P@H

[Tom_cat]

Hello.
I am, as you may have already gathered, abit fed up with people moaning about P@H. I, along with many others, have never, ever had a bad experience with them, apart from one fish that i baught, that had whitespot, but i new he had it when i baught it!
Pet shops, are just that, a shopt that sells pets! They are not made to be a place that you can go and revise on animals, not meant to be a place you can go and quiz the shop assistance silly on animals, just simply a place that sells animals!

I understand that people have their own problems with the shop via their own bad expeirences. But, at the same time, i have more trouble with a little privetly owned pet shop, who claims to be evry nolidgable, yet have had miss sexed pets from them many a time! I feel, that if you want to go to a petshop, then you should learn how to sex the species of animal by your self, as you will find it can be very hard to get the animal sexed rightly, especially when young! So if you cannot be bothered to learn how to sex an animal, then put it into practise when you go to buy the animal, then please dont moan about the shop getting the sexing wrong, if you learned how to, you wouldnt buy the wrong sexed animal!

If you dont like P@H, then thats fine. But dont keep going in to check on the animals, then come and moan on here, as it isnt fair! I know, that on here there are people who pretend not to like P@H to all of you who dont, then actually buy all of their goods from them, including the animal itself!

I feel it is quite sad, that people have to do that as they know, that when they come on here and say where they got the animal, they will have all of the 'Why didnt you go to a rescue?' or 'Are there no rescues around your area?' or 'I dont like people buying animals from P@H' that is always said when people say about buying from them, or have just baught from them.

Dont you think that your own opinions, are sometimes best kept to yourself? Or mabey you could all PM each other with you little moans about P@H? Mabey anew section of the forum could be opened to people who like to have a little moan about P@H?

As i am really getting sick of people keep slagging them off, and i have honestly, more than once considered leaving the forum because of it!

Dont reply here, saying all of your bad experiences, as i dont want to here them, dont reply here saying that i am stupid as i stick up for them, just dont reply here if you have nothing nice to say about them please.

Thank-you, Tom.

 

[kezza30]

I feel it is quite sad, that people have to do that as they know, that when they come on here and say where they got the animal, they will have all of the 'Why didnt you go to a rescue?' or 'Are there no rescues around your area?' or 'I dont like people buying animals from P@H' that is always said when people say about buying from them, or have just baught from them.

Thank-you, Tom.

I for one wouldn't lie or worry about where i got my animals from. I know some people may think they need to lie incase they get backlash but 2 of my piggies Hermione and Erin come from P@H i don't regret it, i'm not ashamed of it and i won't lie about where they where bought to please other people, if they don't like it keep your opinions to yourself.

As the saying goes if youhave nothing nice to nice, don't say it

The one thing that really peeves me off is everyone thinking that anyone who works in P@H are Mc Donalds rejects who know NOTHING about the animals they sell, unless they went up and down the country they couldn't possibly know that.

I KNOW my P@H know alot about there animal had no problems with there advice, sexing etc and very pleased that the lad who let me buy Erin did so because they know me very well and it was either me or let Erin live with arabit that the original lady who was going to ake her admited she was going to do

*hudes under stone*

 

[Tom_cat]

Thanks kezza, and i hope i dont get my head bitten off by people but i dont care, this is how i feel.

I mean, ok, some animals are ill when you buy them, but give them a check over in the shop, and P@H will pay vet bills, as i have found out from some other threads.

 

[MemberX]

Tom you can't go around a forum expecting people to agree just because you don't want to hear other peoples opinions on a subject.

Like you I do get fed up with the negative comments all the time, people moan but don't do anything about it. I did have a bad experience but those know what happened and I won't repeat myself. All I will say is the fact that my pig went from breeder to petshop, then harassed in store by bigger pigs and then home to me caused him too much stress. This forum is pro rescue so we are not going to say oh go to a pet shop. But if you have then we won't say oh you shouldn't have done that. Resuces should always be promoted here and rightly so.

I must admit the smaller shops are worse, my local one is just awful and they sell animals half price or on a BOGOF offer who do they think they are Boots? I do agree if you are buying from a petshop then you should sex yourself because they can be mis-sexed but people who work in these shops if they can't do the basics thn they shouldn't be employed in this field, it's like trying to teach floristry to a butcher!

Pets at Home has improved, but the fact that I do not know where the animals comes from fills me with dread, do we just assume they are from your friendly breeder, people should open their mind to rodent farms. I haven't been in Pets at Home for months, I swear on my daughters life. I get my pellets from a petshop supply shop that sells no animals and I use animal feeed shops. I would never tell people they shouldn't have bought from petshops but I would advise to go to a resuce before hand.

Perhaps if you done some rescue work you wouldn't be so pro P@H?

 

[Tom_cat]

I dont expect people to agree with me S&T, i just wish they would either do something about there moaning, by complaining, or dont moan at all.

I know rescues should be recomended and promoted, but there is no need to slag the shops off just because the forum is more rescue than shop. Just get on with life withought moaning about the shops. It seems that people have to check up on how the shops are doing aswell.

And one last thing, imnot pro P@H, i just cant stand people wrongly slagging them off. If they were slagging any shop of wrongly, i would stick up for the shop, so its not that i am pro P@H i have rescued many animals. and i help rescues alot actually, i donate to them, and even did a fun run thing to make money for them!

 

[millymolly]

i agree
my local pet shop is horrible! loads of animals in small cages bunnies and gp's together >, last time i looked in the window they had gp's with fungus and mites :'( they were also selling babies that judging by the size of them were less than 3 weeks old! :tickedoff: yes they had fresh veggies! but that was about the only thing going in their favor!
at least in my local p@h the gp's have clean cages pellet food, hay and water as well as shelter.
so i know which one i chose to shop in! at least i don't want to burst into tears :'( and buy every animal in the shop just to make sure they are ok!
i know its not an ideal way to get an animal (which is why i wont be taking my babies their to sell!) but i cant say i have ever been upset by the way in which the animals are kept.

 

[Tom_cat]

See, i have opend up a place for people to show their good expeirences, so if you have a good one, with pets at home, please come and tell us!

NOT THE BAD ONES REMEMBER!

 

[MemberX]

Ok you want good experiences....

I got Pudsey from Pets at Home adoption as he is allergic to woodshavings, the man who offered me him knew his stuff, was helpful and cared a great deal about all the animals. I was impressed. Pets at Home St Helens really does impress me and I have seen huge improvements at the Aintree store.

Thats as far as my praise goes.

 

[Tom_cat]

Thank you for the good expeirence Sunshine&Twinkle!

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Our local Pets@Home in Rugby has also improved dramatically over the past few years. The animals are always clean and have plenty of food, hay and water and they are also given veggies. I go in for food etc regularly and always glance into the enclosures, which always look as though they have been cleaned that day.

Last year they had some very knowledgeable staff, who clearly had a great love for rabbits and guinea pigs. Sadly they lost them because of the poor wages they pay (minimum wage).

 

[poppy1775]

I don't have any good experiences from pets at home i go in there quite regularly but then i don't have any bad experiences either!

good idea about the good experiences though you don't hear anything other than bad ones on here, And there not all that bad in there! O0

 

[kezza30]

See, i have opend up a place for people to show their good expeirences, so if you have a good one, with pets at home, please come and tell us!

NOT THE BAD ONES REMEMBER!

Good ones:

When i was 16 my dad bought me two female gerbils, i was going to buy one but the lady advised me to buy a pair as they prefer comapny, gave me a leaflet, told m about there care dan the best cage to keep them in, she sexed them correctly and they lived happy lives thanks to her advice, Geri just died a few weeks ago

Honey our family hamster was bought from the same store, same lady we asked advice on, sexed her again corectly, her advice again was top marks.

Hermione my REW was bought from the same store but by assistant manager, he gave me advice on cage size, corect feed, vit c, veggies and to keep them in groups (knew it all but atleast he was telling me)

Erin i'm most proud off, if P@H where like they say poor girl would now be living in with a bunny She was the only female in the shop she could have been kept with a house of baors rather than use another cage on her but they kept her seperate. The ady who got in before me was told that under no circumstances could they now sel Erin to her knwoing she would be living with a rabbit, instead she was given to me :smitten:

We've gotten numerous fish from there again there advice is great and we've never had a problem, thankfully they live good happy lives.

I've also got from there adoption section, MAizey and Lulu seperated dwarf hasmters who the owners couldnt keep because there was 2 cages now 98) and Nuts another poor hammie whos owners couldn't keep hi.

My local shop i've stopped buying in all together it's heartbreaking to see.

There was once a tiny bunny about the size of my palm i wanted to tak it so much it had obvious mites, living with piggies, the hamsters are kept atleast 8 or so to ones of those small starter cages they sell tiny statrer cages inc free hamster, a starter leo kit with leopard gecko.

Another one thats worse sells the tiny fish bowls with free gold fish :o there fish tanks always have white spot in them, they sell pupies and kittens and once i wnet in the rabbit cage had been left open on a height :o

 

[MemberX]

No it's not all bad and if I wouldn't of gone in I wouldn't have Twinkle and Pudsey. The staff should be paid more then they may get more experienced people involved. But it's the same in PC World they offer low wages and take on people with no knowledge of puters, it's just the industry of retail.

Also in Aintree there was a lady there who had a pregnant pig from a really bad shop in Liverpool and Pets at Home gave her a cage for free. The only down side was she was giving babes to them but still it was decent to offer a cage for free when the pigs didn't come from them.

 

[Tom_cat]

Wooo, keep them coming!

Kezza, all good expeirences. Thank-you!

S&T- Gosh, thats good. A free cage even though the pig wasnt from them, thats nice!

 

[kezza30]

Aw that ws nice of them should have been the other shop giving her a cage but do't think they would then :tickedoff:

My little hamster RIP Fay was bought from the local shop i no longer go in, what did they do because they couldn't sell them i guess because they where REW was sell them at a £1, yes hasmters for £1 :o :o :tickedoff:

I would much rather buy from P@H than those shops and there silly offers >

 

[MemberX]

To be honest Pets at Home Aintree and St Helens I have to go on amotorway to get to and my local pet feed shop is 5 minutes down the road it makes sense to use them first.

Another one...not so much about the staff but the product. I think the Lavander Lodge hutch is fabbadoodydandy! ;D

I'm sure I'll think of more throughout the day! Yep I thought it was decent of them to offer the lady a cage.

 

[Tom_cat]

Yeah, it does make sense to go to the local petfeed shop, and i understand that is easier and i would also use the local one. But I'm just saying that people really shouldnt avoid P@H in order to buy supplies, as some people do!

Yeah, i do like the hutches there. Not a bad price too, i dont think. I like the sage house and the thistle hall!

 

[kezza30]

I prefer using P@H for supplis but i get mine from everywhere as i need so mcuh stuff ;D but around here P@H have thebiggest selection of willow toys for my buns and piggies and excel hay, and huge bags of wood shavings i need no where else does

 

[Linden]

I am a regular P@H user and have never had any cause for complaint about them. I have now had 3 gps from my local store (Dumfries) and always been given excellent advice. I've always found them to keep their animals in clean, well appointed conditions with fans/ice bottles in warmer weather and plenty of 'igloos' and tubes to hide in. All the assistants I've dealt with have been helpful and seem to know their stuff, many off them own piggies of their own and seem genuinely fond of the animals. This is more than I can say about our local independent pet store which keeps its animal in pitifully small cages and who seems to take babies at far too early an age, they're so small! The only way I would be tempted to buy from them would be to rescue them all!

The only event that might have been considered the least bit negative was that after we had bought Truffles we discovered she was pregnant. I don't think it was P@H's fault and they were prepared to help us re-home them if we hadn't wanted to keep them. As it was we did. Infact it was probably one of the best surprises ever and led us to expanding our flock, which in turn meant we invested in a big outdoor run for them so they all have a much nicer life as a result.

I know many of you support re-homing rescue pigs, and I am totally in favour of that, but it's not always that easy to get one. When we lost our first gp we wanted a companion for our remaining piggie. We wanted an older gp because at the time we had this idea that if they were both about the same age they could live out their lives together and pass away at about the same time - how naive were we! ;D ;D However, we found it almost impossible to find one. We tried local vets, rescue centres and RSPCA branches as far afield as Glasgow and Edinburgh - but with no success. We eventually bought one from a centre in Ayr that had a petting zoo.

On the matter of re-homing I would say that P@H now actively support animal adoption and frequently have small animals available for adoption - mainly because the owners have been unable to keep them or changed their minds. Our latest addition to the family, Snow Drop, was adopted from P@H. I'd seen her and felt so sorry for her as she was all on her own. I'd gone home and told my OH about her who raised his eyebrows with that not-more-guinea-pigs look on his face. I decided if she was still there by the weekend I was going to persuade him to let me bring her home. Imagine my surprise then, when I got home on Valentines day to find the indoor cage all set up in the utility and little Snow Drop inside :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: Hubby had gone and adopted her for me - talk about major brownie points! ;D P@H take no money for this service and make you sign an agreement that the animal won't be resold or used for breeding.

Overall, P@H get my vote O0

 

[Angeladeedah]

I would like to say that I love P@H. I got my 2 guinea pigs from there (although in future would look at going to a rescue centre but that's no reflection on P@H). I got brilliant advice from the girl in the shop and my 2 girls have been brilliant.

I buy most of my products from P@H as there is a store not too far from me and I love it. The animals are all well cared for. They always have dry food, water, hay and fresh fruit/veg. The guinea pigs and rabbits are kept separate along with male and female. The shop has been that way for many years. Their turnover appears to be really quick for animals and they never have loads in stock at any one time.

They are just a shop selling animals/products and staff can not be expected to have knowledge on everything - just like they don't if you work in a supermarket/departmentment store etc. Staff really only know the basics, if that. Its up to the individual to go get information on the animal that you want to take into your home.