Suggestion as to how to help chins at Petsmart

[Caroline]

I just went to Petsmart to buy a waterbottle. They haft a chinchilla in one of their glass cages again, filled with plastic items. I summoned up the courage to say something to the manager. She was very kind and shared with me that she wished she could replace the items in the cage with things that were chinsafe but that it was corporate who decided what went into the cages. I pointed out that they did sell things that were much more chin safe. What she recommended was that I write corporate directly and expressed my concerns to them and made suggestions as to what other products in the store would be safer for chins, including the FN cages.
So, what I would like to suggest/request to all, is that we all write petsmart corporate offices and express our opinions to them.
On a positive note is that the manager is planning on coming over to my house to see my babies and possibly pick one out for herself.

 

[Chinchilla63]

I have thought the same thing SO many times! It breaks my heart to see animals in dangerous or unhealthy conditions, and employees who don't understand what the animals need...or who have to sell products that they know are unsuitable because that's what the store carries.
It would be fantastic if some of the chinchilla clubs could send letters, as well.

 

[Caroline]

I just saw that they have a Facebook page as well..We could not only contact corporate but also post on their page. If lots of us do this it will get their attention. They do sell a lot of products that are safer for chins, they just need to be educated.

 

[Dreamlite]

The sad thing is though, that 90% of what they sell for small animals isn't safe for them. I just shudder every time I walk down the isles. No matter what you tell them or how many times you bother, they will go with the cheapest and cleanest way to house their animals. If they used FN cages, look how much food and poo they would get around the store. I'm not agreeing how they house them is correct but if you are gonna sugest a change be sure to cover all aspects or your idea will get tossed out quickly.

 

[Caroline]

The girls there agreed with me but said their hands were tied. Corporate even dictates what colour beddiing they are to use. This week is orange. So if we want to see the staff properly educated we need to go to the top and work our way down from there.

 

[ChinnyMom]

i have posted comments under photos on the petsmart facebook page, in regards to the unsafe items and practices at their stores. comments get ignored. waste of time. it's a shame.

the best way to boycott unsafe items/practices is to refuse to buy things from the stores that are involved. this can be very difficult in some areas, where the big box store is the only available place to get chin stuff, or location makes shipping items in difficult/expensive.

 

[Riven]

I agree that boycott is the only way. Even if people did listen they can't change stuff easily on their own unless the owner agrees and it goes through the corporate.
In the end for them it's about the $$, that's why every business is in business.

 

[Stackie]

I used to work at Petsmart (gasp!) and let me tell you, I highly doubt writing corporate is going to change much. They get their information from the company's veterinarians, and according to them, everything about the set up is safe. They use plastic because it is the easiest thing to sanitize between animals. As an employee I wasn't even able to get our district manager to bring information up to corporate about the information in the care guides because you need scientific proof and they will only take word from a veterinarian.

I did want to point out though, the glass cage is ventilated and better than a FN cage or anything open to be honest. Little kids run around unsupervised in Petsmarts because half their parents believe the place is a day care. Sometimes, actually a lot of the times, it's not even the little kids acting like idiots but rather the adults. I was constantly battling things getting shoved into the bird cages- suckers, candy, trash, plastic, etc. and people agonizing the birds everytime they went up to the bars.

 

[liewwan]

The only thing I've been able to do is represent my rescue and attend adoption days at Petco. I find it as a great oppertunity to not just bring awareness to pet owners, but to educate the employees. I've been invited to a few more Petco in my area, but with the chins, work and the online store it's pretty much hard to jugle more into my schedule.

I have printed packets for all the store managers and associates to show proper care. Than when I have a moment do the walk with them to show them what I would use from the store.

 

[SeeleyAnne]

I was JUST thinking about this today while I was at petsmart. They had the bright orange "carefresh" type bedding, and I sat there and watched the chins pick up the pieces of bedding and eat it. They had NO toys, NO wood to trim their teeth with. I felt so bad for them! Plus they were in those glass tanks with no levels or anything, I knew they were so bored. But I knew it was pointless to say anything to the manager because it all comes down to corporate. Not only is it bad for the chins to live in those conditions, but it is worse because they are the examples to potential chinchilla owners. Anyone who doesn't know a lot about chins, and buys one at their store will think that the cage set up they have there is acceptable.

 

[paula1101]

Wouldn't it be wiser to encourage them to stop selling live animals as merchandise in the first place? I can't see encouraging them to take "proper" care of their animals as being the wisest tack because the animals are largely the loss leaders for the crappy products they sell for them. Taking proper care of them would mean potentially losing business. It's a lot easier to sell a 40 dollar Super Pet cage versus a 250+ Ferret Nation cage - they aren't going to start encouraging proper care when it means potentially losing business. Encouraging people to "take proper care" of them would also, in turn, be turning business away once they realized the problems with buying there in the first place. Instead, they should be pressured to stop selling live animals (like they were with cats, dogs, rabbits) and peddle their crappy products at adoption events.

The whole concept of being able to walk into a store and buy a live animal as an impulse buy is problematic and encouraging them to take better care of the animals they are selling as merchandise seems about as pointless as putting a band-aid on an arterial wound.

 

[CTChin]

I was recently at a local Petco. While the animals were clean and well fed, they had one of those large glass enclosures divided and a chinchilla was on one side and a ferret on the other. Way to stress out a prey animal

 

[Mimichi]

Just to chime in here, but all the petsmart stores around my house still sell cats. Plus the one right down the street from me sells Ferret Nation/Critter Nation cages in store. They also have wood chews in with the chin, and chinchillers in the cage as well, though I don't agree with the plastic house they always have. Not defending them, just putting that out there. Some of them are more on the right track than others I guess.

 

[Stackie]

Just to chime in here, but all the petsmart stores around my house still sell cats. .

They aren't selling the cats. Petsmarts have "adoption centers" that they allow local rescue groups to bring in their cats and leave in store. The fees for the cats are the rescue group's adoption fee.

NO wood to trim their teeth with.

They are required to provide chew sticks, if you don't see them bring it up to the manager as they can get in trouble with corporate if they are missing any of the cage requirements (house, water, food, chew stick, wheel, and chinchiller in the chin's case.)

 

[SeeleyAnne]

They are required to provide chew sticks, if you don't see them bring it up to the manager as they can get in trouble with corporate if they are missing any of the cage requirements (house, water, food, chew stick, wheel, and chinchiller in the chin's case.)

Oh, I didn't know that. I even took a picture of it when I was there. I should have said something. I go in there pretty often during my lunch break at work when I get bored, just to look around. If it is still set up that way next time I'm there, I'll say something for sure.

 

[Pikaia]

It is really sad sometimes how pet stores treat their animals. If you voice your concerns, and they go unanswered, the best thing to do is boycott the store. We have a petstore in my town and I went there to get a glass water bottle. I went in the back of the store, where they keep the mice, bunnies, and chinchilla(s). It is a mom and pop store, so they don't have rules/regulations they are supposed to follow like Petsmart. I was not real happy with how this chinchilla was being kept. He was in a guinea pig type cage and there was a plastic ramp with one shelf. The plastic shelf was half gone because the animals kept in there had chewed it. He had plenty of pellets and water. No chew stuff at all. The cage bottom was wire too. I didn't like it. They also sell guinea pig cages as part of a "chinchilla starter kit".

I vowed never to buy anything there again. My brother's girlfriend went there recently and just had to call me because they had a chinchilla back there and it was DEAD! Just laying there! She thought it was sleeping at first, but no... it was dead! She told the manager and they removed it. Now, who knows what the chinchilla died from. All I know is that it is very warm and humid back there. She said the chinchilla did have food/water, so who knows. It could have had a disease for all I know.

You have to be realistic here about expectations from petstores. They are only holding those animals for a short period of time (hopefully) and they can't provide everything we as loving petowners do. Their cages will be smaller, they won't have all the goodies/toys we provide for our pets. However, that being said, there are essentials these animals should have and chew sticks/items are one of them! It is essential for rodents to have this.

 

[rosa160]

The Petsmart near me had 3 chinchillas in 1 glass enclosure. I looked at the thermometer in it and it was almost 80 degrees! I complained to 2 people, 1 girl said that they weren't going to kill them then asked if I wanted to see one, then the other person I complained to told me that the thermometer was probably broken and they were fine because they had a chinchiller in there. She then asked if she could get one out for me.

 

[KitsuneGem]

Not sure if anyone has said this.. But their standards do allow wooden things in the cage.. The one here has a wood hut and one of the girls hand made a fleece cover for the frozen water bottles that they put in the cage to help them keep cool (She has chins of her own and understands the dangers of plastic and has her girls in a ferret nation cage with bass pans). The only thing they can't do is pull the plastic wheel and replace that

Granted it varies from store to store.. The one a few towns over could care less about plastic in their cages..

Not every store cares as much as we do about our chins, but there are rare people out there who do, and will do as much as they can.

 

[Chillie]

Pet Supply Plus also carrys chins in some of their stores and it is the same there. Little glass cages,flys in the cages,plastic stuff. It made me very sad and helpless.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I did say something to a local petsmart about there being fresh carrots and no hay in the cage and the next time I went in there it was removed and there was hay. I also made the comment to one employee about the chins looking greasy about selling/carrying better quality dust and it wasn't too long before they started carrying it - i have no disillusions that I caused them to start carrying it, lol, but it was a good step. Now if we could get the victory of getting a raisin a day from their chinchilla care guides removed we'd be making a little progress - I fail to see how there is any scientific proof they need that. Ive complained about that several times.