# Pet Shop Nimrods.



## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

My husband and I just got home from the pet store, my girls were out of oxbow, and I can't verbally express how the four new employees ticked me right the heck off. First the main cashier was shocked that Lilly, my heart and shoulder rat who I brought with me, was so calm and polite. In her own words "I didn't know they were smart" and "does she understand that I'm talking to him" My husband and I told her he was a she over a dozen times. She also said that she wants one and i tried my best to tell her they have to have a companion, which she promptly asked "why?" I told her that they are social animals and if they don't have a friend they become depressed and die. She brushed off everything I said in less than a minute. Then another employ was telling the other two idiot workers that she's got a rat that had babies and that the moma sleeps on top of the water bottle "because the babies will eat her" I got so mad i had to bite my tongue and walk away. If I hadn't I'd more than likely spend the night in jail and get thrown out of the store. I actually really like that store so I had to calmly walk away. Then at the check out line I was talking to ditzy girl again when a man got in line behind me. He then said "what do you think would happen if that cat (this store takes in strays) got ahold of that rat?" I slowly turned my head, looked him in the eye and said in a deadpan voice "I'd kill the cat." He actually shrank away from me once he realized I was not joking. Ignorance really tics me off but when my pets get involved I do not mess around. Had he actually reached for Lilly I would have decked him before I even realized I'd done it. You don't mess with the bipolar Southern girl who prefers animals over people, it's a overall bad idea. Also I feel so sorry for the moma and baby rats, she doesn't even have them in a proper cage, i overheard her bragging about how many rats in tanks she's got.


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## melcab (Jan 29, 2014)

People make fun of me for the ton of research I do before I get a new pet. I'm like, so I should just take an animal home without knowing how to care for it? smh


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

melcab said:


> People make fun of me for the ton of research I do before I get a new pet. I'm like, so I should just take an animal home without knowing how to care for it? smh


I do the same. I did months of research before I got my tarantula and months of research before I got my rats. Heck, I'm STILL doing research on my rats. The way I see it, if I can't care for the animal I don't need the animal.


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## Willow&Faith (Jan 25, 2014)

The one thing that annoys me above anything else is when people impulse buy pets, even something as small as a goldfish. In my mind, if you're going to keep an animal locked up in your house, you better be prepared to try and give it the best life possible. Owning and earning the trust of a pet is a privilege, believe me. My parents are not animal-people AT ALL, but I've pretty much been asking for a pet since I could talk. Seriously, every birthday, Christmas, Easter, or any other gift-giving holiday all I ever asked for was a pet. My parents FINALLY broke down after 16 years and let me get the rats. I think that's why I invest so much time and energy into making sure they're happy and healthy. I waited for a pet for so long and now that I have them, I want to be the best pet owner I can possibly be.

I definitely get the whole 'wanting to punch the pet store employee'. I've pretty much stopped going into pet stores that sell live animals now because I just can't stand how badly they're treated. In one of the pet stores I used to shop at, they always kept their rats in glass enclosures attached to the wall, and separated them into individual tanks. They also had a bad habit of putting wheels that were WAY too small for the rats, especially the boys. I can't tell you how many times I saw rats with wheel tail in that store. 

I totally lucked out with Faith and Willow, I think they were young enough that all they needed was some TLC to repair the damage done by the pet store they grew up in. Knowing what I know now, I honestly don't think I'll ever buy pet store rats again. It just doesn't feel right. :/ I think I'll stick to rescues, Petfinder, and reputable breeders from now on.


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

The employee that I wanted to backhand was actually talking about her personal rats. The store is actually wonderful and takes care of the small animals that come in. And if they have one lone rat yet to be bought they take him/her out and play and walk around the store with them. Its a good shop but idiot employees.


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