LorryDriverLuke
Junior Guinea Pig
Just went into my local P@H for a look at the guinea pigs and they seem to have totally stopped selling animals, which can only be a good thing. Anyone know if this is nationwide or just my store?
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Pets At Home No Longer Selling Animals?
- Thread starter LorryDriverLuke
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Just went into my local P@H for a look at the guinea pigs and they seem to have totally stopped selling animals, which can only be a good thing. Anyone know if this is nationwide or just my store?
Gem789
Forum Donator 2025/26
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That's funny you say that, I went to my local store in daventry on Sunday and where the pets normally are was raw dog food ...
Eriathwen
Adult Guinea Pig
My local has stopped selling reptiles, they were struggling to sell them apparently. Theyre still selling other pets though. Maybe stores that struggle to sell mammals etc are doing the same thing?
LorryDriverLuke
Junior Guinea Pig
Looks like they've stopped then
nana piggie
Junior Guinea Pig
I went to our store at bognor at the weekend, they still had furries, including one lovely piggie all by itself in the adoption cage. My hubby had to drag me away!
Patchwork Staccato
Junior Guinea Pig
The pets at home still sell animals c: but there was one point where they stopped but they were building something.
MrsMoo
Teenage Guinea Pig
My nearest pets at home still have all animals for sale. And a lovely large guinea in the adoption section who was there a few weeks ago too, was so tempted but her size would probably cause problems if i tried to introduce her.
Tiny
Teenage Guinea Pig
I would hope that if any are stopping selling small animals it would be perhaps because the store is small/remote and they're finding it difficult to rehome. I don't disagree with PAH but I think that's because I've been fortunate enough that ive always found the 2 stores I've regularly used to be very good, and this may be because they're quite large and well-staffed and I've always been impressed with their knowledge and actual 'giving a damn' attitude (with furries and fish). Of course, it does depend on the management - any apathy generally descends downwards - but not-so-scrupulous breeders/sellers do occur, as do sick animals, not just at PAH (I've seen breeders offering mixed sex pairs and single pigs with no cautionary warnings), and whilst new owners should do ample research, some don't and won't know of any issues. I've had no problems with furries from PAH and must've adopted around 100 fish over the years and have only had a problem with ONE, which died after 3 days (I returned, they tested it and confirmed ich, which is not an uncommon ailment).
Well that turned into a slightly defensive rant which it wasn't supposed to
but point being, I hope that if any stop selling animals it might be because they were unsuccessful/a bit rubbish and that can only up the standard. Maybe ideally more would adopt from rescues but that's not possible/preferable for all I guess 
Well that turned into a slightly defensive rant which it wasn't supposed to
but point being, I hope that if any stop selling animals it might be because they were unsuccessful/a bit rubbish and that can only up the standard. Maybe ideally more would adopt from rescues but that's not possible/preferable for all I guess 
Wigwig
Adult Guinea Pig
My local one has had gradually dwindling stock over the past year or so, and the last few times I went in, there were no bunnies or guineas in the sale area. Only a couple of rabbits in the adoption bit. The hamsters and rats were still there.
Maybe they are doing more ordering in rather than live stock constantly being there, I mean the critters grow very fast and I can't believe they would manage to shift them all at the amounts they had.
I think live animals in all areas of sales are becoming a massive money loss. Things like farms and zoos have ever more regulations and upkeep costs, and pets live for much longer as people take care of them better, so you arent getting the high turn over. I remember when peoples rabbits and guinea pigs never really lived past 3 years. And hamsters!
I know rats have a very short life span, but the others have reasonable ones I believe.
And I think more people are turned off the idea of pets nowadays, rented places often wont allow pets, they cost time and money which people have less of.
It may be live ones switch to breeders like with dogs and cats, but I think that comes with its own problems to be honest.
Maybe they are doing more ordering in rather than live stock constantly being there, I mean the critters grow very fast and I can't believe they would manage to shift them all at the amounts they had.
I think live animals in all areas of sales are becoming a massive money loss. Things like farms and zoos have ever more regulations and upkeep costs, and pets live for much longer as people take care of them better, so you arent getting the high turn over. I remember when peoples rabbits and guinea pigs never really lived past 3 years. And hamsters!
I know rats have a very short life span, but the others have reasonable ones I believe.
And I think more people are turned off the idea of pets nowadays, rented places often wont allow pets, they cost time and money which people have less of.
It may be live ones switch to breeders like with dogs and cats, but I think that comes with its own problems to be honest.
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