[fatrat]

I wasn't going to sign up because I'm useless at forums, but I just had to sign up to respond to this.

One time I went into p@h, I saw that they had two male rats left over from their latest 'stock', about 10wks old and being housed in separate glass tanks(!) side by side, so they were able to see each other but not cuddle . I asked the shop assistant what was going on, and she claimed that it was against their shop rules to house top-eared and dumbos together :cursing: even when I pointed out that the dumbo was clearly depressed and skinny, she said that customer service came first and because they sell dumbos differently than normal rats they had to be seperate - like rabbits and guinea pigs. I asked her if I could hold the rats (I know! ) and the top-eared launched at me like he'd never been loved in his life and burrowed himself in my scarf and started licking my face like crazy:001_wub:, the dumbo was snappy and skittish like you'd imagine him to be. But I got so worked up at how obviously depressed both rats were, and how that'd all be solved if p@h had just taken out the glass divider seperating them

Long story short, that is the story of how George and Percy came home :smilewinkgrin: And that was the final straw with p@h really, don't even go in there to buy treats/foods/etc anymore.

 

[thedogsmother]

Ive heard them telling someone that same thing, they would sell a top eared or a dumbo but not if they would be housed together, apparently you cant bond rats either so if you bought one it would have to live alone forever :cursing:

 

[8tansox]

To be honest I don't go into these stores any more. I'm not a fan of where they acquire their stock from, I've overheard staff giving wrong information on raw feeding dogs, I've heard staff giving wrong information on dried dog food too. They also have notice boards where anyone can sell their puppies, no checks done or anything and it's made too easy for people to buy on a whim and from back yard breeders.:cursing:

I also prefer to spend my money in my local pet shop where it's ran by a husband and wife team, who know their customers and their dogs and know their stuff. They can also get me anything I ask for too. Admittedly, I do pay a little more, but not that much, so I'd prefer to shop locally and pay a little extra for friendly service and knowledgeable people.

 

[CRL]

Ive heard them telling someone that same thing, they would sell a top eared or a dumbo but not if they would be housed together, apparently you cant bond rats either so if you bought one it would have to live alone forever :cursing:

when i bought phoenix, ryvan, coren and loren from p@h i told the girl i was going to take 2 rats from each tank and put them together, i already had the cage done for them. they were kept seperated, top ears and dumbos, for some strange reason although they were the same price. althought she knew nothing about rats and obviously didnt like them she still felt the need to tell me how to introduce 4 6 week old rats, because ive never done an intro before ut: she knew they were going together but still gave them to me so that cant be one of their rules. she did tell me i had to take their leaflet on how to look after rats, to take them in p@h boxes, 1 in each box, and that i had to sign an agreement to say that i had other rats if i was planning on introducing them etc. as soon as i got to the car i put them in a carrier i had bought with me and checked their sex just to make sure.

 

[thedogsmother]

I ended up taking Cookie from the adoption bit because I overheard them telling someone who had shown an interest that they would "just have to take HIM on his own because they cant be put with other rats when they get past the baby stage", when I adopted her I was also told that "HE was called Hanibal the Canibal because he was so savage", cookie was the sweetest rat Ive ever owned, never a moments bother and a proper mummys GIRL. Shes the only rat Ive had from there, albeit the adoption bit, she had two tumours removed in her lifetime and eventually died a relatively young rat.

 

[MrRustyRead]

i dont know where they get their advice from but its a load of rubbish, i was told it was better to keep two males together than two females. i told them they got it wrong but they werent having any of it. a lot of them HATE the way the animals are kept and where they have come from, but work there as they need a job.

we should all win the lottery and buy the company out

 

[manic rose]

to be honest, P@H is no worse or better than any other pet shop that sells animals but for such a large chain they really should set an example to other stores by having better practices and training staff better.

I only pop in occassionally but when I do I end up ranting and having my fiancée shepherd me out the door! Last time I went in there was a rat in the "new" pets section that was all alone. I wanted to take the little guy home. If someone goes in and sees him housed alone and knows nothing about rats they will think its ok to keep them alone. The hamster cages had the treats hung so high that it would be impossible for the hamsters to ever reach them, even by climbing on toys or each other. The rehoming section had 7 occupied cages, 5 of which were there because they were the last one of their batch to be sold Every single time I go in that is the reason for at least one the animals being in the rehoming section. Makes me so mad!

 

[fatrat]

Last time I went in there was a rat in the "new" pets section that was all alone. I wanted to take the little guy home. If someone goes in and sees him housed alone and knows nothing about rats they will think its ok to keep them alone.

That's another reason I don't like them, lots of innocent first-time buyers are keeping rats alone because p@h doesn't specify that they need company. :/

 

[Guest]

That's another reason I don't like them, lots of innocent first-time buyers are keeping rats alone because p@h doesn't specify that they need company. :/

As much as I hate P@H (and believe me I do) I will say that one improvement that some stores have is they won't allow you to buy a lone rat, some members have had to show photo's of their rats before the store will allow them to take the rat home.

I would rather they stopped selling animals full stop but slowly, slowly catchy monkey

 

[Jemmalg]

The fact that their stock comes from rodent farms makes me feel sick. As a kid I had Syrian hamsters which I always got from P@H, my mum didn't know any different because you just don't think to research what you think is a reputable store. I can't remember how I stumbled across the information as to where I was actually getting my hammies from, and what I was funding, but I've not bought a thing from them since. I go in to check the adoption centres because I can't bear the thought of what might happen if I didn't take them.

Other than that, the staff have no idea what they're talking about. I've seen people buy singular rats, Chinese hamsters in pairs, those TINY starter cages, Robos for kids as young as four or five :mad2: I've asked reasonable questions - ages of hamsters, sexes, and they have no idea. Again when I had my Syrians, I was always sold 'girls'. Looking back at pictures, however, now that I know how to sex a hamster, at least three out of the seven I had were definitely boys - and I can work that out from a photo! I keep winter whites now, and I'm yet to find a P@H employee who knows what a winter white is - they band their almost-definite hybrids as dwarfs... Russians if you're lucky!

Aand finally, my issue is the health of the pets. I must've been lucky with mine, because they all lived to 2.5-3 years, but my friend recently was in there buying supplies and saw a three-legged Syrian. She asked the employee about it, they had "no idea how that could've happened". She took her home because she was afraid no-one would want a three-legged hamster, and they'd end up culling her - she died within a few days of wet-tail.

So yeah. Independent stores, or breeders.

 

[thedogsmother]

you just don't think to research what you think is a reputable store.

This is such an important statement, and so true. Most people see the P@H adverts and belive the hype that P@H is a caring store that knows animals and what they need, I think the majority of people out there would probably go there if they wanted to ensure that they were buying healthy animals as P@H looks the part .

 

[DeadLee]

Just so you all know. I will no longer buy anything from pets at home not even so much as a hamster treat!!

I am so shocked at all of this it makes me so sad

 

[Lavenderb]

I would never buy or adopt an animal from any of their stores ever again. Had 2 from them and both died young and suddenly for no reason apparent.

I rarely visit pets at home to be honest. I prefer 'The Ark' which is based near me.
Another shop I use a lot is my local Jollyes. Huge range of foods and dry goods and the rodents they sell are housed with thought and consideration. All on correct substrate and toys provided along with fresh veggies/fruit. The cages are kept clean daily.

 

[LostGirl]

I've heard wonderfull things about I'm yet to go as I know I'll have trouble coming away with nothing

The ark is pretty good except one girl who think she knows everything about everything and totally addiment that buck could not be introduced to any other bucks ever! I did go back and tell her that the two were happily living with 8 other boys with no problems!

 

[chrisd]

Do all Jollyes sell rodents? I don't think the one near me does but not 100%

 

[thedogsmother]

We have two P@H branches in Huddersfield, one sells pets and one doesnt, I almost always go to the non pet one these days, I do still buy things from P@H but its just to get dog toys etc.

 

[fatrat]

The one in Aberystwyth is terrible and needs to be shut down :/ 90% of the people there are students and p@h knowingly sells the "cuter" animals to students who get bored within a week/don't know how to look after pets/can't afford vet bills. I've heard of students buying rats and letting them free in dorms "as a joke"

 

[Eriya]

I've heard of students buying rats and letting them free in dorms "as a joke"

As a former student, I am ashamed of such behaviour

 

[fogy]

I used to work at just for pets, and wasn't too happy how the hamsters were kept in cages with no wheels they got bored and started chewing the plastic houses.
I got that sad i brought a hamster home that was 4 months thats no one had brought, he was in a tiny glass cage! But now he's in a big cage with plenty to do and he gets his treat of vegetables.

But some petshops like ur local one i just cant go in cus it makes me that annoyed.

 

[tinktinktinkerbell]

i dont really have a problem with PAH, ive only had one hamster from there and she was lovely, i do find them kinda expensive though

i usually get hamsters from my local pet shop and i cant fault them, they (the pets and the staff) are so friendly and lovely