Would Petsmart charge me to learn some info about my rats?

Question

When I bought them at the other pet store they were unable to tell me how old they were or what size they expect to be.

Answer 1

No, they won't charge you- but they also won't know that information.

They MAY be able to estimate the age if they have a log at the back of what date they came in, but they won't be able to tell you the size since they wouldn't have been born in store.

So genetically, they can't tell you much- you may get the age from them if they still have the log. We get our rats in at eight weeks old and quarantine them for a couple of days, and we write down when they're delivered and when they're put out on the shop floor, so we can know the age of the animals, but apart from that, we know nothing of genetic history or future problems.

If you're talking generally size and that, the average size of male/female fancy/dumbo rats are easy to find online- if you want to know of the parents, that's near impossible and PetSmart won't have records of it.

Answer 2

No they will not charge you.. i work at a petsmart, theyll hook you up with the person that specializes in the small animal department, and you can ask them anything.

Answer 3

they probally will tell you a little bit about them and also tell you to buy a book on rats.

:]

Answer 4

No.  Most of them have free pamphlets that contain info on every pet they sell.  They're usually near the rodents and birds isle.

Answer 5

No=they wont charge you to learn info about rats.thats odd.....at the other pet store they coudn't tell you about it???

Well good luck.

Answer 6

i have no idea if they would charge or not, but you can get a book an rats and it will tell you some stuff about them.

Answer 7

Pet stores that sell animals are not the best source of info. They buy their animals from pet mills en masse. They are often sick and inbred. They wouldn't be able to tell you anything probably.

Find a rat rescue or reputable breeder club next time.  

Answer 8

They shouldnt charge you but here is a great website with tons of info.

ratguide.com/health

Answer 9

PetSmart's Pet Care Specialists might be able to help you (this is of course be free!).  There are only one or two individuals per store that seem to know much (if anything) about rat care however.  You may get decent information, but be sure to call before you go and ask to speak to the Pet Care Manager. Tell him/her what you know about the animal and what your questions are and then ask if there is anyone on staff that is incredible knowledgeable in rat care.  Some pretend to be but really don't know much at all.  Your best bet is to talk to a breeder who deal with rats daily.  Search for a breeder in your area. Google is a great tool to use- just search for "your area" and "rattery".

If you do find an individual at PetSmart that is knowledgeable,  I don't recommend bringing in your rats.  Rats easily get things that are transfered via the air and if PetSmart has rats that are ill (you wouldn't know as these aren't on the floor and even the ones on the floor that are ill won't exhibit the signs right away) then your own will end up sick simply by breathing in the air.  If you find a breeder, don't be concerned if they ask to see you and your rats somewhere away from their home as they aren't sure if yours are sick and they can transfer something from your rats to their own on their clothing.  This is why quarantining new rats from current resident rats is always a must.

Rats are difficult to tell ages on.  Do you have male rats or female rats? The size will differ depending on that answer.  A vet visit should be done if you haven't scheduled one anyway as rats should have a wellness visit once every six months.  The vet will certainly be able to help you try to pinpoint an age range.

If you'd like, you can email me a picture of someone holding the rats and some more information on the rats and I can attempt to give you an age range myself.  Please feel free to email me with any other questions you might have regarding your new fur kids. =)

Answer 10

Try to find a locally owned and operated pet store. They tend to know more about animals than petsmart.