Small pets from pet stores?

[Emily]

AFA fish go... I was in the hobby for long time and if you want to buy from a "breeder" you typically are talking about purchasing online. Which is not a big deal, as fish ship pretty well typically, but I certainly didn't balk at buying fish from local shops. In a perfect world, your local shop will be owned by somebody who's also a serious hobbiest. If not, they'll at least make an effort to carry healthy stock, inform themselves of proper species care, and be honest with their clients. I never made any real effort to take rehomes or "rescues" and if I set up a tank again, I won't then either.

Pocket pets... Well, I dunno, my sister her got her Syrian hammy from good old PetSmart. They gave us excellent care advice, she came to us in good health, and she was the best hamster I've ever known. We still miss her.

I'll always prefer going to a hobbiest for these kinds of things, but I'm not going to freak out about buying small animals from places where they are well cared for. There are species I'd be careful with (namely rats and mice) because they're primarily feeder stock and not what you'd want in pets, temperament or healthwise.

For my snakes, I have far too many connections and options to ever bother with a pet store, so breeders it is. Pet store snakes are often overpriced and poorly cared for. I love when you see an Amel corn hatchling for like $60... yeah, I'll get right on that, LOL! I could get a healthier, prettier one from a breeder for like $20, so... no thanks.

[PWCorgi]

Except whenever I see ads on Craiglist, it's always "my XYZ species had babies! Please adopt!" and it's like, I don't want to give money to those people any more than I want to give money to the pet store. Granted, I only look at the CL ads once in a blue moon when I get bored, so I definitely don't see them all.

In just todays CL there is:
3 rats (+ one ad that just says the person has some male rats for sale)
1 sugar glider male
Cockateils
Degus

Yesterdays CL ads:
Cockateil (2 ads)
Lovebird
Cornsnake
Ferrets
2 male rats
Parakeet
Ball Python
Guinea pigs
2 female sugar gliders
Russian Dwarf Hamster
Red Tail Boa
Bearded Dragon
5 month old Guinea Pig
More guinea pigs
Male guina pig
2 more male gpigs
ANOTHER sugar glider ad
'nother cockateil (this makes 3 for one day)
Gecko
Baby Cockateil
Baby Parakeets
Orange Opaline Lovebird
Chinchilla
Parakeets
Ball Python
Ringneck Parakeet
3 bearded dragons
2 bearded dragons

This is why I never feel the need to get a small animal from a pet store. Granted, I live in a very urban area, so there are a lot of ads, but ANYTHING I could want, I'd just have to wait a couple days to find.

[Xandra]

Originally Posted by Emily

AFA fish go... I was in the hobby for long time and if you want to buy from a "breeder" you typically are talking about purchasing online. Which is not a big deal, as fish ship pretty well typically, but I certainly didn't balk at buying fish from local shops.

I actually found this area has a good aquarium hobbyist society, you can get lots of cool stuff from its members. I went to an auction a while ago and there were fish going for a fraction of what they would online.

I'll buy fish from a pet store as well but just putting in a plug for aquarium societies as being a good source of fish too.

[~Tucker&Me~]

Xandra, I have found that too. BCAquaria member? Great forum.

[Xandra]

Tucker, I'm a member, it's a good forum, I got a nice heater out the classifieds.

http://www.vahs.ca <-- these guys have meetings/auctions at the Vancouver Aquarium, have you been? I went to their spring auction and got some "painted fire red shrimp" 10 for $18 (I think they may be regular cherry shrimp but that's still cheaper than a pet shop) and some Asian water grass for a couple bucks and some other cheap plant.

[~Tucker&Me~]

Originally Posted by Xandra

Tucker, I'm a member, it's a good forum, I got a nice heater out the classifieds.

http://www.vahs.ca <-- these guys have meetings/auctions at the Vancouver Aquarium, have you been? I went to their spring auction and got some "painted fire red shrimp" 10 for $18 (I think they may be regular cherry shrimp but that's still cheaper than a pet shop) and some Asian water grass for a couple bucks and some other cheap plant.

I was going to catch a ride with a member to one and buy some almond leaves off of another member but last minute I couldn't go I would like to go at some point but I know if I do I will spend money and I am trying very hard NOT to do that right now

[Shai]

Originally Posted by Xandra

I actually found this area has a good aquarium hobbyist society, you can get lots of cool stuff from its members. I went to an auction a while ago and there were fish going for a fraction of what they would online.

I'll buy fish from a pet store as well but just putting in a plug for aquarium societies as being a good source of fish too.

Absolutely agreed. I'm from another area entirely but the same is true here -- there are biannual fish auction/swaps (more often if you're willing to travel more than I am) and most of the vendors are club members with various degrees of elaborate fish rooms who breed and raise fish as a hobby and go to the swaps partly because they enjoy it and partly to help fund their hobby.

Granted you can't get everything at these events but the variety is amazing and I usually try to look there first

If a pet store is your only option after seriously searching for an adopted pet then yes going to a pet store that takes care of their animals as best they can is certainly better than going to one that cares diddly squat. But it is still supporting what happens before they reach the pet store and that bothers me.

Availability is going to depend on where you are from. Just looking at kijiji there are a couple of oops litters, a few BYBs and several "they got bored/can't take care of it/etc's that need homes. That's how I got my current hamster and her sister (R.I.P). That's how I got my gerbils. That's how I got one of my rats. That's I got one of my bettas. That's how I got Sam. I've never adopted from a shelter before, unless you count two rats from a rescue turned hoarder. Depends on the area for sure.

Also jealous of the aquarist club things. Might need to look into that in the future.

[Laurelin]

I buy my fish from petsmart and it doesn't bother me. Maybe that's hypocritical, I'm not sure. But the girl that is always working the fish section there at that petsmart is awesome and she's ALWAYS there. Their tanks are much cleaner than the LFS and the other petsmart and petco.

My rodents were from a petstore but I wouldn't do that again. Pretending I was going to get another small cage pet, I would go with a rescue. Especially if I ever end up with another chin (doubtful), they're on craigslist and petfinder often.

[Shai]

Originally Posted by Laurelin

I buy my fish from petsmart and it doesn't bother me. Maybe that's hypocritical, I'm not sure. But the girl that is always working the fish section there at that petsmart is awesome and she's ALWAYS there. Their tanks are much cleaner than the LFS and the other petsmart and petco.

Didn't meant to suggest getting fish from a fish store was wrong. Just putting in a plug for the local aquarists (if available) and my personal preference for buying from them.

I do try to avoid fish that are wild caught in an way I can't get behind, but that's a somewhat different issue.