Why shouldn't we buy from pet stores?

[sarahp]

A friend recently bought 2 kittens from a pet store. What was most frustrating was that she said to me "I was so inspired by all your rescue work, I adopted a kitten in need rather than a purebred". I felt like banging my head against a wall. She said it was a good pet store, because they take in animals off the street - but then went on to say that these kittens had come from the owners sister whose cat had kittens. Apparently whenever the cat has kittens, this store takes the kittens to sell. I was so mad - that just encourages people to be irresponsible, particular the sister!

So anyway, they paid a reasonable amount for the kittens, and the kittens were not spayed, were not vaccinated, and there was no adoption process.

If you adopt through a rescue group or shelter, they are almost always spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and health checked. There is an adoption process where they approve the adopter to make sure it's a good home, they have a contract in place where the animal is to be returned to them if they can't keep it for any reason.

Pet stores are not responsible like this, and do not care about the welfare of the animal, they just want the $$$.

In Australia, all the pet stores sell cats and dogs - kittens start at $100, and puppies at $200 or so, and are unpapered, unneutered, and unvaccinated usually because they're only 6 weeks old and too young for that, while thousands of kitties get put down at the RSPCA. That's the way it's always been, so the trend continues, and people don't see a problem with buying from the pet stores

 

[calico2222]

We don't have any of the big petstore chains around here (I live in a fairly small town) but we do have a few small independently owned stores that sell animals. I can't say much about the dogs, but I have asked about the kittens and they all come from people who's cat went out and had an "oopsie". They couldn't find homes (or didn't really try) and it was either the pet store or the shelter. The price was usually vet costs (and probably a small handling fee) but the employee told me none of it went to the person that brought them in. I have never seen a pure bred cat in either store. They had one litter that looked like pure siamese but the employee said there were no papers and there's no guarantee that they were full bred so they were priced just like the others.

In situations like that, I have no problem with a pet store giving the animals a home and exposure until they can find a forever home for them. And, the people there really seemed to care about the animals, which I'm sure is lacking in some of the big stores where corporate offices are looking at the "big picture".

They did say one pup they got they had NO idea what mix it was and were honest about it. The description was actually "Breed: mix of all the best" and named her Mystery. She found a home in 24 hours! They had a pic of her on the wall behind the counter and she was a real cutie!

 

[coolcat]

Originally Posted by sarahp

A friend recently bought 2 kittens from a pet store. What was most frustrating was that she said to me "I was so inspired by all your rescue work, I adopted a kitten in need rather than a purebred". I felt like banging my head against a wall. She said it was a good pet store, because they take in animals off the street - but then went on to say that these kittens had come from the owners sister whose cat had kittens. Apparently whenever the cat has kittens, this store takes the kittens to sell. I was so mad - that just encourages people to be irresponsible, particular the sister!

So anyway, they paid a reasonable amount for the kittens, and the kittens were not spayed, were not vaccinated, and there was no adoption process.

If you adopt through a rescue group or shelter, they are almost always spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and health checked. There is an adoption process where they approve the adopter to make sure it's a good home, they have a contract in place where the animal is to be returned to them if they can't keep it for any reason.

Pet stores are not responsible like this, and do not care about the welfare of the animal, they just want the $$$.

In Australia, all the pet stores sell cats and dogs - kittens start at $100, and puppies at $200 or so, and are unpapered, unneutered, and unvaccinated usually because they're only 6 weeks old and too young for that, while thousands of kitties get put down at the RSPCA. That's the way it's always been, so the trend continues, and people don't see a problem with buying from the pet stores

Big reasons so why not....

....Thank you for make more clear this!...

 

[northernglow]

In this country pet stores don't sell cats or dogs, it's forbidden (might be even illegal, I'm not sure). Why is it forbidden? Because there wouldn't be enough space to keep cats or dogs in the store, they need lots of room to play and live around and propably a lot more human contacts and socialising than other animals. They would propably destroy stuff in the store too, because it's illegal (animal cruelty) to keep cats or dogs in a cage for long periods of time, so they would have to be free in the store. It's also highly recommended that you get your cat or dog from a proper breeder, and most pet stores have links to the official cat/dog associations websites where you can find registered breeders.

We do have some rodents, reptiles, spiders, birds and bunnies in pet stores, but for example the fishes live in a large tanks (basic 'gold fish bowls' are illegal, smallest required tank size is 40 litres/8.8 gallons). I wouldn't buy any pet from a pet store, I think it's best to get the animal from a reputable breeder who knows how to take care of the animal in the best possible way, no matter what species is in question.

 

[callista]

Not buying from pet stores is kind of a triage thing. I.e., a strategy used when you cannot save everyone, so you choose who you save so as to get the highest possible number of rescues.

If you adopt from the pet store, you save one creature at the cost of letting an unspecified number more die (whatever that number is--it could be one in a hundred that dies, or five dies for every one sold; it's still more than zero).

If you adopt from a shelter, you save one creature, period, with no extra cost in lives to bring down the overall number.

Let's say a hundred people get pet-store animals, and let's say the pet store animals all survive. They save a hundred animals from puppy mills and such; but because they gave the irresponsible/abusive breeders their money, there are now twenty animals who have died due to the abusive process of creating those animals.

Now let's say that the same hundred people go to the shelter and get animals there, and let's say they all survive too. Now they have saved 100 animals, total, that will not have to be euthanized at the shelter.

Net total
Pet store: 80 saved.
Shelter: 100 saved.

I know, it's hard to be that pragmatic; but it really does come down to the numbers. Crisis situations, where you can't save everyone, do warrant triage strategies.

 

[arlyn]

Actually, if you adopt from a shelter, you free up space and resources for that shelter to save another animal.

 

[white cat lover]

Originally Posted by Arlyn

Actually, if you adopt from a shelter, you free up space and resources for that shelter to save another animal.

And sometimes, that pet will die if you don't take them home. That's not an adoption strategy, but a fact of it. I adopted Squishy from the shelter where I volunteer, as otherwise he would be euthanized the next morning. Saved his life, and we were able to put a pair of kittens in his place.

 

[rang_27]

This discussion is why I stay out of pet stores that sell kittens & puppies. I have only gone to look at kittens once & I didn't sleep well for 2 nights because I wanted to save them, but knew I couldn't. I also know that it perpetuates the cycle. I volunteer from a shelter & I can give you a long list of cats that are a reason to go to a shelter and not a pet store. I agree it is larger than just anyone person, but if we work together as a community the irresponsible people will have no chioce but to listen.

 

[bob'smom]

I've never bought a dog or cat from a pet store, but my BIL did. He and my sister were looking for a dog. They went to various shelters (my sister even had one picked out) but he was upset that they were asking so many questions. At the pet shop no one asked anything but "Visa or MasterCard". He couldn't understand that the shelter staff wanted to make sure the dog went to a home prepared to take care of him. And that's why the pet shops stay in business - plunking down money is easier to some people than dealing with legitimate questions from shelters.

We have one independent pet store around here that has cats from a local shelter on display. The good thing is the kitties aren't in small cages - the entire upper level of the store is one large cage from one end to another so they can walk around and see what's going on!

 

[StefanZ]

Originally Posted by Bob'sMom

I've never bought a dog or cat from a pet store, but my BIL did. He and my sister were looking for a dog. They went to various shelters (my sister even had one picked out) but he was upset that they were asking so many questions. At the pet shop no one asked anything but "Visa or MasterCard". He couldn't understand that the shelter staff wanted to make sure the dog went to a home prepared to take care of him. And that's why the pet shops stay in business - plunking down money is easier to some people than dealing with legitimate questions from shelters.

We have one independent pet store around here that has cats from a local shelter on display. The good thing is the kitties aren't in small cages - the entire upper level of the store is one large cage from one end to another so they can walk around and see what's going on!

Yeah.
There IS a need for easy to find, easy accessible, even easy to buy places.

I think someboydy earlier did witnessed about a long search for a kitten to get / buy. Quite.

The procedure of selling cats and dogs in pet-shops could perhaps be OK if it was done properly. Like this cat shop here above. Or PetSmarts cooperating with the shelters and rescue groups: the cats on display only now and then, The rest of the time they being with their fosterers.
Them being intermediaries with breeders, taking a small fee for contacts which results. Etc.

Thus, no mills, etc.

As earlier said: A cat bought from a shelter is de facto 2 saved cats: this bought cat and another who can now be admitted into the shelter.
But a cat bought from a badly managed pet shops - is signal to cheaply produce more cats to sell...

Thus there are two ways to go: Either never ever dont buy from bad pet shops. And or lay demand on them to manage the animals on sale much better, into homelike standards.