I went into a local garden centre today and as usual went to have a look around the pet section. (I wanted to see whether the shortage of guinea pigs is everywhere! It is!). As I walked past the rabbit part, and had a glance over to see a single nethie in one and a single nethie x(looks like) in the other. There was a family standing by the nethie x and one of the 3 kids was saying "I told you I wanted a rabbit!" as the mother tried to show him the gerbils! He was in a right strop. I shook my head and carried on thinking what a brat! Well when I came back, there was a member of staff with the family asking if they had the hutch or anything for the rabbit that they wanted to which the answer was obviously "NO"! The mother had given in to this little monster of a kid and was buying the rabbit and the cage etc...

And this sort of thing is why there are so many neglected rabbits! That kid will be bored in 2 months tops and it will either turn aggressive stuck in the cage or be given to a rescue!

Its one thing for pet shops to sell pets - which I dont really agree with - but if its a good shop(with advice and care, like my local) can accept - but for GARDEN CENTRES to have pets in a corner and selling to people who are just acting on impulce really makes me angry!

*Heidi*

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Completely agree! Last time i went into my garden centre they had some little nethies and they looked soo hot There bowls were overflowing with pellets and they were due a clean

Outside they have a decent size enclosure that houses 2 huge giant rabbits that are well looked after but the ones inside dont have the same luxary x

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These pets seem to be well looked after while there, I will admit that. They are always clean and have air con in the glass enclosures to stop them overheating but its the people they sell to!

*Heidi*

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There should be a law on homechecking! If they are looked after at the garden centre then they should continue the care after they go to a home. They should send someone out to check its suitable x

EDIT: And have someone with common sence to say.. "your childs a brat, so if u cant tell him no, i will!" x

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I think at least the people should have to prove they have a place for the bunny to go etc not just buy it all at once!!! Or they should have to do a test, just simple stuff and if they pass they have thought about getting one before hand, if they fail, tell them to read up on them and come back! The only problem is that if the garden centre or pet shop 10mins away didnt do the same, they would just go and buy one from there!

I worked in an aquatics centre and if we refused someone fish(because the water wasnt right) they would go off and buy them from someone else then come back a week later to tell us it died !

*Heidi*

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i have never seen garden centres selling pets my local one sells only fish and they are in a different building with people who know what they are doing i bet those garden centres dont train them how to look after those poor animals or what advice to give them it makes me mad
as for the guinea pigs we have guinea pigs in my local pet shop they seeem quite good in there where abouts are you ?

I am near Peterborough/Wisbech
The 2 local rescues dont have ANY guinea pigs, not one! Pets at home(who always have them! I wasnt going to buy from there just curious!) and the garden centre dont have them! Well the garden centre had one short coat boy and one long coat boy. The long coat they were charging £27 for!!!
I havn't managed to get to my local one yet, was hoping to rescue TBH.

*Heidi*

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I went to Pets at Home yesterday and saw someone buying a dwarf hamster for their children. The shop assistant got them a plastic cage to put it in, not a wire cage, and the cage he gave them was tiny, no levels or anything. It is so common for people to buy everything they need in one go. When I was younger, I bought hamster from the pet shop or garden centre (with my parents obviously) and we bought the cage, bedding, food etc in the same place. Obviously that was wrong then, and it still is now. Pet shops and garden centres sell everything you need, so that anyone can go into a pet shop and just want a pet on the spur of the moment. Also, I didn't notice any shortage of guinea pigs, there's always tons in pets at home (seriously, they only look about a week or so old). And there were loads in the garden centre but no rabbits.

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I OWN A CHOCOLATE ROAN COCKER SPANIEL
RIP David xx Run free at the bridge. Love you always xx 19th February 2011
RIP Jack and Mickey xx Run free at the bridge. Love you forever xx 20th June 2011

The thing is,the parent might want the pet,and the kid is just an excuse to get it!
My daughter has some gerbils,I know I will be looking after them,thats just the way it is.

My son had a fish tank he craved,got bored after a month.Lucky I have a fish fetish,and my fish have babies,so it was a great baby tank in the end

The adult knows they will end up looking after it (unless they are thick)

The pets are in the shop to be sold, yes the shops should give better advise,but weekend staff dont have a clue. I find pets at home on of the worse shops.Especially for fish advise.

From around the age of 7 all I wanted was a rabbit. I'd anoy mum and dad to get one all the time but they always told me no because rabbits needed vaccines etc otherwise they could die from horrible diseases. When I was 13/14 they said I was allowed to get a guinea pig.. Now there is 12 piggies, 7 gerbils, 2 rabbits and a hamster (also 2 dogs!)

The gerbils and hamsters are 100% mine because mum isn't keen on them atall but the rabbits and piggies are more of family pets and we all help take care of them. I'm glad my parents didn't let me get anything more than fish when I was younger because I know I'd have got bored and because I've waited I appreciate them more.

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