Pets at home, what do you think of them?

Question

im sure this question has been asked before but i just want peoples opinions on them.

have you ever bought a pet from them, say a hamster or even a rat and did it die a few days later. a few people keep saying that you shouldnt buy pets from them as they die within a few days of you having them. i bought a dwarf hamster from them years ago, and he lived well over the age of 2 and a half. i also currently own 2 rats which i bought off them, ive had them for 2 months now and they are both alive and healthy.

what are your thoughts on them

Answer 1

i brought a hamster of them and it gave birth a week after i got her but they said i was making it up because they split the girls and boys!

But they then brought 6 of the babies of me for i think it was £2 each

Answer 2

i don't agree with pet stores. Animals are not commodities to be bought and sold, in my opinion.

Answer 3

I have never bought cuddly pets from them, only fish, have done this on several occasions and they have always died soon after purchase.

I have also discovered that the advice they give out will vary greatly from one member of staff to the next, and more often than not is wrong any way.

But that said not all their stores can be that bad. If in doubt ask around a few local shops.

Answer 4

I applied for a job there the once with no experience with animals other then my rabbits and my shop experience, they offered me a job, wasn't interested in what i new about animals! They give you basic training and then when people come to buy an animal the staff try and give you advice on the animal and they haven't got a clue!  They are c**p at sexing the animals, i have a farm with my friend and we breed rabbits, we have people coming in asking us to s*x their rabbits, and then its me that has to break the news to them and say their rabbit is pregnant, its stupid and i think there should be a law to train employees so they no what they are talking about!

Hope this helps, i would never recommend anyone to buy a rabbit from a pet shop! They tell people complete c**p and you end up with a different breed rabbit that what you wanted!

Answer 5

On yahoo answers someone had a link that showed a video of the horrible conditions they keep their pets in before they arrive at the store i was disgusted.For that reason i would never buy from them.Id rather buy one from a home enviroment.I bought a rabbit from my neighbour and he is so calm and loving,unlike any of the pets(rabbits,hamsters,gerbils)i have had over the years.

Answer 6

I went to a rabbit workshop there a few days ago. It was only me there. They couldnt answer any questions i gave them and I ended up telling them the most. They also said almost all the animals sold there come from one breeder, it can't be very healthy having lots and lots of animals in your house. I also have heard many stories of people buying two females that suddenly make babies. They can't s*x the rabbits properly. They are also very expensive! I have also heard the rabbits usually die early from cancer. My first rabbit was from Pets at home and it was living in a tiny pet carrier, the other bunnies running free because 'they didn't get on'.

Answer 7

I used to work at Pets at Home and I am so fed up with people saying we are c**p.

Just so everyone knows, Pets at Home get their animals from registered breeders who are routinely checked by environmental health officers. Since animal 'farms' or 'mills' as some people like to call them, produce weak and often inbred animals susceptible to many health problems, and also breed animals far too young, they would NEVER use them! They have very stringent routines in place for the care of our animals, and we ourselves have to be fully licensed to sell animals. If there was ever a problem with the way we treated our animals, or the way they were kept, our license would be revoked. This has never happened to pets at home. Also they have ongoing training in store all the time for our staff. You actually have to complete 2 workbooks and 2 exams if you want to keep your job.

One more thing, if most people see it as 'just a job' then why work with us? It is a hard job where you have to know a h**l of a lot to be even on the shop floor, answering customers questions!

Sarah, Thank you for being honest about Pets at Home, it is often the people who have had ten good experiences then 1 bad that decide to try and trash our reputation. I am very pleased that you have had a great experience at Pets at Home, and I really hope that you continue to do so when you shop with them in the future.

If any poster has a problem with any Pets at Home store, talk to the manager, don't just come on here and talk rubbish. A lot of people say our cages are cramped and there are too many animals in there, but they never put more than allowed by licensing requirements. Also think about it, yes they sell big cages for your pet and encourage you to get a big cage so they have a lot of room throughout their lives, because the animal will live for a long time!  But when they are on the shop floor in the small cages, they are there for at the very most, a week. Meanwhile all the other animals in the cage get sold so they do have more room.

Pets at Home also have very stringent routines in place for the care of our animals, and as all companies are subject to random visits from external authorities, out pet care is the most important thing to us. One of their mottos is 'pets before profit' which basically means they will ALWAYS put the animal first. Try getting a job at Pets at Home. If you dont like it after the 12 weeks probation, then leave. But don't believe what other people say about them. They work very closely with the RSPCA to ensure our standards are always upheld.

P.P.S. For all the people that STILL don't believe me, Pets at Home won Specialist Retailer of the year for 2007 in August last year. Do you think they would have won that if they were as bad as some people like to think?

And I'd just like to let people know that I left Pets at Home last week, not under great circumstances, I didnt get on with my bully of a manager, but I would still never trash their reputation. There is nothing wrong with Pets at Home.

Answer 8

If you like them and can care for them then great. I love animals so the more the merrier in my house. I have a lot but I also take great care of them. My house does not stink and my animal are all healthy.

Answer 9

If you are having problems, buying from them, don't buy from

them, or deal with them again. <}:-})

Answer 10

Generally if you can go to a breeder you should, pets at home are dealers in pets, you do not know what conditions the pets were in before you see them on the shop floor and really the whole principle of impulse buying from a pet shop is not one I am happy with.  With regard to knowledge you should look for the sign they have which states they cannot guarantee the s*x of any animal sold. If you went to a good breeder they would be able to tell you. You were lucky if you met a person working there who is knowledgeable on rats, but that same lady probably sells rabbits guinea pigs etc and she may or may not have the same knowledge regarding those I do not know her so it is impossible to say, however I saw a person in pets at home buying two guinea pigs which are extremely easy to s*x, the buyer wanted 2 boys what she was being sold was one boy one girl and it was only by chance I overheard the conversation and offered to take a look, I think going to breeders who can give lots of information and you can see where the animals have come from is better, I do shop at pets at home for supplies for my pets sometimes. However the whole thing of having pets in shops seems unfair on pets, who should I think stay with the person who bred them until they find good permanent homes. I prefer Jolleys as they do not have mammals in there for sale.

Answer 11

if u like them lovely

Answer 12

I brought my english bulldog from a pet store but this is the only pet store I know of in my area that the owner and his employee take the puppies hom with them every single nite the store is small they usually have about 8 to 10 puppies at a time, they aren't stuck in cages either they have a big room in the store for the puppies to run around and play all day. they have toys and beds to snooze on.  This is why I brought my bully from them because I know they really cared for the puppies and she's 2 yrs old now and we go there to get her nails clippped the owner always plays with her and kisses her goodbye he is a true gem of what a pet store owner should be!!!

Answer 13

They suck, they give out bad advise and they should be stopped from selling anything living. Including fish.

You should have got rescue animals instead.

Answer 14

they stink