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tcraighenry

tcraighenry

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2011
Messages
728
Location
Portland, OR
I'm so flipping annoyed with them. Is there anything they make that's actually ok for chinchillas? That they claim is ok for chinchillas? They're so ridiculous!

* Their cages are mostly plastic

* Apparently they use oak and fir! Or "random branches" What the eff.

* They market death balls

* They market those hay wheels

And on and on! It's so frustrating, how is a new owner supposed to know that things marketed towards chinchillas are toxic? I only found out because warning bells go off in my head thanks to the death balls so I decided to ask.

So irresponsible.

It would be nice just to walk into a pet store and grab something for the girls every so often. Though I do get nice things from the vendors here :)
 
Chinchillas are actually very simple in their care, diet and with toys even. The petstores wouldn't make much if they were selling plain pellets, some hay, plain dust and really simple wooden toys. They want to convince people that they NEED the extra accessories and treats and everything needs to be packaged in fancy packages. It makes them more money to sell those things.

Although, it is very interesting to me that they can get $5 for five or six little twigs that don't even look like they would be much fun for a chin to chew up! So, I guess they know what they are doing and making money doing it. I just wish they would be more responsible with different things and not make them unsafe for chinchillas. Believe it or not, the products being sold for chins now are actually safer than they were when I started caring for chins back in 1997!
 
It IS annoying, I know what you mean. At least lava ledges are safe? And fiddle-sticks I believe are okay.
 
That's where my annoyed rant is coming from! Fiddle Sticks aren't. They're made from oak and fir or random branches as they say. :mad:
 
@AZ omg. Poor babies. But yeah, they wouldn't get a lot of cash just selling hay, pellets and bedding.

My vet was really excited to see I had a little bag of rose hips with me when we took Cinnamon in for her once over. I told him I got them from sellers that own chinchillas :)
 
The only thing Superpet makes that I buy is their glass water bottles. A lot of people don't even like them because of leaking or lack of water, but I have never had a problem with them as long as I shake them after filling them up.

But yeah, other than that, their products are garbage.
 
@StevieP yep, that usually sorts it for me too

@AZChins I know! And Cinnamon loves it too. Had to toss it in the end :(
 
@tcraighenry
omg i never knew!

since we're on this note is the lava landings any good at all...?
 
lava landings/ledges/dots, etc. anything lava from superpet is safe for chins. it's pumice with flavouring and colouring on it.
 
haha, the lava ledges are one of the few things when have from superpets.. and we've got a TON of them... ledges, landings and even one of the swings.. does any one else have the lava swings, does your chin like it?
 
I e-mailed Super Pet. I bought one of the tropical hide out things for the new chinchilla and it had wood sap all over it. It smelled really strong but I couldn't place it so I e-mailed customer service.

This is what they said:

Superpet Customer Service ✆ [email protected]
8:49 AM (12 hours ago)

to me
Thank you for your recent e-mail. The Tropical Fiddlesticks are made from miscellaneous branches such as oak and fir. We hope this information is helpful. Thank you for your support of Super Pet products.

Best Regards,

Customer Service Representative
Central Avian & Small Animal SBU
Click to expand...

They can't even specify those though. "Such as"
 
StevieP said:
The only thing Superpet makes that I buy is their glass water bottles. A lot of people don't even like them because of leaking or lack of water, but I have never had a problem with them as long as I shake them after filling them up.

But yeah, other than that, their products are garbage.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. The only thing that make that is good for chins is the glass water bottle, but that's really all I see.

Almost everything that big chain stores sell is bad for the animals, they just do it for profit. I get really annoyed walking in and seeing all the crap they sell, then to imagine people unknowingly buying things that aren't good for there animals. Somethings are safe for them, I know, but some people can't tell the diffrence.

And the employess are just as bad. I had a lady tell me I couldn't buy something because to her it was unsafe. It was a new fish tank for my betta, which is a lot better then what he's in now, but apparently a 5 gallon tank is "too big and unsafe for a small betta".

Give me a fricken break..
 
jess32247 said:
It was a new fish tank for my betta, which is a lot better then what he's in now, but apparently a 5 gallon tank is "too big and unsafe for a small betta".

Give me a fricken break..
Click to expand...

oooohhhh...... don't get me started on the bull poopy that pet store people try telling you about bettas...... oy!

btw, i had a betta that was happier than a pig in mud in a 55 gallon, with filtration rated in total for about a 200 gallon tank. people would gasp and say 'your betta needs to be in a bowl!'. i would laugh and shake my head, lol.
 
ChinnyMom said:
oooohhhh...... don't get me started on the bull poopy that pet store people try telling you about bettas...... oy!

btw, i had a betta that was happier than a pig in mud in a 55 gallon, with filtration rated in total for about a 200 gallon tank. people would gasp and say 'your betta needs to be in a bowl!'. i would laugh and shake my head, lol.
Click to expand...

It feels like that happens to me everytime I walk into the store, then to check out.. "What are you getting this for? Ohhh no, you can't, this isn't good for them!" I've pretty much stopped talking to them or I'll just explode lol!

That's amazing, I would love to have my betta in a tank that size! I do have a 30g in our backroom with everything too it, but don't any room to set it up :( Hopfully I can get a nicer tank for him sometime, but for now he'll have to stay in a 3g /unfiltered tank.. ugh
 
be sure to do daily water changes to keep the ammonia down :))

back to talking about superpet/mainstream vendors/pet store crud - what about the log looking 'cabins' they sell for rabbits? i believe it's the living world brand. safe or not?
 
ChinnyMom said:
oooohhhh...... don't get me started on the bull poopy that pet store people try telling you about bettas...... oy!

btw, i had a betta that was happier than a pig in mud in a 55 gallon, with filtration rated in total for about a 200 gallon tank. people would gasp and say 'your betta needs to be in a bowl!'. i would laugh and shake my head, lol.
Click to expand...

trust me, i worked in a fish store (Big Al's Aquarium superstores)
Betas are mistreated from the get go, ALOT of them are wild caught, and are shipped (I KID YOU NOT) in 2" plastic triangles with about 1-2oz of water... they lay on there sides to breath and try to stay alive... they told me they are good to stay like that for up to a month.:banghead: ...and they do indeed.
...i took so many of those little plastic triangles home in my back pack that i ran out of spare tanks...


i really don't think those log cabin looking things are safe? but thats just going by looks... it LOOKS like a type of conifer bark such as cedar... but ive never bothered to take a sniff and verify
 
I agree it is very frustrating. Everything I have is bought from a pet store but I know what to look for and what not to buy.
I got some wood chews, apple sticks, loofa chews and a lava ledge from a private pet store. And a wooden house, dishes and glass water bottle from Petsmart. Also a hammock and hay and dust.
You have to be careful and make sure you are knowledgeable before going to pet stores as they put pictures of chinchillas on everything to make you think it's okay. For example: Yogurt drops, candy coated seeds, plastic death balls, plastic cages and cedar shavings.
I have rabbits as well and it is the same. Rabbits cannot eat corn but they have treats with seeds and corn that says "For rabbits" on the packaging. It's unbelievable that they are even able to sell them. A simple internet search tells you rabbits can't eat corn or seeds or sugar (yogurt drops).
 
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