Is Petsmart a safe place to buy a hamster?

	Is Petsmart a safe place to buy a hamster? I have been looking into buying a hamster and I am almost ready to do so, but the only petstore I have found with easy access to in my area that sells hamsters is Petsmart. I've heard people say bad things about Petsmart, but I don't necessarily subsribe to PETA propaganda. Has anyone had any problems with Petsmart? Will my purchase be safe? Asked By: Nick - 2/13/2008

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Maybe I can help. I worked at PetSmart AND Petco and I hated them, but I also hate PETA. The biggest problem about these huge corporations is that they really don't care about the animals. Every decision they make is based on making money, not on animal well-fare. Another issue is that when it comes to corporate chain stores, the quality of the store is NOT dependent on the people who work there. The rules and policies these stores follow are the same for every store in the company. When one is 'bad', the others are bad too. You don't need to visit every PetSmart to know that the company isn't a place you want to support. Do a search for Rainbow World Exotics and read some of the sites. A lot of them are supported by PETA, true, but PETA isn't the only animal well-fare organization who has uncovered evidence against RWE. Rainbow World Exotics is the vendor who breeds and supplies the animals that come to PetSmart. They treat their animals like crap. They don't socialize. They feed crap foods. They don't track genetic health. And the animals aren't babies any more when they are sent to the store. By contrast, the little tiny pet shop I work at has been selling hamsters for 10 years, and we have never had a hamster with wet-tail. Ever. But when I was working at Petsmart, 1 or 2 animals out of every weekly shipment would be sick. PetSmart is not up-to-date on current animal husbandry standards. Their vets are not up-to-date on current vet care practices for exotics. Try looking for a rescue or shelter instead. Your local SPCA should be able to point you to someone who takes in hamsters. Check petfinder.com. Check pet-ark.com. Check your local craiglsist.com to see if an individual in your area needs to find their hamster a new home. You can also type your state and "hamster breeder" in Google to see if you can find a quality private breeder who has hamsters. If you can't find one close to you, email the closest one anyways and see if they have suggestions. There are other benefits to getting your hamster from some place besides a pet store too. You are more likely to get healthy, friendly animals who have been kept properly. Your money will be going to a good cause. I actually ended up taking PetSmart to court and quitting my job because of the horrible things that happened at the PetSmart I worked at, and my store was one of the top rated stores in the company. We almost never got complaints from customers because PetSmart is good about hiding the evidence. But I can show you a few dozen pictures of dead hamsters is PetSmart cages if you're truly interested. I run my own rescue for exotic pets, and over half of our incoming animals come from corporate pet stores and the owners are surrenduring them for behavioural or health issues that could have only been prevented if stores like PetSmart and their vendors would treat their animals better. Answered By: Rebecca - 2/13/2008

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Your purchase will be safe. I have gotten all sorts of things from there and they were safe. I have never gotten a hamster there but they look nice and healthy. I did get a guinea pig there once she lived for like 4 years. Answered By: Woggie - 2/14/2008

Petco is better but petsmart is not bad either, don't worry. but my advise would be not to get a hamster because they don't live long and they also need a lot of extra care because they get sick too often, you are better off with a rat pet they are great, smart and very healthy, they can live up to 8 years! good luck! Answered By: mariasilvana26 - 2/14/2008

Thats where I got mine a long time ago. I had no problems. Answered By: C M - 2/13/2008

It truly all depends on the people who work there some petsmarts dont have a clue how to take care of animals and others however do. What you should really do and it would be saving an animals life is go to Http://petfinder.com and find a hampster at an SPCA in your area to get a heathy vet checked hampster! Answered By: Mike - 2/13/2008

I've heard people say the same thing about every pet store on earth. Most of the problems are with the owners, but not always. I know many people who have killed their hamsters by giving them garlic by accident, using cedar chips, or by stressing out the hamster. However sometimes stores really don't know what they're doing. Stop by the store periodically and see how healthy the hamsters are, especially super early in the morning or late at night because that is when the hamsters may still have energy. I have yet to have a hamster die shortly after buying it. One actually lived five years. Best of luck! Answered By: Buddy_Lee_Hombre_de_accion - 2/13/2008

It would be safe but if u know a safe breeder it would be better. Source(s): geeky sister Answered By: NYX - 2/13/2008

I really hate petsmart. But thats just coming from the one near me, they sell inbred animals near me, and they dump dead animals behind my house. We have police reports going with them. why not try a rescue or a smaller, independent pet shop with knowledgeable personnel? Answered By: krystin c - 2/13/2008

Yes petsmart is a safe place to buy them from but the only problem i have heard of it people have bought a hamster/gerbbil ect from pet stores and they have been pregnant as they keep the males and females together in stores like that so there could be a chance it could be pregnant when you get it. Source(s): good luck x Answered By: natalie p - 2/13/2008

It really depends on the area. Some places have great PetSmarts and bad PetCo's other places are the other way around. As long as their animals look healthy and well taken care of you should be fine. If their cages look dirty and they all look like they could be sick or if one of them is injured or has wet tail I wouldnt buy a hamster from there. Answered By: Miss S - 2/13/2008

I used to work at Petsmart! If a hamster is sick, we wont sell it. There's also a return policy. Check the little fellow out before you buy him anyway. If it dies in two weeks, you can return it. Just put it in a baggy and we'll refund it. Kinda creepy, but better then nothing. I've bought a ferret and fish there. They're healthy and strong still. My betta is a little spartan that's lived through hell. Source(s): worked at petsmart Answered By: D-chan - 2/13/2008

Pet stores are NEVER a good place to get a pet. However, it's convenient because they have pets readily available. Have you considered a shelter? Check out http:///www.petfinder.com for hamsters in your area. They're usually already tamed and ready to go to a new home. If not, Petsmart is your only option. They do give a 14 day return policy, which is good. When choosing a hamster, be very careful. Look for hamsters with bright, clear eyes, a shiny coat, active, no wet bottom, no bite marks, etc. It's probably better to go early evening since hamsters aren't normally active during the day. Have an employee handle the hamsters. If they seem to bite a lot, don't get a hamster. You want a hamster that is friendly, doesn't bite, and is healthy. If you don't find a good hamster that day, go another day when they have new hamsters. It's important you take your time choosing a hamster. I've had a similar experience with gerbils. I got two gerbils from Petsmart because I didn't have another choice. I made sure I had the employee handle them so I could see how they interacted with people. I looked for bright eyes, shiny coats, no gunk in their noses or eyes, no bite marks, friendly personality, no biting, and a straight tail (gerbils have tails). I haven't had a problem with them, and I've had them for a little over a month. Good luck! I hope everything works out for you. Answered By: liveyourlife` - 2/13/2008

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