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Pets at Home

Jojo123

Mama Doe
Even though I know P@H is a big nono for selling people baby rabbits I was pleased to see when I went in yesterday that all the animals had toys in their cages, some of the hamsters had mini cardboard castles and one of the bunnies had the big cardboard castle to play with and the others had tubes to run through and stick tunnels all the animals had chew toys too. They had a poster up stating that rabbits like to play, be in pairs and have as much space as possible too
 
Both my boys came from pets at home and they had a huge pile of hay, toys and a little shelter when I went in. I don't think they are all bad. I do think they could be abit better with the info they give you. For example even though they have the in store vets nobody mentioned anything about vaccinating them. The bit I have a problem with is their adopting area. The cages there are tiny. Once I saw two giant rabbits in one tiny box. I just hope they weren't there long before someone took them home. :?
 
Both my boys came from pets at home and they had a huge pile of hay, toys and a little shelter when I went in. I don't think they are all bad. I do think they could be abit better with the info they give you. For example even though they have the in store vets nobody mentioned anything about vaccinating them. The bit I have a problem with is their adopting area. The cages there are tiny. Once I saw two giant rabbits in one tiny box. I just hope they weren't there long before someone took them home. :?

I got my first bunny from pets at home too and have always felt guilty after I came on here, but the girl who sold me my bunny did say about vacs and had a lot of good info about what they should eat and about nail trimming and teeth. It also says about vacs on the poster that is pinned up in the rabbit part. But yes the rabbits in the adoption bit are in small sections, there wasn't any in when I went in yesterday though
 
My lot are all p@h bunnies. I have to say my local one is good. The rabbits all have toys and shelters. With hay it seems to be hit and miss depending on which staff are in that day. Some fill it with hay others don't give enough. If i am in there i will make a point of saying they need some more hay. Recently i have noticed they have stopped putting rabbits in the small upper adoption tank (now use it for guinea pigs) and tend to only put rabbits in the big bottom one.

The girl who i got my two lionhead boys from was very well informed and told me everything i needed to know about neutering and vaccinations. She also told me about my current vet and their prices which was a great help. When ever we go in she asks how my little dutch Bramble is. He was a adoption after he was attacked by another rabbit. She was the one who nursed him through so is quite attached to him.
 
The cages they are selling the animals in might look great but I very much doubt the places they were bred look anything like that. Usually cramped, dirty cages where they cant move. And females being bred constantly til they're not needed anymore :(
But then I suppose as long as p@h are selling cute bunnies in nice cages what goes on behind the scenes doesn't matter.
I cannot stand p@h and their mass breeding programmes, I refuse to go in their shops and would never even give them a penny of my money.
 
It can be no bad thing if the rabbits that are being sold by pets at home are having a better time of it instore or that staff are advising that rabbits should be neutered/spayed, vaccinated and live in pairs.

In saying that the stores continue to sell rabbits when hundreds are turned away from rescue centres and organisations every day because there's no room and the fact they continue to sell rabbits when the situatrion is so dire means that the company as a whole gives no regard to rabbit welfare. That's also leaving out the "breeder mills" that the small animals actually come from that P@H support by buying from them.

So yeah the stores might look nice and the staff might be better informed than some but the company as a whole is still scum.
 
Yes I don't disagree that its still not right, but if Pets at Home are being more informative about how to keep a rabbit happy and by putting toys in and stating more correct information on their care I was thinking that from the point of a clueless person going in thinking they can come away with a rabbit that doesn't need much attention and will be happy sat on their own in a hutch all day can only be a good thing and a step in the right direction! I didn't think about going to a rescue when I first got a rabbit I went to Pets at Home, my second rabbit I got from a breeder that I found on google who didn't tell my anything about caring for him! But I took it upon myself to research their needs, sadly people on a whole don't do this for any pet they have! I was just pleased they were setting an example of a rabbits needs that a clueless person wouldn't know about but yes in a perfect world not just any Tom, **** or Harry should be able to breed without a good standard of care
 
I agree with Claire. I cannot stand the unnecessary mass and back to back breeding that chain stores promote. I don't want to have anything to do with them. They breed for profit, nothing else, and that makes me sick. That doesn't just go for P@H or rabbits, either.
 
I think you only need to look at the thread started by someone today who has just purchased then swapped rabbits from p@h to realise they suck :censored: xx
 
Just to play devil's advocate: Pets at Home make a loss on the sale of animals. ALL of their profit comes from the sales of accessories/foods throughout the animals life. So even if you don't buy animals there, you are still directly supporting the trade.
 
I used to work at PAH many moons ago and it has gone downhill ever since I left :lol:

But seriously, I bought my hamster from there a little while ago and i have to say the staff were very knowledgeable and made sure we had certain things before they let her come home with us. But when I worked there they had a huge array of large cages for hamsters and now they have nothing but :censored: rotastak and "pick and mix" cages which aren't large enough by any means. Same goes for rabbit accommodation although i have never bought anything for Ash from there so I didn't pay that much attention to the rabbit stuff.

I would rather shops didn't sell rabbits at all considering the huge amount in rescues but I don't agree that they are the sole reason we have so many rabbits needing homes.
 
I don't buy anything from Pets at Home since I found out about how the animals were bred, I went in to see the animals! A small number of people not buying from the store is not going to put them out of business so my point is that while they are in business at least they are taking steps to inform people on the care the rabbits need when they could just hand them over without a word about it
 
Even though I know P@H is a big nono for selling people baby rabbits I was pleased to see when I went in yesterday that all the animals had toys in their cages, some of the hamsters had mini cardboard castles and one of the bunnies had the big cardboard castle to play with and the others had tubes to run through and stick tunnels all the animals had chew toys too. They had a poster up stating that rabbits like to play, be in pairs and have as much space as possible too

I found it funny how in my nearest one there is a sign up saying they like to live in big spaces, yet they sell tiny 'rabbit' hutches. Hypocritical of them x
 
Just to play devil's advocate: Pets at Home make a loss on the sale of animals. ALL of their profit comes from the sales of accessories/foods throughout the animals life. So even if you don't buy animals there, you are still directly supporting the trade.

Which is why a lot of people will not shop there for anything.
 
Does anyone have any info / links on the breeding conditions of P@H? I am completely ignorant to their practices and normally pick up odds and ends from there, but would be happy to stop buying from them if necessary...
 
My local pets at home has signs up about neutering/spaying, living in pairs, lots of space, vaccination and also they microchip theirs now too. The buns do have toys too, although I agree with what you say about the adoption centre cages needing to be larger, but the bunnies there also have toys at least. I've never really had an issue with buying my bunnies from there other than they don't know how to sex them. I've had two buns from there in the past that were supposed to be does and turned out to be bucks (Cookie and now Slipper).

Sorry to say rescue never entered my head until joining here :oops:. I always thought rescues were for dogs and cats and they were all traumatised from previous abuse/neglect and were adults and really needed a hell of a lot of work to turn them into a loving family pet. Which is too much for me to take on if I'm honest although I admire and have huge respect for those that do. And better to be honest and not adopt one like that so poor animal doesn't suffer again with me.

Now I know different and I am trying very hard to adopt a bunny I saw on here. I'll be so upset if I don't get her, but I would like a girlfriend for Slipper so if I don't get this one, I would still like to adopt a doe from a rescue rather than going back to a breeder or pets at home. (Badger and Blueberry came from a lovely breeder who loves her rabbits and I think is in the BRC, or used to be and she's not one of those who is continuously breeding hers to try and make a fast buck, her buns were very well cared for, happy and sociable, so I would recommend her to anyone looking for mini lion lops in my area.) But for my fourth and final bun whilst mine are still alive, I would like to rescue a bun.
 
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