Is petco a Safe place to buy a Hamster?

Question

Is petco a Safe place to buy a Hamster?

Answer 1

Yes..i bought my Hamster there and he is very healthy and he is real tame...i got two of them actually!

Answer 2

Personally I don't think any chain store(more than one) is.

Any type of rodent or as a matter of fact most animals that come from Petsmart/Petco have genetic problems, such as cancer and just bad genetics because they don't care where they get there animals from.

Your better off finding a rodent breeder although for hamsters those can be hard to find or just adopt one from a humane society.

SOME pet stores are good, but not all are, there's that odd time that you will find a good pet store with knowledgeable employees in it.

Answer 3

no. they dont handle their animals which means that they are more likely to bite. get one from a breeder. dont adopt either it usualy turns out to have problems or is older and will die sooner.

Answer 4

Don't buy at all -- adopt!!  

I strongly disagree with the person who said that hamsters up for adoption are older ones with problems.  I've adopted 2 babies and had no problems.  Check Google and/or Craigslist to see what you can find in your area.  There are plenty of hamsters who need homes.

Answer 5

I got my hamster from petco and hes healthy it just depends on the hamster not the store.......

Answer 6

I would personally say no, the animals don't seem to be taken care of very well, I went there one time to look at the animals, and a poor little dwarf hamster was trying desperately to drink water from its empty bottle.

My sister bought a hamster from there, and it died a month later, and she took excellent care of it.

Try petsmart!

Answer 7

no. petco is not a reliable place to find healthy animals. All of their animals are in cramped cages and do not recieve medical care.

For proof just look at their budgies, they clearly show that the store is not giving adequate care to the animals. the budgies are overcrowded and sickly looking.

    --EDIT--

Petsmart has the same problem! I agree that large chain stores are not adequate places to buy ANY animal. Pet stores regularly buy from mills and that is where the low quality animals with all the defects and the poor health come from. The actual best place to buy is from a shelter. These animals are usually a result of an "unwanted" litter and their genetics are mixed up a lot more than the animals who are bred for certian characteristics. There are a lot of health benefits to being a mutt! (this goes for ANY animal, cat/dog/rat/mouse/hamster/bunny/etc). I have had 4 rats and the two with excellent health have been from "unwanted litters."

Answer 8

Try not to buy from big, popular pet stores. They usually have employees who hardly interact with their animals, and they also obtain their animals from breeding mills. These mills are horrible conditions for any animal to be living in and hey carry all sorts of diseases. Your best bet would be to go to the smallest shop you can find. Yes, i said smallest. They probably take good care of their hamsters and interact with them. If you can afford it, buy from a breeder.

Answer 9

I bought my two rats from petco and they're fine. Big pet stores are usually decent towards their rodents, but you most likely aren't going to find show quallity animals at the pet store, but if you just want a companion, they're good places to start. Most pet stores don't interact with their rodents a whole lot, so at first, your hamster might be anxious around you and you'll need to give it time and be very, very patient, but they should eventually come around. If you're worried about your hamster hating you or you want something purebred and show quality, you can look at local breeders and contact one. You'll probably have to pay a bit more, though. If you look at a petstore around you that isn't a chain one and is just local, you might find a hamster that is given much more attention and will accept you better, and will also be of higher quallity. Hamsters are generally hard to handle and aren't as affectionate or accepting of new owners though.  If you click the link below, it will also tell you how to ease your hamster into getting use to you, and make it comfortable with your handling in a way so you don't end up getting bitten, and your hamster won't be terrified.

Answer 10

No, don't buy from any pet shop. They buy from breeding mills. Adopt http://www.petfinder.com/

http://www.rabbitadoption.org/hamstercar...

Answer 11

i can tell you that the ASPA in california took ALL the pets out of a local petco about a month ago in my home town, so what's that tell you??

i saw the conditions of the small animals, and can tell you its about time someone did something.

i have one rat thats not even a year old thats full of tumors, and just so happens to be a petco rat. i didn't personally get her from there, someone gave her to me. the best bet is to look for a breeder  near you if thats a choice for you.

Answer 12

Everyone else is correct, PetCo is terrible.

Please use PetFinder.com to rehome an abandoned animal.

I have gotten a malnourished and improperly handled gerbil, as well as two mice with respiratory infections from PetCo.

Needless to say, they no longer have ANY of my business.

Answer 13

No. DO NOT buy a pet from Petco. They are unhealthy and do not receive any additional care whatsoever. If you want a healthy Hamster, go to Petsmart. Good luck!