Are pet shops cruel?

[vampiredust]

I was at the Harrods sale today and had a look at their pet department on the second floor, I saw some kittens for sale and was a little upset at how they were kept. They seemed to be a spectacle for people to point at and go 'ahhh...'

Although they had food and water, they were without their mother and kept in a small space. They didn't have much room to roam.

That made me sad

Are pet shops cruel?

 

[minsue]

It depends on the shop, but for the most part I'd say "yes". I would certainly never buy a dog or cat from one.

 

[FallingToFly]

No more cruel than neglecting to spay or neuter your pets and letting them breed out of control without vet care...

 

[Fallenfromgrace]

I got my cat from a friend. I would never get one from a shop.

There was a pet shop (still is i think) near my old school (different town to where i live) that was so bad it was ridiculous (sp). my mate once phoned them and pretended to be a TV channel (ITV for those who are uker's) saying that they were making 'Pet Shops from Hell' and wanted to feature them in the show...the owner got physically abusive and hung up.

Just goes to show...

 

[minsue]

No more cruel than neglecting to spay or neuter your pets and letting them breed out of control without vet care...

Agreed, that's also cruel, but at least no one profits from it.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

The cruelty in pet shops is mostly unintentional on the part of the ower/operators. The problems, generally, are:

Inadiquately trained and motivated staff - "Me? Clean up dog shit?"

Underaged puppies and kittens exposed to desease - Kennel Cough, Feline Pneumonitis, Panlukapinia, Distemper and the like.

Pet shops are bad, but not as bad as most commercial breeding farms and kennels.

 

[scheherazade_79]

I don't think all pet shops are bad, but with the exception of tropical fish, I've never bought a pet in my life. It seems weird to look at a living creature and attach a price tag to it like it's some kind of commodity.

I got all my dogs from the pound, even though it was heartbreaking to go there and just choose one.

Thinking of getting a rescued greyhound for my next. Failing that, the ugliest mutt at the pound who's least likely to get a home.

 

[Iggy_Piggy]

Failing that, the ugliest mutt at the pound who's least likely to get a home.

Bless you.

 

[English Lady]

I don't think all pet shops are bad, but with the exception of tropical fish, I've never bought a pet in my life. It seems weird to look at a living creature and attach a price tag to it like it's some kind of commodity.

I got all my dogs from the pound, even though it was heartbreaking to go there and just choose one.

Thinking of getting a rescued greyhound for my next. Failing that, the ugliest mutt at the pound who's least likely to get a home.

get a greyhound -they're the loveliest dogs. My dad looked after racing greyhounds when I was little and i have many stories about them

 

[starrkers]

I hate pet shops, try to avoid them.
My pets lately tend to find me. I have a retired breeding queen cat; a small terrier that was dumped on my neighbours as a very young pup (we later realised he was only about 4 weeks old) and their dog tried to eat it; and our latest acquisition is a kitten that climbed the fence, took on the dogs and stayed.
Think I have a neon sign out the front visible only to waif animals that says "Soft Touch Here"

 

[CharleyH]

I was at the Harrods sale today and had a look at their pet department on the second floor, I saw some kittens for sale and was a little upset at how they were kept. They seemed to be a spectacle for people to point at and go 'ahhh...'

Although they had food and water, they were without their mother and kept in a small space. They didn't have much room to roam.

That made me sad

Are pet shops cruel?

I wear a fur coat and enjoy every fucking moment of it - pet shops are hardly as cruel as me.

 

[glynndah]

The local pet store in the mall used to bring in kittens from a nearby animal shelter to "sell" in their store. The kittens had a huge cage with climbing trees, toys and beds, but of course, they always seemed to sleep in their litterbox! The kittens were priced to cover the cost of their shots and first vet visit and a small donation to the shelter. I thought that was a good way to do it: the shelter got a much wider market for their kittens, and the pet shop got a great display of "cute."

 

[SeaCat]

Where I used to live in New England we had a rather large Pet Shop. It was rather well known in the area. It was part of a chain.

When I was introducd to them I was in the market for a Hedgehog. I had just returned from Europe and had fallen in love with the little walking Cacti.

I went into the store and couldn't believe what I saw.

Kittens and Puppies were kept in 2x2 cages. HedgeHogs were kept in 10 gallon aquariums on low shelves where the kids could harrase them.

Half the animals were sick. One of the kittens was laying dead in it's cage.

To say I was disgusted would be an understatement.

I called the police, who said they couldn't do a damned thing about it. I wrote the state, who claimed they had investigated the chain and found no problems.

I contacted some other people I knew.

A couple fo weeks later there was a blazing hot fire in the store. We're talking the store was charbroiled. Amazingly though the investigators found no dead animals. They seemed to have vanished into thin air.

One thing the investigators did find of interest was the accelerant used had a high Magnesium content.

Cat

 

[rgraham666]

I didn't hear any of that, Cat.

 

[starrkers]

You didn't hear any of what?

 

[SeaCat]

I didn't hear any of that, Cat.

LOLOL


Cat

 

[MelinaReilly]

I don't think we can say that pet shops (ie, shops that sell domestic animals) are cruel without pointing out that the cruelty doesn't begin or end there.

The majority of puppies sold in pet stores came from puppy mills. This becomes obvious after the new owner takes the puppy home, as puppy mill owners don't understand the dangers of inbreeding, and most inbred animals develop unique physical illnesses/conditions.

The Petsmart chain stopped selling animals a long time ago and now allows local non-profit rescue groups to hold adoptions in-store. (I can be spotted at North Tx Petsmarts some weekends lugging cages around.) So does Petco, although to be honest, Petsmart throws a lot more money at the nonprofits.

 

[SeaCat]

I wear a fur coat and enjoy every fucking moment of it - pet shops are hardly as cruel as me.

Charley,

Depending on where the furs for the coat came from the animals could very well have been better raised than many kids. (On the other hand they could have been raised on some of the farms I have seen destroyed.)

I at one time trapped Muskrats for the fur industry. Unlike many of the trappers I knew I used very specific traps that killed instantly. I was as kind in this as was possible. (I also used to hunt a lot, and yes I did sell the pelts of those animals as well.)

Cat

 

[SeaCat]

I don't think we can say that pet shops (ie, shops that sell domestic animals) are cruel without pointing out that the cruelty doesn't begin or end there.

The majority of puppies sold in pet stores came from puppy mills. This becomes obvious after the new owner takes the puppy home, as puppy mill owners don't understand the dangers of inbreeding, and most inbred animals develop unique physical illnesses/conditions.

The Petsmart chain stopped selling animals a long time ago and now allows local non-profit rescue groups to hold adoptions in-store. (I can be spotted at North Tx Petsmarts some weekends lugging cages around.) So does Petco, although to be honest, Petsmart throws a lot more money at the nonprofits.

This would be great, and I would be happy about it if I knew that these chains used large cages or group rooms. Unfortunately most of these places still use small cages so they can hold more animals.

Cat

 

[TE999]

Go to your local Humane Society if you want a pet.

There's a lot of critters there to choose from.

Phooey on these pet shops, even the chains.

Most of their 'stock' comes from puppy mills and shady breeders.

Give someone's former pet a good home.

Peace.

 

[SeaCat]

Go to your local Humane Society if you want a pet.

There's a lot of critters there to choose from.

Phooey on these pet shops, even the chains.

Most of their 'stock' comes from puppy mills and shady breeders.

Give someone's former pet a good home.

Peace.

You have that right. The "Pounds" are filled with unwanted animals.

Here in southern Florida the No Kill facilities are no longer, and have not been accepting cats for at least a year because of the hurricanes.

Too many cats escaped before and during the storms. They have created a bumper crop of Ferals which has overloaded the system. (And you wonder why I have six cats now?) You can't even give kittens away right now.

If you want an animal get one from the pounds or fom a private owner.

Cat

 

[fallenupright]

I got my badness from a farm, they had too many kittens and wanted to find nice homes for them before they suffered the same fate as their parents - coyotes got them while they were out hunting in the fields!

Some pet stores are cruel, some are not. I know the one in the mall keeps the poor animals in tiny over crowded cages and charges up the yang for the animals - which are poorly bred. When my family bred our dogs (Shih Tzus) - our puppies always looked cuter and healthier than the ones in the store.

But then, they had a huge cage to play in, were bred from home and given lots of love... not on some puppy farm and kept in a little glass cage.

 

[SeaCat]

I got my badness from a farm, they had too many kittens and wanted to find nice homes for them before they suffered the same fate as their parents - coyotes got them while they were out hunting in the fields!

Some pet stores are cruel, some are not. I know the one in the mall keeps the poor animals in tiny over crowded cages and charges up the yang for the animals - which are poorly bred. When my family bred our dogs (Shih Tzus) - our puppies always looked cuter and healthier than the ones in the store.

But then, they had a huge cage to play in, were bred from home and given lots of love... not on some puppy farm and kept in a little glass cage.

I started with "Smokey" aka CrackHead. I pulled her as a kitten out of a Crack House that had been busted the day before. (She as small enough to fit in my jacket pocket.)

Our second was Bubba. He was owned by a co-worker of mine. Her B/F had just picked up a PitBull Puppy that kept attacking him. His comment was either the cat goes or he becomes Puppy Chow. (At three years old and 17 pounds I knew he wouldn't be adopted, as did his owner.)

Less than a year ago we had a Feral take up residence in our garage. There she took over a box and had a littler of 4 kittens. My wife and I had in mind allowing her to stay there a week or so then dropping her off at a local no kill facility. Unfortunately the day after se gave birth I heard a commotion in the garage and when I investigated found her and the kittens under attack by one of the very few Raccoons I have seen down here. One of the kittens didn't survive.

We took Critter and her surviving kittens in and placed them in the back room. On a forlorn hope I placed a Litter Box in the room and was surprised when Critter used it. She also taught the kittens to use it.

None of the local facilities would take Critter and her kittens. They suggested we take them to the local pound where they would be humanely destroyed.

I now have a total of six cats running around and creating havoc, and I love them all.

Cat

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Y'know... the idea of "pets" in the first place is an extendable cruelty, if we're to open the door to "what is cruel with regard to pets".

Short of guessing, anthropomorphizing, assuming, and projecting... there isn't anything substantial to say that animals feel "love" or "affection" or consider a place their "home". We can say they show "love"-like behaviors, and can condition them into and out of them.

I think our pets are catered to, surely, and conditioned to respond to us in ways we like... but think it may be an essential cruelty to condition and brainwash them as much as anything. The question is what kinds of unnatural intrusion are we comfortable with.

Personally, I don't mind a little conditioning now and again.

 

[fallenupright]

I started with "Smokey" aka CrackHead. I pulled her as a kitten out of a Crack House that had been busted the day before. (She as small enough to fit in my jacket pocket.)

Our second was Bubba. He was owned by a co-worker of mine. Her B/F had just picked up a PitBull Puppy that kept attacking him. His comment was either the cat goes or he becomes Puppy Chow. (At three years old and 17 pounds I knew he wouldn't be adopted, as did his owner.)

Less than a year ago we had a Feral take up residence in our garage. There she took over a box and had a littler of 4 kittens. My wife and I had in mind allowing her to stay there a week or so then dropping her off at a local no kill facility. Unfortunately the day after se gave birth I heard a commotion in the garage and when I investigated found her and the kittens under attack by one of the very few Raccoons I have seen down here. One of the kittens didn't survive.

We took Critter and her surviving kittens in and placed them in the back room. On a forlorn hope I placed a Litter Box in the room and was surprised when Critter used it. She also taught the kittens to use it.

None of the local facilities would take Critter and her kittens. They suggested we take them to the local pound where they would be humanely destroyed.

I now have a total of six cats running around and creating havoc, and I love them all.

Cat

It's sad... I get offered more cats all the time... since I got mine. But, I can't take them... live in a small appartment... and have a very small income. I couldn't live with myself if something happened and a pet had to go without health care because I had streached myself too thin.

So, just one cat for me, for now.