Pet Shops
Pet shops are retail businesses that specialize in the selling of a wide variety of animals, as well as the needed supplies for taking care of them such as food, cages, aquariums, etc. While the particular animals that a pet shop sells include: cats, dogs, fish, birds, hamsters & other rodents, lizards, snakes, turtles, exotic spiders, frogs, salamanders, and toads. They usually sell small animals that are used to feed larger animals, referred to as "feeders" as well.
Interestingly enough, larger animals such as dogs and cats, while popular pets, are not often sold in pet stores; in fact in the UK they are not sold in pet stores whatsoever. Some pet shops will carry rare and exotic pets such as sugar gliders, large snakes, and exotic birds. However, due to the scarcity of these animals they will often fetch a hefty price. Additionally, many pet stores will not carry them due to the fact that they are simply too difficult to take care of.
Finding a Pet Shop
When looking for a pet shop in your area, it is important to take the following information into consideration. Fortunately, the Internet now makes doing research easier than ever, and you can find everything out you need to know about a particular business within a few minutes. You'll need to know certain things such as the following:
- Whether or not the owner of the establishment is licensed to sell pets
- The level of expertise the shop owner has
- The type of pets the shop primarily deals in
- What is the reputation of the store when compared to other similar shops in the area
- How many years the store has been in business
- Whether or not the owner of the company is fair in his or her dealings
- How the shop owner and/or employees have treated their customers in the past (i.e. Are they friendly enough to speak with you candidly about the animals they sell)
- Does the shop offer any additional services to help you take care of your new pets
- Whether or not the store is currently offering any special discounts or promotions that you could take advantage of
Once you have looked up the pet shops in your area and have determined which ones best fit the criteria of what you are looking for, you can begin contacting them to see if they carry the types of pets that you are in the market for.
Puppy Mills
When buying dogs from a pet shop, it is important that you first know a bit about puppy mills and the negative effects that they may have on the dogs which they produce. Most dogs that are sold in pet shops are actually bred in puppy mills which are breeding centers which produce a very high volume of puppies to be sold in pet stores all across the country. While not every pet store that sells dogs receives their stocks from one of these breeding centers, there has been enough research to conclude that most seem to. The main problem with these establishments is how they treat the dogs, which unfortunately is little better than chickens or cattle.
There's nothing wrong with purchasing a dog that has been bred on one of these farms, but it is important that you know a little bit about where they come from first. Some people prefer to ask ahead of time where dogs have been bred to make sure they meet their conditions. However, if you do purchase a dog that has been bred on these farms, make sure to give him or her a lot of love right away as they have been known to often suffer from ESS, Early Stress Syndrome.
Buying Fish
When you are interested in purchasing fish there are a few important things that you should look out for. Fish in pet shops are sometimes mistreated, so it is a good idea to determine how they have been taken care of in order to make sure that the fish you are going to be buying will live long and healthy lives once they have entered your home. The first thing you will want to do is learn how the particular fish you are going to buy lives in the wild and how you can take care of them.
The following are a few things to look out for that may be warning signs that a pet shop is not taking the proper care of its fish. It is usually necessary to check up on a location multiple times in order to make sure these issues are continuing problems.
- There is consistently dirty water that remains unchanged for long periods of time
- Most fish are skinny, sick, or dead
- There are many dead and diseased fish displayed in the open (or moved to the back and ignored)
- The same fish remain in the store for months at a time (this means the store orders too many fish)
- Fish, usually Bettas, are kept in containers smaller than 3 inches in diameter
Do Rodents Make Good House Pets?
Interestingly enough, not only do rodents make excellent pets, but they are in fact some of the easiest pets to take care of. They require very little space, such as a small cage or tank and require only minimum care. Some of the more popular types of rodents for house pets include hamsters, mice, rats, gerbils, and guinea pigs. When choosing your pet in a pet store, be sure to choose one that looks healthy. For example, teeth should be straight, clean, and not overgrown. There should be no discharge from the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Conclusion
Hopefully you have found this article to be of assistance for your search when buying a pet to adopt into your family. It is important that you are always learning more about the pets you are interested in taking care of so you are sure to do the best job possible.
Pet Shops