Should i buy my new small pets from petco or petsmart?

Question

i am probably getting some new small animals (such as a hamster 2 gerbils and maybe 2 rats) so should i get them at petco or petsmart? does it make a difference? or should i get them at a local petstore like Jones & co. pets?

Answer 1

We have a petco hamster and she's wonderful.  So I would say go for it.  They have a guarantee if something goes wrong the first 2 weeks.  I had to tame her by handling her lots because she was skittish at first but she's awesome now.

Answer 2

I would look for a small, non chain pet store. They tend to be cleaner and have healther animals. But if you cant find one petsmart or petco would be ok.

Answer 3

No you should not buy your pets from stores like that.  They are kind of cheap, and that is a perk.  However,  when these animals are being fed, they are fed "in bulk".  What I mean by that is instead of being handled with tender loving care by a breeder, they are in a sense neglected.  When you get your animal from the store he will be scared of you and he might even bite you.  Animals from breeders are the best because they are used to being handled, picked up, and a major plus is that they develop little human tendencies from their breeders that you will surely enjoy!

Answer 4

i think petco and petsmart are pretty similar. so check each and then you could compare prices and choose which one is cuter.

Answer 5

Check all the shelters first. Some of them do have small animals. If not, then visit all three stores and see which one looks like they treat their animals better. Another thing to keep in mind is the pet itself. Look at all the pets in each store, then pick the actual pet you like best from whichever store has him/her. This is an animal, not a shirt.

Answer 6

I would say petsmart if you wanted to but i suggest a local petstore first good luck

Answer 7

neither. pet shops are terrible.

Answer 8

I would go to each pet store and make a checklist of what matters to you such as separates male/female,good selection,healthy looking animals,food and water in cages,not to crowded cages, toys in cages and helpful staff on hand. Really it's the individual store that affects the animals not so much the franchise so you have to do a overall look around with your pet store.

Answer 9

No http://www.cavyspirit.com/petstores.htm

Adopt http://www.petfinder.com/

Answer 10

check your local animal shelter first there is usualy alot of animals looking for new homes if there isnt then as a last resort go to your local pet store and look there but we cant really say which is the best one to go to as we may not know what the store is actually like so it is up to you to make a decision hope this helped and good luck

Answer 11

I don't have a Petsmart, but I have a Petland and a Petco.

My first hamster was bought from Petland. It had more supplies; like Drytail for example; then Petco did. However, it was a little dirtier and the males and females were in the same cage. The hams were also a little skiddish because little kids poke at them all day.

Petco separated them and are very clean. I have my second hamster form them. They are very well socialized and very healthy.

My first hamster I got from my Humaine Society. She was young and they just got her the day before. I now have 5 babies that are a month old xD

That wasn't their fault.. Anyway, the hamsters are very gentle, friendly, and well cared for a shelters. Not to mention they are free and given to good homes. So, I recommend them over all else.

Answer 12

frist i would see if anybody else (i.e. nabors ANIMAL SHELTERS ) had babyor grown hamsters or gerbils or rats and see if you can take them off there hands. then id go for something local so the money dosent go out of the area. go small businesses!!!  also check them out and see if there "lagit" and are taking proper care of the animals

Answer 13

We really can't answer that, as we don't know which pet store in your area has people who know a lot about and take the best care of their animals.  You don't want to support one that doesn't know or care what they're doing.

Also, I'm curious as to why you don't know if you're getting the rats.

Answer 14

PETCO...they give you a coupon book, and you might find a pet there thats up for adoption meaning its donated, and its free to you. I got my two gerbils from PETCO and they were not scared nor did they want to bite me...the people are very nice at any petstore, and all those myths about pet stores being evil are lies...why? Because  even though the local petstores may seem nice, and they might be, petstores like petco and petsmart, do, i think, take better care of thier pets...I should know...I went at 9:00 AM, Petco's opening time, and saw the people feeding the pets and giving them clean bedding, water, and some new toys as well...so yeah i think pet stores do take better care of thier pets, and plus before you buy the pets you are allowed to hold it, to make sure its to your liking {meaning if its nice or not}...thats my opinion and i'll never change it because Petco has been very nice to me and my pets...ALL of my pets! Plus you can take your pets shopping at Petco! =)

Answer 15

I think petco is better, they do a better job of seperating the males and females.

Answer 16

Petco in my oppinion is better because my local Petco has more for my pets tham my local Petsmart, but for you it might be different. You should go to the petstore with the most useful supplies for your pet, that way when you need help finding something for your pet/s the store can help you better than another one.

Answer 17

Check with your local animal shelter first. Sometimes they have the animals for which you are looking. If they don't, ask the shelter personnel for the name of a rat rescue in your area. Alternately, you could check on www.craigslist.com for animals needing to be re-homed.  A pet store should be your last resort.

Answer 18

Well I don't know about you, but for my local petstores, Petsmart is always better. Everytime I go into my Petsmart, they are always more neat and organized and you can tell that they take care of their animals better because the tanks are always more clean and the cages dont reek nearly as bad and the animals are more active and such. Lol that was such a run on sentence. I would check both out before you make your decision see which is more clean and which one's animals' are more active and friendly. If they look sickly in anyway, I wouldn't get them from there.

Answer 19

Please check at your local animal shelter first.  Ours gets rats in 3-5 times per year.  They also might know of local small animal rescues that might have small animals available for adoption.  Also check www.petfinder.com for your area.  If all else fails, then go into your local store and check out the conditions, talk to the staff, and make a decision based on which business you want to support.  If you buy pets from a place that keeps them in sub-standard husbandry with uneducated staff tending to them, you are supporting that practice when you hand over money.