Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Cleo, i wanted to say *GREAT CHECKLIST* further down the list on picking a healthy animal

I've read all the posts in the string about Petsmart and Petco and i'll agree that most petstores have NO CLUE! Being that i'm Canadian i'm not familiar with Petco but i do have a Petsmart a good drive away. I can't really say anything bad about this store as they mainly provide dogs and cats for adoption from the local humaine society and i'm all for that. They have a small reptile section and the only thing that ever upset me was one employee. She always looked misrable for one thing but worse, she made me feel stupid anytime i inquired about an animal or product. The gentleman in charge of the reptiles......well he's a different story. When i told him that i wanted to get the complete setup for a leopard gecko he not only spent alot of time with me, he helped me put together the right stuff at the lowest cost. He also gave me care sheets and book lists to read before i got a lizard. I also love the fact that they segregate crickets according to age, if i want 2 week old crickets thats what i get. Most of the local petstores only ever have large ones. My first gecko didn't come from Petsmart, but from a reptile specialty store where they own, as pets, most of the animals they display. My vet also knew the owner and didn't say anything bad at all! My second gecko, well I got Jake from Petsmart......and it was his eating habits that caught my attention. He was running around the enclosure chasing a cricket all the while shaking his tail. He passed from impaction of moss from his humid hide........don't think for a second i don't still get upset when i look over at the tank he was in sitting there empty! It pissed me off to no end cause it was in one of the leopard gecko books or caresheets i have that stated moss can be used........

As for the pricing i keep reading about......there are times i wish i was in the U.S. Up here the lowest price i've seen anywhere for a *normal* leo is $50-$60 sometimes more. My particular interest is blizzards/patternless/all dark geckos. I would love to find a breeder to buy from but theres few up here compared to the U.S. The one i did find that was close (or closer than out of province) was selling for upwards $600.00 for one gecko.

I'll never buy from Petsmart again, simply because i've found the other place and i trust them. But to put down someone for buying from them or any other store isn't right especially if its a kid trying to convince their parents of stuff. Remember, most people still think herps in general are evil slimy things. To allow a herp into the house is a big step for many people. I credit MacArthur for at least asking questions, he's trying. Its not his fault hes young and his parents say no to shipping. I don't buy online or through shipping simply because i'm old school. I like to see what i'm buying in person, watch behaviour, run down the checklist like others listed. Thats me and i'm entitled to that. I've already scheduled the time off work so i can attend the next show in Toronto and until then i'll keep searching for a breeder with the morphs i'm looking for close to me.
Red

I agree. Last spring I did give in and buy one from Petsmart because I felt sorry that it lost it's tail, but I do feel terrible about buying it. I will NEVER do that again, though, because it was wrong. I always want to just go there and buy all of them, but I know they'd just use my money to abuse more. What scares me is that last time I went there because the other store was out of calcium, they had a new BIG cage being built with little cages all around it. I'm not sure what they were for, but I feel sorry for the animal.

I got my newest albino from a petstore, but it wasn't a petstore chain like Petco/smart. Only one person runs the reptile section there, and she raises reptiles herself and even helped to sex my snakes for me and offers advice. She keeps track of every baby to make sure it's eating enough and she told me it's eating records, temp. of cage, etc. before I bought it. I just wish all petstores were like that.

However, I still like buying online best, though. When buying from top breeders, I always feel safe about getting excellent quality animals. The scary thing about Petco/smart is that most people who buy from there won't be fully educated on leos. They look so easy to raise, but they get sick just as easy as cats and dogs. I just took my female to the vet again today, and I feel happy that I even have a good vet within a short distance from my house.

>>Hey Cleo, i wanted to say *GREAT CHECKLIST* further down the list on picking a healthy animal
>>
>>I've read all the posts in the string about Petsmart and Petco and i'll agree that most petstores have NO CLUE! Being that i'm Canadian i'm not familiar with Petco but i do have a Petsmart a good drive away. I can't really say anything bad about this store as they mainly provide dogs and cats for adoption from the local humaine society and i'm all for that. They have a small reptile section and the only thing that ever upset me was one employee. She always looked misrable for one thing but worse, she made me feel stupid anytime i inquired about an animal or product. The gentleman in charge of the reptiles......well he's a different story. When i told him that i wanted to get the complete setup for a leopard gecko he not only spent alot of time with me, he helped me put together the right stuff at the lowest cost. He also gave me care sheets and book lists to read before i got a lizard. I also love the fact that they segregate crickets according to age, if i want 2 week old crickets thats what i get. Most of the local petstores only ever have large ones. My first gecko didn't come from Petsmart, but from a reptile specialty store where they own, as pets, most of the animals they display. My vet also knew the owner and didn't say anything bad at all! My second gecko, well I got Jake from Petsmart......and it was his eating habits that caught my attention. He was running around the enclosure chasing a cricket all the while shaking his tail. He passed from impaction of moss from his humid hide........don't think for a second i don't still get upset when i look over at the tank he was in sitting there empty! It pissed me off to no end cause it was in one of the leopard gecko books or caresheets i have that stated moss can be used........
>>
>>As for the pricing i keep reading about......there are times i wish i was in the U.S. Up here the lowest price i've seen anywhere for a *normal* leo is $50-$60 sometimes more. My particular interest is blizzards/patternless/all dark geckos. I would love to find a breeder to buy from but theres few up here compared to the U.S. The one i did find that was close (or closer than out of province) was selling for upwards $600.00 for one gecko.
>>
>>I'll never buy from Petsmart again, simply because i've found the other place and i trust them. But to put down someone for buying from them or any other store isn't right especially if its a kid trying to convince their parents of stuff. Remember, most people still think herps in general are evil slimy things. To allow a herp into the house is a big step for many people. I credit MacArthur for at least asking questions, he's trying. Its not his fault hes young and his parents say no to shipping. I don't buy online or through shipping simply because i'm old school. I like to see what i'm buying in person, watch behaviour, run down the checklist like others listed. Thats me and i'm entitled to that. I've already scheduled the time off work so i can attend the next show in Toronto and until then i'll keep searching for a breeder with the morphs i'm looking for close to me.
>>Red

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*Erin*

I agree....some petstores are good, but the most of them aren't. Being a kid myself, its hard living under someone else's rules especially when they don't see eye to eye with you over a certain issue (I love snakes, my mom can't stand rodents, so hence, no snakes allowed). Very frustrating but I give him alot of credit for trying to get through to his parents and taking the time to learn. Most kids go to the petstore and say "I want a leopard gecko" and have NO CLUE what they are talking about.

Cleo
1:1 leos (7 eggs cooking)

I wish all 12 year olds were smart and caring enough, like him, to do research. In fact, some adults don't even do research. He seems like he'll make a great leo owner.

>>I agree....some petstores are good, but the most of them aren't. Being a kid myself, its hard living under someone else's rules especially when they don't see eye to eye with you over a certain issue (I love snakes, my mom can't stand rodents, so hence, no snakes allowed). Very frustrating but I give him alot of credit for trying to get through to his parents and taking the time to learn. Most kids go to the petstore and say "I want a leopard gecko" and have NO CLUE what they are talking about.
>>
>>Cleo
>>1:1 leos (7 eggs cooking)
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*Erin*

I agree that any person that cares enough to do research about an animal deserves to be treated nicely and with respect.
I know what you mean with the snakes. I want a cornsnake so bad but my parents hate mice, being 14 I cant really do anything about it, they wont even let me feed pinkies to my leo very often.

is at B&B pets in mobile al. or at least it was that way when i was working there. it is the size of a walmart with wall to wall salt water fresh water supplies for both reptile supllies and QUALITY reptile BOUGHT FROM BREEDERS OF QUALITY ANIMALS.
in fact this is where i learned alot of my husbandry skills from.
i not only keep leos but large moniters and snakes.
i just started keeping leos not to long ago.

these type stores that are run by familys or indaviduals seem to be better in B&Bs case in mobile al(at least back in the mid-late 90's when i was there) had exceptional animals. we also had carring, exp. staff liek myself working the store. we cared for the animals and i say we cause we where a type bunch liek they where our own.

it is sad because with a little more Mirco management i think petco and petsmart could offer quality reptiles.

i think i am going to sit down and contact thesee people and see if we can come to some type of terms. i think they might listen given it could increase revanue.

mat

What part of ontario are you from Quake? Maybe I can help you find a breeder.

Hi, i'm in Southern Ontario, near Oshawa. I know the Toronto expo just finished but i work through weekends and i wasn't able to take the time off (one of the joys of working in the medical field and being short staffed) Any help in finding someone close to me would be great

And just to let everyone know.......i'm 26 and still living under the rules of my parents hehehe. Ok, not so much anymore.....but i still can't have a snake...my mom is terrified of them. Oddly enough she thinks my crested gecko is adorable!

Thanks to everyone who posted I appreciate the feedback

Red

Thats too bad none of you can have snakes. Snakes are the best pet ever in my opinion. My ball python is my pride and joy.

Rob Woods

Your right, it does suck. The store that i do go to has a tree python. Its adorable and is usually wrapped up on one of the branches. When we took a trip out west we stopped at a reptile exibit and we all got to hold a boa (my mom said she would then ran out the back door LOL). I don't know if i'd get a huge snake like that but i do like them. As a kid i was always bringing things home; frogs, toads, birds, salamanders. Mom always insisted that we return them to the wild which we did. Our place has always been home to more animals than people
Hopefully one day a snake will be apart of it too
Red

Well I got one for you guys!!
I went into a local pet store( I won't say the name ) but there on the corner of Chapman And Tustin in Orange for all you people from southern California!!), but anyway I went to get me a couple of mice and in their reptile section was two baby leopard gecko's. One's tail was half the size of an earaser on a pencil and it's sides were all sunken in. The other one's tail was all dehyidrated and you could see all the bones of the tail!!! It's little head was all deformed like there was this big buldge on top. I asked to speek to the manbager and all he said was "one is chowing down it's food and we are dusting it" I told him he best go look at them again! He said he just saw them today and their fin and just walked away from me. Did not even give a care in the world. All the employees were just standing around talking to friends in the store. I put in complaints to there corporate office. Of course there not calling me back, so I have some friends with some rescues checking into it for me to see if we can't get them some help fast!!!
Alot the the pet stores down here hire the least experienced people and just go off the bare minimum to take care of the reptiles and when they get sick have no idea what to do. It is so sad and it just makes me sick. We do have really good stores that just carry reptiles and when I do not have what someone is looking for I feel confident that I can send them to a store that cares and takes care of their reptiles!!
I am glad this forum is here!!! There is so much help from caring people it is great!! Thanks everyone
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I don't doubt for a second that theres more *bad* stores than there are good ones......i've seen really bad ones for sure. For example, i saw a 2-3 foot iguana in a extremely tiny tank. It broke my heart, it could hardly move around!

And the more we see the bad the less we notice those people trying to do good (like the gentleman who helped me at the Petsmart i mentioned).

Red