work there, and thankfully I've never been asked to leave a store. I just explain that I am an owner and breeder of chins, and X is not the best idea for them and why. The people I've spoken to are pretty receptive. The manager told me they get guidelines from corporate, but she agreed that that isn't always necessarily correct, and they try to take care of the animals as best they can. Keep in mind, what resources do they have? They have the internet most likely. 9/10 times the information on the internet sucks. Many sites say to give chins fruits and veggies, and that's what they have to go by.

 

[tkc1038]

I have to say my Petsmart is Very aware of when I walk in. LOl they come to me if a customer has a "pocket pet" they dont know about. So far I have discouraged many people about Chins and other 'easy" to keep pets. The people that work there have been there for a very long time and they know alot about the animals. The Chin's cage has a hide hut, chill stone, hammocks, hay, pellets, chew sticks AND the best part a thermometer in the cage. I noticed once when I was in there the temp was WAY too hot and the staff immediately pulled the Chins and moved them to the back Until the cage was cooled down. I have to say I am not always immpressed with Pet stores as a usual thing I dont like the animals in such small confines and the crowding and I say so and i get "that" look, but if I dont say so who will. Plus when I get one of those survey I call and when they ask for me to leave a short message I always state about the overcrowding and the knowledge of the staff. I hope it helps, but it is a corporation bent on making money not friends sooooo well I try.

 

[ticklechin]

If most vets say feed fruits and veggies, why would pet stores think its wrong?

 

[Chintastic!]

If you have a problem with the store, do as Dawn stated above, and use the number to call. I never spazz out on the managers or the people that work there, and thankfully I've never been asked to leave a store.

Thats just it, I didnt spaz out. I basicly said excuse me but is there anyway that you could put the chinchilla in a cage with better ventilation? Then the guy said "I dont know." left and came back with the manager saying I had a complaint. I told him the same thing and he said that they know how to care for animals and unless I wanted to buy an animal I needed to leave the store. It was so weird, I never even raised my voice, but it was a very crowded day. I didnt know what to think, my friend who worked there at the time- who was actually the one I was visiting, said he got fired for disposing of animals in an inapproprate manor. She said she wasnt allowed to say anthing else for risk of losing her job. I dont know how true that was or anything but it kinda makes you wonder....

 

[LovinHedgies]

Ok - I may have a stupid questions but I can't seem to find the answer - what's so bad about a water bowls for chins??

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

they can get water on their fur which can cause fungus. im sure theres other reasons but thats all i can think of

 

[LovinHedgies]

Oh ok - that makes sense. Thank you.

 

[tunes]

they can get water on their fur which can cause fungus. im sure theres other reasons but thats all i can think of

Then all the chins living in the wild who have ever gotten wet have fungus. Getting splashed from a bit of water in a bowl isn't going to cause fungus. Many chins sleep under their water bottles and end up soaked and still don't get fungus. I suppose it's possible it could result from that, but I don't think it's highly likely.

The main reasons for not using a water bowl have to do with hygiene. It's impossible to keep fresh, clean water in a water bowl. You would constantly have shavings and food in it, or have to change it every 5 minutes.