[yashu]

I was rat shopping recently, and I went to petco because they are the only place that I know of with PEWs and I wanted one... (did not get one, for reasons below)

The females that I saw were so flighty, afraid, or just too small... well the lady there goes "we have larger ones over here" I said where, as all the female rats I had thought I had already seen, well there was a cage that I thought was males... you can't mistake males, anyway... so she goes "no, males are on this side but this side (the cage was split into two areas to make more room for males and females), has larger females... but she looks down and noticed that there was no sign marking that part of the area... so we lift the doors and what do I see? Two pregnant rats! It was so obvious... which means that they were not just pregnant, but REALLY pregnant, as in... someone could have easily bought themselves 10 rats for the price of 1. One of the rats looked like she was due any hour.

So she said "oops, guess we got the signs mixed up recently...".

I left without buying a rat... how could I? Wish this arrangement of males and females side by side, there is reason for me to think any could be pregnant. I ended up driving all across town, which eventually lead me to a place that had one female left... a rex. Our first rex. My wife adores her, and she has been no issue integrating with the other girls. Petco, a mixed blessing, it would seem, but they REALLY need to get their act together. I am not some animal protection nazi, but neglect of some, implies possible neglect of anything, so I would not be able to trust them, at any rate.

 

[Forensic]

Most of petco's employees know nothing about the animals and most of them don't really care.

 

[yashu]

Oddly, this person did know... she was pissed as ****. She immediately took the rats to the back and when I walked out she understood and was in the middle of both, trying to figure out how to fix the problem, and trying to explain to another person why rats were better than hamsters.

But yeah, I am sure that she may have been the only person there that knew anything, and if we hadn't came in, they may have had a litter born in plain view.

 

[madeittothemoon]

One of my friends got some fairly viscious rats from Petco... I really don't think I've ever heard anything good about that place.

 

[Kimmiekins]

I ended up with hamster babies from PetCo... Haven't set foot in one since. I'm glad she did separate them out, though I've also heard stories of some PetCo's removing "sick" (mostly) rats and then people seeing them on the floor hours later. Sigh.

 

[teal]

I think PETCO must weather alot of complaints because they can't sex a rat and also sell ill rats. Caveat Emptor. I guess my only plus for them is that since rats are not such a common pet, at least they have them. I can imagine how much training their employees get.

 

[rat_ratscal]

its not hard to sex a rat (or guinea pigs or hamsters etc), i could tell what my guinea pig was and i was 4! my rats were extremely easy too. where i buy my rats, they come vet checked, atleast a ballpark estimate of when they were born, a 14 day warranty so if any problems arise, they will pay for the vet, and the girl who sold them to us had pet rats, and they only carried females (to avoid pregger rats)

whereas when we got our boys from a different store, he had prolly 20 in a ten gallon tank, and they were on seed mix! then he told us that seed mix was so great for them blah blah blah, the he picked them out roughly by the MIDDLE of the tail and threw them in a box, we took them home and they pood and peed on us literally every 5 seconds, and it was green, slimy and gross! i looked at them thouroughly to discover they had bugs, and lots of them! i could see them MOVING! we took them back cuz my dad didnt want to pay for the vet (they had already spent $300 to take my dog to the vet that day) and they were NOT happy or friendly about it! they were such nice rats though, well, mine was, he sat on my shoulder and bruxed for half an hour :'(

there definately are petstores that should be avoided

 

[Ishbel]

That's really sad, rat_ratscal!

 

[rat_ratscal]

a few days before my birthday to :'(

oh and in the 10 gallon, there were females AND males!

 

[yashu]

Yeah, they had a female or two over in the male side too... I mean... these were almost full grown rats, so... there was an absence of some stuff that clued me in.

 

[RatGirl4]

That kind of thing happens WAY to often. I don't think any petstore should be allowed to sell rats. Plus, anyone can buy them, so lot's of them end up going to bad homes. :evil:

 

[Sparker]

That kind of thing happens WAY to often. I don't think any petstore should be allowed to sell rats. Plus, anyone can buy them, so lot's of them end up going to bad homes. :evil:

Or worse. :?

 

[yashu]

That kind of thing happens WAY to often. I don't think any petstore should be allowed to sell rats. Plus, anyone can buy them, so lot's of them end up going to bad homes. :evil:

Well that is kindof elitist. If it weren't for pet stores I would not have rats.

Anyone can buy a dog or a cat too... they don't call them "pet" stores for nothing.

I suppose those of us that don't have access to breeders or don't want rescue rats (not everyone wishes to gamble this way) from the SPCA are somehow less diserving of a pet rat?

:roll:

 

[Nightfallspy]

It all depends which one you go to, some can be TERRIBLE and some, arn't that bad, theres one I go 18 miles from my house just because they know alot small animals, and we've gotten a rescue cat there, we trust that place, everythings seperated and organized as well. (inc the animals )

 

[taralyncouture]

Theres a nearby pet store where i purchased my rats (the nearest breeder is 6 hours away) and i go in once a week and play with their rats. the people love me. but i know more then they do. the only reason i dont work there is because of my age. but i asked the sex on this lonly rat when i was looking for my second because he was laying so i couldnt check. well she brings him out and says she doesnt know how to tell the sex of rats. ARE YOU THAT RETARDED!?
I mean unless they magicaly have a giant growth on their vagina which i seriously doubt THOSE LOOK LIKE BALLS LADY!
haha so i'm basicaly volunteering their for the animals because the people are stupid haha

 

[BlueSkyy]

well she brings him out and says she doesnt know how to tell the sex of rats. ARE YOU THAT RETARDED!?
I mean unless they magicaly have a giant growth on their vagina which i seriously doubt THOSE LOOK LIKE BALLS LADY!

LOL!
excellent.
:mrgreen:

 

[xxpinkfunxx]

Reason number 4659836443596 why I buy all my pets/supplies from a small family owned pet place. Plus the people that work there are much nicer. Altho after all ive been thru with my boys i might know more about em than they do now! lol

 

[Sdaji]

Wow, pet shops really are terrible

It's so good to see that you're all anti pet shop. So many people I know will go into pet shops, see neglected animals, take pity on them and purchase them! So what does the shop do? They keep neglecting animals so that people will keep rescuing them... making them nice and rich! Purchasing neglected animals from pet shops is a great way to sponsor animal cruelty!

 

[rat_ratscal]

i do always feel sorry for their cute little faces, looking at you and pleading for help :'(

 

[RatQueen]

I have this one shop I go to. It's not that great but it's the best place I've been to! I chat with the people that work there every once in a while and almost every rat I've owned I got from there. All the rats have had good health and good life spans. ^.^ The only thing I've seen is every once in a while some of the rats get/have bugs. BUT when I bring it to their attention they start treating them asap and the bugs are gone by my next visit. ^.^ (in the next week or 2)