# Pet Supplies Plus?



## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

Has anyone gone into this small chain? They're few and far between. They only have about 250 locations in the US. They're the only place I can find Oxbow in my area, and they are constantly doing sales on it. Every time I've gotten it there, it's been about 9-11 dollars for the small bag.

They don't have great animal info, and say you can keep rats in tanks... But they're a small franchise, so I'm going to email them, and tell them, nicely, of course, that they're info page could use some research. 
They don't sell live animals, as far as I know.

They have a great selection of supplies, toys, food. All that.
All in all, a good place if you're looking for nicely priced Oxbow.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

They have them in the Birmingham AL area... I went in some when I was in college near there. They always seemed clean and well organized. mostly food / supplies as you said. I once got a killer deal on some neon blue dwarf rainbows from them.. Stunning fish..I don't think they ordered them on purpose.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Gah they sell puppies, I want to burn the place down. The one near me does anyway...

Petsmart sells Oxbow, thats where I usually get it... although its about 13$ a bag...


ETA: I lied, Im thinking of Pets Plus!!! They sell puppies. I apparently have 2 Pet Supplies Plus near me and I've never been there. I'll be checking it out, thanks ahrat


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## Kisetsu (Jan 24, 2014)

There's like, 5 of them around where I live, lol. So I've been there many times. They carry a lot of the higher-end brands of dog food that I buy (I rotate my dogs food). Their small pet section has kind of died down, at least the two closest to me. I couldn't find much there for my new rats, compared to a few years ago when I had mice. 

All the ones around me sell live animals. Not any puppies or kittens, but a few snakes and lizards, fish, ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs. No rats or mice. 

What's great about my local Pet Supplies Plus is that they host a weekly low-cost vaccination clinic. It's WAY cheaper to get my dogs yearly heartworm test + heartworm meds and whatever shots I want than at my vet (they still go to the vet for their yearly exam, make sure everything else is still good). In the summer they had a special where you could get a free canine rabies vac. I live close to a low-income area, where a lot of people have dogs, but get the bare minimum of care, which means usually no vet visits or shots. So, a FREE rabies vac is great, in my opinion.

For a chain, I certainly like them a lot more than Petsmart or Petco and MOST of the local pet stores around here that are just... nasty.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

I love Pet Supplies Plus. Its a great pet store in my opinion.
There are 3 in my area, and no Petcos and 2 Petsmarts.

They have fairly accurate info on their animals... except they say mice should be kept in wire cages... but at least they say gerbils need tanks.I haven't read their rat info, but rats CAN be kept in tanks IF done correctly.


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## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

The two I've been to in North and South East PA don't do live animals. 
Both of mine both offer the clinic too!


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

All 3 here sell animals... Only 2 sells live feeders though. Its where I got my baby ferret


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## JBird (May 23, 2013)

I am at a pet supplies plus every week due to work. It's an okay chain. I do not support it over PetSmart or even Petco for sure. They do sell live animals and our region is the main supply for feeders among the pet stores in the area. Their animals are kept in poor condition, and in my region specifically, denied vet care. Since it is a franchise, I believe it is up to the regional manager whether or not to provide vet care within the budget, and is not required as it is in a corporation- the RM for these branches chose to opt out of vet care, and only allows the mediocre selection of shelved products to be used. 
The selection of products is good, and the prices are the best in the area, but I recommend people go elsewhere if they are concerned about supporting a company's practices. Mine doesn't even sell oxbow for rats... everything but rats. Hahah, they are definitely stocked as a food product rather than a pet! That being said, our branch does a great job socializing the reptiles, cockatiels, chinchillas, and bunnies, but everything else is kind of on the back burner. 

ETA: our regions stores all sell feeders (I know of four stores in my area) and none host this awesome vet clinic you all are talking about! Our Petcos all do that, though. Twice a month!


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## rainbowrats (Jul 25, 2013)

It's the only store in my area that sells rats besides feeders, and they're kept nicely compared to what I've seen before. But, mostly I just get food or supplies there.


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## shelbygrace97 (Oct 2, 2013)

I like my Pet Supplies Plus. It's the closest place I have. Kinda small. It never really has what I need and their oxbow is never on sale, but I use it to go check stuff out anyway. They always have rats in tanks, but only three or four at a time and it's very well maintained, so I'm pleased. The Petco around here has around twelve rats in a small tank per size, so I much prefer Pet Supplies Plus c:

They have fancies (feeders mostly) and dumbos as well as mice, two kinds of hamsters, tons of fish, and lots of lizards and stuff. Everything, once again, is well maintained and I've never seen a dead fish in any of the tanks. I quite like 'em!


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## smopey (Feb 3, 2012)

Most Pet Supplies Plus stores are "puppy friendly" meaning they don't sell puppies and support local animal adoptions, as opposed to other pet stores who buy from (and support) puppy mills. So I like that about them. But the one by me doesn't have a great selection for small animals and they're more expensive than Petsmart or Petco. 

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/p.../pet_supplies_plus_puppy_friendly_061110.html


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## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

It's very up to the person who owns the store. I was reading some stuff and they basically let anyone open a store in an area just to grow the franchise. 
I would choose it over the petco in my area. The petco in my area technically has vet care, but they're either idiots or don't care. I've gone in many times and told them about URIs in their mischief, and they continuously tell me it's not porphyrin, that is blood from fighting. -_-


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## Perocore (Jan 6, 2014)

I don't have one nearby, but I did order a cage from them over Ebay and it's an awesome cage, could use a little modification (shelves are made of bars and are hard on rat feet, and the ladder rungs are a little far apart for my boys), but they only recently started designed cages, and have been working on fixing these problems.


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## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

I went to the one in my town, and this one did have live animals. But they were being cared for AMAZINGLY. They had a huge pen that was out of small animal free range. The time I went in the ferrets were out. But I asked and the guy told me that they rotate the animals throughout the day. I talked to youngish guy, but he knew a lot and was really helpful. All the animals had clean cages. They kept the ferrets and the chinchillas and larger guinea pig in cages. The rats were in aquariums, but they had the appropriate numbers to the size of the tanks. and every animal was playful and look really healthy. I loved it. They had people for the SPCA there doing a meet and greet with some cats. 
All in all I think it's really up to the owner how the place is run. This is my new place for all rat supplies. I'm never going back to petco. 


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I have been to one in Michigan and they did have live animals in the dirtiest tanks I have ever seen. It was disgusting. And the employees I asked about the rats couldn't tell if they were boys or girls despite their monstrous danglies

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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

I now work at Pet Supplies Plus.  I start tomorrow.


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## Ruby&Lola (Apr 25, 2013)

There's a Pet Supply Plus in a town near mine that I love going to, to see the animals. Most the employees seem really caring toward the animals and they support a cat adoption there. I like them tho there dog treat/bakery thing could be cleaner. Evil weebles. I love that they let you play with the ferrets and hold a rat as long as you want. :3


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## southpaw (Apr 8, 2007)

I used to like my local PSP but recently I think they're worse than even Petco or Petsmart. This one does sell animals, and all their rodents come from a local junk breeder, unless things have changed in the past couple years. I recall in the past seeing good information posted by the rodent cages (rats are social animals, syrian hamsters need to be kept alone, etc) but I don't think they have that anymore. The animals are pretty cramped in their tanks too. 

Most of their employees are kind of ding dongs too. 

Their selection of products is decent but overall I think they're more expensive.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

I went to my local Pet Supplies Plus to check it out. They only had 2 female rats and they were in a 10 gal tank but they had a lot of clean bedding, a clean igloo, a rope toy, and a filled water bottle. They were also clear-eyed and came up to the glass when I put my hand up to them. The only thing I can complain about is they were being fed a seed mix. Their oxbow price was $11 something which is cheaper than Petsmart for me which is about $14.


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## TNCraftyRat (Nov 13, 2013)

Does anyone know about the Pet Supplies Plus in Knoxville? I think there are two of them but I am mostly concerned about the one on kingston pike. Just curious, I really want to support a store that doesn't sell animals or at least takes good care of their animals and I need a store that sells better quality food tan Walmart.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

PaigeRose said:


> I went to my local Pet Supplies Plus to check it out. They only had 2 female rats and they were in a 10 gal tank but they had a lot of clean bedding, a clean igloo, a rope toy, and a filled water bottle. They were also clear-eyed and came up to the glass when I put my hand up to them. The only thing I can complain about is they were being fed a seed mix. Their oxbow price was $11 something which is cheaper than Petsmart for me which is about $14.


The "seed mix" that we feed the rats is actually a good one as far as commercial diets go. I'd use it over Oxbow, but I make a homemade mix for my own animals.I can't remember the name of the diet off hand. I'll have to look the next time I work.


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## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

I went back in today to see if they got more Oxbow in, and I was watching them clean the cages. I wish all the Pet Supplies Plus were as good as the one near me.


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

I love my local pet supplies plus! I got my first rat there and my Matilda. They rotate their stock often, they'll have rats for a while and when those are sold they might have guinea pigs or rabbits. They're very well organized, very nice and my local store takes in stray or abandoned cats and they have a permanent home in the store. Also they do not sell live food


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## MimiSkye (Feb 3, 2014)

I went into one yesterday actually! I have only been in there for dog supplies before but this was my first time going in there for rat stuff. They didn't used to sell live animals but now they do. I was so upset when I saw that. They had a bunch of hamsters in those little tiny jail cell looking cages. All the cages were crammed in side by side next to the reptiles and fish. It was really sad. They also had a couple guinea pigs and gerbils. No rats though fewf.

I was shocked at how little supplies they had for small animals. I went in to get a temporary cage for when I quarentine my new baby, and they only had a couple cages that were even big enough for adult rats. Very few cage accessories and toys. I don't think I will be returning there for my pet supplies...

Oh and as far as finding Oxbow, try looking for a small local mom n pop pet store. The one near me sells all kinds of awesome higher end foods and bedding. They also take really great care of all the live animals they sell. The one near me sells oxbow for $11 but they give me this coupon card and every 10 bags I buy I get one free!


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## Pilot. (Feb 11, 2014)

The pet supplies Plus around me (port huron area) sells small animals but it very well cleaned and i love the store. The workers there are very well informed. They keep the rats/mice/hamsters in glass tanks that have one side thats all wire (it in the back where they can put the animals in and out) but recommend wire cages. The animals are happy and well maintained and they remove sick animals ASAP, and quarantine them. The fish are cared for as well. I prefer that store over Pet Smart, any day. ((The website says Glass cages, but the workers in my store have recommended wire))


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## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

It's very owner orientated. The owner of the stores really decide what happens there. So, it's nice that a lot of them are choosing to not have live animals, or take very good care of them. I feel bad for the ones that don't, but from my experience, and from what I've heard here, most are the better option over PetSmarts and Petcos.


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## noodle (Oct 21, 2010)

I would love to share my experiences with you all, as I am a Pet Supplies Plus animal department employee, but seeing as I signed a document, I really can't go in to much detail (until I quit which I am hoping will be sooner rather than later).
But I do want to fill everyone in, most Pet Supplies Plus stores are corporate owned, not franchise. Unless you are in Texas or Florida. The closer you are to Michigan, where the corporate is, the more likely that you are shopping at a corporate run store. Depending on the manager, a lot of the times the person who is in charge of that department is only scheduled a limited amount of hours, has to do stock, cashier, as well as other things so some days it's impossible to get everything done. I want to be discreet because I don't want to say anything that could potentially get me in trouble but I feel a big rant coming on when I leave for good.


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

Please refrain from commenting on posts older than a month old. It gets confusing! Instead make a new thread.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Two messages here -

Please check the thread dates before posting, this thread is well over a year old, and the OP/contributing posters may not even be around any more or wish to continue the discussion

And please don't backseat mod - report the thread and we will take care of it. Thanks!


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