# Visited the Store Where I Got My First Rats



## ratsbian (Feb 4, 2021)

I don’t think I’m usually much of a ranter on here but yesterday I was near where I got my first rats. They were former feeder moms from a smaller chain pet-store about 30-40 minutes from me and that location was GREAT about socializing the rats who were potential pets. Their set ups were not very enriching but that’s sadly typical of pet stores & I was willing to overlook that previously because it was clear that the pet rats got shoulder time with employees, lots of love, etc. 

Well, that store moved across the street and I am so disappointed. The rat section is TINY, the “pet” rats were under socialized & panicked when they saw people, one of them has maternal aggression according to an employee, the feeder rats were filthy, and the store is almost solely tailored towards cats and dogs now.

It made me so sad to see the state that those rats were in, it was completely different from when I got my girls... it made me so sad that I even left a Google review expressing these sentiments, which takes a lot for me to do... guess I’ll have to find another decent petstore (and maybe work on my own petstore that actually encourages good husbandry and leads by example but that’s a dream for another day).


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

That's so disappointing but it exposes the fact that they were probably never as responsible about their animals as you had once thought. 



ratsbian said:


> guess I’ll have to find another decent petstore (and maybe work on my own petstore that actually encourages good husbandry and leads by example but that’s a dream for another day).


Have you looked into ratteries rather than purchasing your rats from pet stores?


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## ratsbian (Feb 4, 2021)

Oh, if I am buying more rats in the future, they will be breeder ones, I just try to support pet stores with better care for their animals. And you are probably right about that, but sadly I fell for those girls and just had to bring them home. They were sweeties but they both developed tumors, had frequent URIs, etc so I know the error in my ways. The majority of my current girls are rescues (adopted or rehomes) so they also have uncertain health histories but at least I am not supporting a pet store & continuing the mistreatment of animals for profit.


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