Petco's going Natural & PetSmart's 8 Billion Debt! | Munchie's Place

[@laura-wagner]

I was at PetSmart last week in the hamster aisle. There was a woman with two employees shopping for her daughter when she grabbed the the tiny tales castle. The employee told her it wasn't a good cage and she ended up getting a twenty long. It always amazes me when I see workers risking a bonus for the good at the animals.

[@BellatheSheep18]

Yass!

[@paperpenn9923]

🙏❤️😍😄 👏 bravoooooo

[@haleyreigle3222]

I do that at my store constantly!!! It doesn’t always go well for us but, I’m so happy I’m not the only employee pushing for better care!

[@cnp5336]

Bonus? Lollll Petsmart employees don’t get bonuses. Only some managers do. I used to work there and I would refuse sales back and forth if I knew that wouldn’t care for the animal properly and I didn’t care what the store leader said. It really is about who works at these stores

[@XxLadyxGaladrielxX]

I worked at Pet Supplies Plus and we never got bonuses. We also couldn't refuse sales, only a manager could and mine was a cooperate lackey who was willfully ignorant about animal welfare. They would talk about how our live sales were low and I'm there thinking 'I don't care, I'm not going to try and sell a small animal or fish to someone who will abuse and neglect it by not giving it a proper habitat'

[@leighbethrawlings9973]

I work at petsmart and I do everything in my power to tell customers that tiny tales cages and crittertrail cages are awful. my managers can't stand it but I'm not working there to make a sale, I'm working there to take care of animals lol

[@vmorris7639]

It's not like you're saying don't shop here and customers know they can trust you with good advice :)

[@tracibrown2796]

I do the same, same with the fish tanks and stuff.

[@xXxMeganMorganxXx]

My managers stand with me on it. They will help me steer customers away from that trash, I am sorry your management isn't as supportive.

[@flaminghorsebackrider6969]

Chaotic Good

[@marcysoucy9522]

I like you.

[@kristinebruton8607]

I was just recently in PetSmart and they are going to be replacing wire wheels for silent spinners in there hamster tanks they finally realized those wheels are bad at least the store in my area has realized that.

[@paperpenn9923]

Kristine Bruton mine as well!!

[@justcora4216]

Before I left the PetSmart I worked at in my area I was able to get all the wheels changed to at least the plastic ones, took me 2 years because they had to be replaced slowly but my managers were 100% on my side. I also vastly improved in store care and information for the hermit crabs (and other animals), I even made my own "care sheets" that the managers still make copies of and give to people interested in hermit crabs. It's been months since I worked there but I still go in and check out what's going on and the managers there love me since I was their best pet care employee for 2 years. They also let me refuse any sales because I knew my stuff. I loved my job there, and I was so lucky to have the support I did. I wish more locations had managers like mine did.

[@adelasevilla2313]

Kristine Bruton petco has already gotten rid of them where I live.

[@kristinebruton8607]

@@adelasevilla2313 the one near me hasn't yet. I hope they do it soon

[@cocowatercat4970]

I was at PetSmart recently and they only had silent spinners on the shelves and in the cages!

[@hellokatana]

I work at PetSmart and I go out of my way to tell my customers that Tiny Tales and Crittertrails are AWFUL 😹

[@hannahsheasley9772]

Good!!!!

[@breezexotics]

Watch yourself in that area with the petsmart brands if you want to keep your job -former employee

[@havenbrown2912]

You just made my day, that is amazing!

[@ClassicalPianoisMyJam]

That’s awesome. I’d be careful, could be considered slander to the company and you could very well lose your job.

[@arielscrafting4965]

@@ClassicalPianoisMyJam Even if the employee shows me a better much bigger pricier cage? Like would that not be better for the company?

[@MusicLvr4ever15]

Another reason I like working at petco, or my petco anyways, my managers will let me refuse a sale if I find the cage is not the right size or for any reason if I fear the animal will not be cared for. I always hate when I try to educate people who already have said animal and they buy the thing that I just told them will injure or hurt their animal in some way. I know I can’t change everyone’s mind, but it’s still sad when I see people purchase salt licks or sneak shaks

[@girlismurder]

I also work for Petco, and at my store we are also allowed to refuse a sale if we feel the animal won't have the proper housing or won't be provided with the proper care. It feels good to know we work for a company that values the well-being of the animals over profit.

[@paperpenn9923]

Yasss go petco!!!

[@brimarie2673]

MusicLvr4ever15 I work at petsmart and I couldn’t agree more. I try to educate them about proper husbandry skills and they shut me up by telling me, “I’ve had hamsters before.” It’s so sad

[@kellyadams8034]

Petsmart employees are also allowed to refuse a sale if they feel the customer does not have the animal's best interests at heart. I personally have refused sales before with full backing of my managers.

[@aciara6965]

MusicLvr4ever15 I love my petco ! The people who work there care so much about all the pets in their care! We adopted a beardie and have a dog and fish tank and they are so helpful and always encourage us to make the best choice for our animals. I consider them the best type of people especially when they told me I couldn’t get a fish my son wanted bc our tank is too small . It was a great learning experience for myself and my son and we love it!

[@aquadropandmlp2306]

I swear if they come out with tiny tales bird cages I'm gonna lose it

[@quantum_vortex_]

aquadrop and mlp it would be Tiny Feathers xD

[@joylolly4458]

Tiny Tweets🐦 (I'm just being creative as well, I don't advocate for any of it)

[@anniebell3899]

I know it’s horrible

[@bennyworm597]

Ugh I’d hate that, most pet stores near me sell tiny cages and I hate it and it’s also give the idea that birds are toys and that is a big no no, birds are some of the biggest long term commitments you have since they can live from 25-30 years and kids would quickly get bored very likely

[@Tonithealtwing]

There’s not Tiny Tales bird cages, but I know that at least Petco sells tiny bird cages.

[@LorisHartland]

Thank you for all the info! I personally prefer Petco, my PetCo has so many healthy options for their animals and I’m glad they are taking strides to do better. Good info! 💕

[@BellaBella24555]

Their options for small animal cages is lacking, lets make them step it up! Petsmart cages may be awful, but petco cages ive seen have been even worse!

[@BellaBella24555]

maybe thats just my petco, but they have nooo options :(

[@Kunailover101]

I'm trying to get my dad to switch organic food for his Chihuahua, any organic food and treats recommended?

[@aidehns]

Aubrey Herndon My Petco, unlike some, have really knowledgeable, honest, acceptable pet care, and well employed people. You may look at a bad cage and an employee will recommend you not to buy it and explain why. Obviously, they can have their issues, but the one closest to me is absolutely great.

[@traceyhagemann3107]

Lori’s Hartland I used to love petsmart then I learned where they got all there Animals and how they treat them I don’t like to support bad things sadly my local petco that is 5 minutes away is closing though the next one is less than 20 minutes so won’t be to bad

[@JeremyGoneWildPets]

I can only speak for my local stores, but my local Petco's in-store husbandry has been slowly but surely improving over the past year. It's a welcome change. The employees at the store generally seem to care about animals, and I can tell that, as a company, Petco is trying to do better. Unfortunately, Petsmart is quite the opposite. They are promoting improper husbandry with their in-store animal care as well as by promoting and selling inappropriate products, such as tiny cages, fish tank heaters without thermostats, unhealthy food, and dangerous toys. The employees at my local Petsmart seem to care even less than the employees at Walmart. When I think of "empathy-less corporations", Petsmart is near the top of the list.

[@vmorris7639]

I always thought they were pretty much the same store, but I'm quickly learning that's definitely not the case! I'm really glad petco is heading the right way.

[@isabelle9914]

True

[@paperpenn9923]

Jeremy's Wild Studio same here! Even though they do sell pine bedding, they don’t recommend it 😂 And the wheels are getting bigger and yeah. They are giving out better care

[@rurucaz]

i worked at petsmart for a little over a year, and we definitely all cared about the animals, but management would push some really stupid stuff on us, such as selling ridiculous fish or reptiles to beginners without asking them much, or straight up lying about info. (how big some fish get, what size tank they need, hamster cage sizes, etc.) it's the reason I quit, i couldnt be a cog in that machine of death and neglect for animals, no matter how hard i tried to make it better.

[@JeremyGoneWildPets]

Runelle thank you for commenting. I know there are employees that do care. Sadly, those employees are oftentimes run off by bad policy. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@CallipeplaCalifornica]

PetSmart employee here! I certainly can't speak for every store but I'm at least happy to report that myself and all of my coworkers are dedicated to helping our customers learn as much as they can about the animals they're interested in before they commit to the purchase! I've talked loads of people away from Crittertrails and Tiny Tales cages (as well as the horrible, undersized Grreat Choice/All Living Things bird cages and poorly sized reptile starter kits), and many have thanked me for my honesty and interest in giving them all the information possible, but so many more scoff at the advice and shoot back "why does the store sell them if they're not right?". I admit, it's very difficult to convince customers to invest in something better when our store can't PROVIDE something better, but I try!! For every customer who gets red in the face and storms off to write our store a bad review because I refuse them the sale of a Syrian they mean to put in a puny cage, I get a grateful customer who thanks me for all of my in depth help and advice in providing their new pet with the care it needs. I am grateful for those folks, you make me smile!

[@MunchiesPlace]

I was told by a few commenters in other videos of mine that some of their petsmarts are not allowed to deny the sale of a living thing unless someone says it's going to be a feeder. I haven't talked to my friend who works at persmart for awhile but i need to ask her what her stores policy is on this. Cause i hear so many different things coming from petsmarts in different states.

[@CallipeplaCalifornica]

There may be differing policies from store to store, or maybe it's just dependant on the manager on duty, but my coworkers and I do have the right to refuse the sale of any animal (including betta fish) if we deem the customer potentially unsuited for its ownership or if they have a history of returning several animals (alive or deceased) to us for shifty reasons. We also keep a list of banned customers who we refuse the sale of live animals to if they've proven negligent. My store is CA based, where there are a few more progressive laws and mindsets that allow for us to do this. The only exception to the rule is we do have to sell our crickets and feeder comets/rosy reds, but even that has its limitations since many folks attempt to buy dozens of either, typically to try and "free" them at the local lake or hand the goldfish out as carnival/fair prizes. We don't allow that since that lake had at one time nearly been destroyed by schools of released comets and koi.

[@vmorris7639]

Great job! Thank you to you and your friends ^_^

[@abbeediaz]

We've denied sales on animals at the PetSmart I work at.

[@ashabahn]

At my local petsmart in Louisiana an employee told me they are not allowed to send a syrian home with a crittertrail. I wish they couldn't send any away with one, but hey it's something...

[@orntelove]

My cat was very sick and vet couldnt figure it out. He was on Purina one. I switched to Nutro and hes still going strong 5 years later. I still dont know what was in the food.

[@niveusnimbus]

My cat was on purina, too and developed issues. Now he's on Thrive and applaws and much much better

[@yukikariuwu5773]

I'm glad your cats are doing better :3

[@lazyhomebody1356]

My dog got sick eating Dr Fosters and Smith! I switched back to Rachael Ray, and she has been fine.

[@rurucaz]

my cat died at the age of 4 with 2 broken hips and crystals in his urethra; he was eating only fancy feast and meowmix. really breaks my heart knowing that i fed that garbage to my kitty when i was young. :(

[@orntelove]

@@rurucaz do not feel bad looking back i did not take good care of animals when o was younger because i didnt know!you just assume food is safe and healthy

[@havenbrown2912]

I went yo Petsmart because it’s closer and my Hamster, Harvey was over due on a cage clean. We walk be the Tiny Tales cages and my dad goes “THOSE ARE SO COOL , Where were those when we got your hamster!” -_- I tried to explain to him that these are bad cages. Didn’t go so well...

[@Furrykarmawolf]

Haven Brown Hay my Syrian Hamster is also named Harvey! :D

[@MusicLvr4ever15]

Petco worker here: We are starting in January getting rid of all the artificial stuff. This makes me excited to work with this company. We are doing this to allow room and make new partnerships with online exclusive brands that are all natural and what not. It starts with cat and dog food. I’m hoping that by the middle of next year we will also do it with small animals. This way we can throw out the crud and bring in nicer and higher quality brands. This is going to be a pain in the butt with pet parents who like/love the cheap artificial food though, I’m dreading getting yelled at because we likely won’t carry friskies or fancy feast. It will be nice however so that we can help get people and their pets high quality and really good food that really can make a difference in their lives. 80% of our customers are well informed on their pets food and pet health. I believe as far as I can tell the exception to the all natural campaign is the prescription food. From what I’ve been told. Yes if anyone is switching or planning to switch to hills science diet bioactive there should be coupons by them in the store as well.

[@wcspegasus]

I work part-time at Petco as well and have already noticed a few subtle signs going up around the store designed to lure customers toward better brands. There used to just be one or two but a lot of different ones have started to pop up as well. Especially on the foods that I know are on the chopping block come January. It's a nice, subtle redirection ahead of those brands vanishing off the shelf.

[@shannonatkinson897]

So glad to hear that! For the small animals, your store should check out a brand called ROSEWOOD NATURALS. It is a WONDERFUL brand and they are completely natural. I can never find their products in America because it is a European brand. But I do know that large industries can get a hold of those products....😉🐭

[@savemebiatch109]

Thank good for this I live in England but it’s great to see animals from America getting better options from stores that are supposed to be knowledgeable about animals

[@bennyworm597]

Same here

[@romansreddead]

I'm getting a hamster soon and you helped me realize all the work I need to do thank you

[@cnt.breyers3227]

I have a hamster and I know how to care because of her

[@hedgyhouse1495]

I have and a hamster I know how to take care of them because of my munchie 🐹

[@MrShinySamurott]

I totally agree. I used to feed my dogs purina chow and pedigree food for a long time. Once I turned 19 and had enough money to continuously purchase Taste of The Wild I felt much better about giving my dog quality food. I usually shop at PetSmart for my green cheek conure, and dog but I think from now on I'll shop at Petco to support their cause. Thank you for informing us!

[@lifeismusic5529]

Jorge Armando Be careful with that food. It almost killed my dog. And other people’s dogs, it did actually kill. Liver failure is what i read it caused some. My dog developed mange, and didn’t want to eat. Got super skinny and kept throwing up. Switched up food and he stopped throwing up and gained weight. Then put him on meds for the mange which he got bc he was so sick from the food it brought his immune system down real low. Im never buying that brand again.

[@MrShinySamurott]

Life Is Music just did some research and your claims are backed up! I was not aware this was happening and it seems to have picked up even more traction lately. That’s really upsetting and I’m going to look at other alternatives for my dog. Thank you for your help!

[@GalacticRose2]

That's worrying... We recently switched our dogs food to purina, because our dog was puking atleast 2 times a day, She got better after eating purina for awhile, but this is quite worrying, that other animals have gotten sick from purina...

[@Fellidae]

At my Petco, we usually see more people getting good brands for their pets when it comes to dogs and cats. I hope we can get rid of the bad foods for small animals, reptiles, and birds too! That would be awesome!

[@gemzed8791]

I work at PetSmart, and I completely agree with you. If someone is planning on buying a product I know can be harmful to their animal (especially tiny tales, wire wheels, and beta tanks), I'll speak up. I HATE it when my store practices poor husbandry. At one point during this Christmas we had 11 baby bearded dragons in one tank-11! And 8 guinea pigs in a tank that was only suitable for one (or course, the store binder says there can be up to 6). We had to clear out a lot of our horrifically small beta tanks to make room for different stock and let me tell you, every associate was overjoyed by the destruction of those torture devices. The worst part is, we're told we shouldn't tell the truth about the safety or quality of a product unless we're trying to upsell something, or the customer asks. All you have to say is something like "I know you guys sell these .5 gallon tanks for beta's but what would you recommend?" Unfortunately, quite a number of other PetSmart employees don't know any better or don't care. It's best to ask multiple associates throughout the store. Another problem I run into a lot, especially with telling people not to buy cages/tanks that are too small, is that most of the cheaper cages/tanks are the bad ones, or the bad ones look cuter(ex. tiny tales and beta tanks), so I get a lot of customers who think I'm just trying to upsell to them by saying the cheaper cages/tanks aren't as good. I hear this line a lot: "Well if it's not safe, why does PetSmart sell it?" BECAUSE IT'S A CORPORATION YOU DOLT! THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET RID OF THESE PRODUCTS UNLESS THEY'RE OUTLAWED!

[@theXxgajxX]

I work at PetSmart. They have been going down for ages. Since they got bought 2 or so years ago. They bought chewy to help get them out of the debt. If it wasn’t for the fact I was a college student (I need a flexible schedule) I would have abandoned my post a while ago.

[@iRMagicDinosaur]

theXxgajxX same :/

[@psfox4190]

I'm just here for the free top of the line grooming training, lmaooooo. I work the floor as well, however, so I agree and am lucky enough to have managers that tell us to divert to better cages, food, etc.

[@breezombiee]

Petsmart employee for y e a r s here. I don’t know where these people are coming from saying that we’re forced to sell these cages or we get bonuses by selling them. While we definitely got the cages and got informed about them, we’re not obligated to sell them to people. We can direct them to any kind of cage that we like. Another huge misconception is that the cashiers have the same information as the pet care associates. They’re trained for register, seek out a pet care associate. We’re trained. But yea. No obligation to make sales. That’s not part of our job description, we don’t get in trouble. So any Petsmart’s who are trying to push this on you are definitely personal opinions from individual employees. :)

[@MunchiesPlace]

Ty for your feedback. I also think it depends on the staff, your stores status and the area of which you live in. I've been getting mixed comments but there has been more than a few mentioning being forced to suggest or push these out and only a handful said that they're making bonuses which usually a stores bonus is a percentage of sales in the overall store, not based off of a line. So some info does and doesn't sound correct but that's what i've been told. My friend who works at petsmart was given a lecture from her boss about the new line and to suggest selling them instead of the other lines, but we may not know how one store functions vs another store. So all points i brought up have been from commenters and are subject to being questioned.

[@scalesinthesnow6457]

There are natural/alternatives to 'prescription' foods for cats. Most 'UTI' and 'Bladder stones' in cats are caused by chronic dehydration from dry foods. Feeding wet food primarily - (More correct would be feeding all raw or all wet, never dry) will help to reduce all of these issues.

[@anthonymcdonnell6615]

looks like PetSmart is going to go the same way as TOYSRUs

[@bettabeta1479]

Purposely bankrupt themselves so the executives get a huge payout and can rebrand and reopen?

[@cap7387]

Anthony Mcdonnell K Jokes on you because in Canada ToysRus is not out of business. So I can get princess, you can’t, hahaha.

[@totally_not_an_asian1724]

Anthony McDonnell A couple of Toysrus just reopened in New Jersey and Texas

[@urface151]

My family just swore off petsmart because the last 3 times we went we got really bad service from the fish people

[@MunchiesPlace]

Both Petco and Petsmart don't really have the time or place to hire the right type of people or they don't train them so that they can thrive. Both companies don't keep Aquatic specialists around for long and usually they pull people from different departments if they do not have a specialist at their store.

[@Sika013]

I work at Petco and im so happy that youre doing reviews on those awfull cages. i try to tell customers not to get kaytee foods and cages but no one listens lol i go out of my way (like you) to take care of my 9 hammies. but there are so many ppl that don't realize that they aren't just cute fluff balls you can put in a small cage, to just be left to themselves. so happy you made this channel!

[@soniateeter1385]

It’s crazy how different Petsmart’s in the states are from Canada. I feel like they are living in the last. Have worked for PetSmart for 3+ years and it is very different then America. We don’t use wire wheel, we don’t sell goldfish for bowls, we do not advertise or “push” the sales for tiny tales. We do not get bonus’. The cashiers are not trained in petcare, please consult a petcare associate not someone working the registers. I wish they were training in petcare but they are not.

[@cap7387]

Sonia Teeter my PetSmart does sell goldfish bowls.

[@briannalaughlin8172]

I use to only shop for stuff for my pets at petsmart but now i use petco the one by me has many educated workers there whereas PetSmart by me has people who have no clue what im talking about when talking about my pets.

[@Zara-ue1iv]

*I don’t have Petco or PetSmart in my country, but I am so happy that it’s going the right way (I hope so).*

[@hudsonjoseph5851]

Petsmart employee here, i HATE the tiny tales stuff! Its so sad! Often i try to make people buy the right stuff for their pet but 99% of the time the conversation goes. “Oh i want to house my lizard in a critter keeper” “Oh let me show you the 1,000’s of other options you can do. All the DIYS, set ups, tanks, you name it” “Oh well those are great...well still buying the critter keeper haha by” It can be really hard to even convince people to try more expensive stuff because even when you tell people the harm it does to the animal they don’t care. To them its a childs toy or a tiny commitment. It sucks

[@MunchiesPlace]

As a petstore clerk, I too feel your pain. I've only had about 4-5 customers say "it's fine" to be about improper care after being kindly informed. It's always a battle with people.

[@abbeediaz]

I've denied sales to people who have that mentality only because their arrogance will eventually kill the animal.

[@PixieoftheWood]

Isn't the critter keeper supposed to be something to hold the crickets in that you plan to feed your lizard?

[@itdatbexxa7371]

So proud of Petco!!!!

[@diannarebuli8954]

I was at PetSmart filming how bad the TinyTails cages are and an employee came up to saying that the TinyTails cages are so cute and that they’re great cages.

[@BeckysAnimals]

It’s been a long time coming but I’m pleased to see that some pet shops are slowly improving! It seems ridiculous that they still sell inappropriate pet supplies like tiny cages and fluff bedding though, customers often trust that they know what they are doing. I hope things continue to improve x

[@maybelater1464]

Ugh I really hope petsmart will follow petcos lead. I work at petsmart and it's really annoying with the new cages. They made us watch videos to "educate" us on the new lines and it's just so stupid. It's pretty obvious we're supposed to push customers to buy all the tiny tales cages to complete the set. Luckily most people I speak to are willing to get someone proper for their pet rather than those horrid little wire cages. I absolutely dread when it starts getting closer to Christmas time.

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

I’m glad to hear the change Petco is making and I can’t wait to see how they keep improving. I hope they start carrying my dog’s food there

[@kimmetje8091]

Can you make a before and after of petco? Then you can better see what changed💛

[@MunchiesPlace]

That's what I was planning on doing. I'll try to see if Petco will let me film inside without a problem. I'm always scared of that.

[@georgetteclark3446]

So, recently I went to petco to get two roborovski hamsters and the workers brainwashed my mom and dad into getting a 29 gallon aquarium. Let me just say now I am saving up for a 40 gallon aquarium.

[@emmajanesnellings7533]

Thankyou!I had no idea I normally go to petsmart because it's bigger and more convenient in my area but I'll definitely try to go to petco.

[@stephanielcw4666]

I’m so glad, currently I live in a very rural area and there are no natural pet stores

[@aquadropandmlp2306]

I'm so happy that Petco is going all natural for small animals as well when I got my cockatiel there she was on this really crummy kaytee cockatiel diet with artificial dyes everywhere so I went online and did a ton of research and now she's on a mix of Harrison's pellets and Sunburst cockatiel seed mix. She's doing much better on that. Another really odd thing was that compared to the parakeet cage (which was super overcrowded) the cages for the larger birds were very barren and my bird only had two toys in her cage, one of which she couldn't even reach and both of which were plastic so she had nothing to chew on. Also the lady said she was agressive but she hopped right on my shoulder within a few minutes of me taking her home and is the sweetest bird I've ever met. Also, a good rule of thumb for buying bird cages at petco/petsmart is to always go one size up. The "parakeet" cage is suitable for finches, the "cockatiel" cage is suitable for parakeets, and the "parrot cage" is suitable for cockatiels. Hope you enjoyed this random dump of birb info

[@onii_na4141]

im so glad!! i wish there was a petco in my country, but there isn't.. i have a local pet shop that happens to be my favorite, everything about it is so good.

[@ionasan]

As a parrot owner, Petco is my personal preference. PetSmart is the closer option for me and I had never been there before. I needed to pick up some nutriberries for my bird and they had none! All PetSmart had was the unhealthy, fatty, and unnatural bird seed that no bird (or any other seed eating animal) should eat! It was amazing to me how PetSmart advertises being a great pet store for all animals, but they didn't have the one healthy bird food option my vet recommended to me! I wasn't welcomed at all when entering the store, just stared at. Quickly left PetSmart, and never planning on going back. Petco on the other hand, I was greeted right away by a friendly cashier. I had brought my parrot with me on my shoulder and she absolutely loved him. I asked where the bird products were and she knew right away and took me there. They had a large variety of food, toys, and cage gear. I was immediately impressed by how they keep their birds they are selling. Other pet stores put their birds in bins where people can reach down and try to grab them. Petco had their birds sealed in a plastic cage against the wall in sight of the cash registers! Very great to see! So many birds are traumatized by improper care at pet stores. When checking out I let her hold my bird and I signed up for their rewards program. The best part about this Petco is that it's right around the corner from my avian vet. Definitely will be back to buy my bird a toy every time we go to the vet! Petco for the win!

[@MintyMode]

I'm so happy to hear this! Hopefully this will help other companies recognize the importance of quality pet care in other categories instead of only thinking of profit!

[@stephanienelson6509]

Thank you for bringing attention to this. We do EVERYTHING at Petsmart (including grooming and vet) and I had no idea about any of this. Now I’m going to look into switching.

[@MunchiesPlace]

You're welcome. I really do hope PetSmart will change it's ways since I hear from other employees that they love their job but hate corporate because they always feel mistreated. But not every Petco store is good either. From the really well rounded stores to the piss poor ones, it can always go both ways wherever you're located.

[@stephanienelson6509]

Munchie's Place Yeah, we’ve had good experiences with Banfield but the horror stories I’ve heard about the grooming salon make me uneasy. We also switched our dog over to healthier food in the last year (we didn’t even know what he was eating wasn’t healthy) and the people at Petsmart were especially unhelpful.

[@grimmb3686]

Thanks for the Twitter shout-out! Lol! I was SO happy for that response!

[@oliviawashere]

I’m so glad Petco has improved. I’ve actually started shopping at Petco, as it’s closer than Petsmart and has way more stuff. It seems to be more healthy and natural.

[@MaeleighMoon]

Another important note for short hair dogs; low nutrition and high fat is a major leading factor found to cause fatty tumors. So many health issues are preventable by properly regulating your pups diet.

[@tomtomtomtomtomtomtom]

I’m actually applying to work at my local Petco because I’m experienced with fish care and it saddens me how little petco seems to care about fish, so I want to help out in caring for them in the store and getting them in good homes. But it’s refreshing to know that they are (albeit slowly) making policy change for the better!

[@MunchiesPlace]

That's a positive attitude. I work in a petstore and i encourage proper care for the animals i'm knowledgeable about. Petco and petsmart cannot seem to hire or keep around their Aquatic specialists so they pull people from other departments to take care of their fish which ends up being a big problem due to unintentional neglect and lack of knowledge. But if petco starts hiring the right people, the fish care will hopefully start to thrive. However sick fish usually always come into pet stores and it's kind of hard to witness so many fish come and go because of improper breeding practices with their suppliers. But i wish you the best of luck. My friend is the AS at Petco and he love love LOVES his fishies. He gets extremely depressed when something happens. He's a good fish mom, that's for sure. :)

[@mirandascoool]

I have 5 cages/bins all connected that all individually meet the minimum and one of them being 1000 Sq in on its own, for my male Syrian child, and I have the maze connected to my his houses. I hate the tiny tales cages but my baby loves the maze he basically uses it as a burrow. I filled his biggest bin with 10 inches of bedding and put this under the bedding to make it "underground". I put clean and cozy and the softest toilet paper there is in there and he loves it. And I'm so glad you said that about the chewy website because I purposely stopped shopping at petsmart and went to them, won't be doing that anymore. Ps. The maze is actually quite large.

[@scemolivvy]

Munchie is the reason why I went with a huge bin cage for my hamster! He’s soooo happy and burrows a lot. He even grooms himself in the open! He took a treat from my hand!

[@alexispearl2795]

Love this video! I'm so happy they're making a change in the food. There's so much misinformation out there, it's hard for people to know which dog foods really are good. I'm still struggling with it. I'd love for you to cover some of the more popular brands (ol Roy, Purina, blue buffalo) in a video saying if they're good or bad and why. Really hard to find accurate information for.

[@lazyhomebody1356]

There are many Top 10 dog food lists made up by vets, if you google "best dog foods"

[@saxybaby4486]

I work at petsmarttt and i NEVER recommend critter trail or tiny tales. I can't keep someone from buying it if thats what they want,(and i cant trash talk any of our products) but i always tell anyone who is buying a new hammy to get atleast a 40 gal with a mesh lid and the biggest cage available for guinea pigs. I always push people to get at least a 3 gal for bettas and proper sized tank for other types. 90% of the time people atleast meet me half way. Ive sold more expensive product this way. I care about these animals and made it my business to do my own research at home for all the live animals we carry (except for some of the fish) i will correct coworkers mistakes. I will tell someone at the register if needed to go and get this for this animal, ect. I love my job and i love being able to work at a chain pet store while still making the animals that we sell have a better life.

[@2013RUL]

Sara Logsdon at least 5 gallons for a betta

[@sophia-vt5ob]

@@2013RUL its actually 3 gal, the minimum, but 5 gallon is preferred

[@maybelinefox3878]

I work at petco and I have always been proud that we don't have stuff as bad as tiny tales. We do have bad hamster cages, but not that bad. And my store is small so we don't have as much in our store as you might find in a bigger petco. I was also super excited when I found out that we were getting rid of the bad food and replacing it all with the natural food. I actually didn't realize how much artificial stuff is in Kaytee, which is what I feed my ferret and parakeets. So I might be changing that soon. So thank you for putting it out there that we're changing that. Hopefully pet owners will move with us to feed their pets healthier foods. I always recommend instinct or canidae to customers for dog food because they're natural and healthy, and now we can recommend pretty much everything in the store! ~MayFox

[@InfinityPets]

Petco has become the only pet store in my area within 5 miles for the past 10 years. Which I find odd because Petco started here in San Diego and I would expect for them to open more locations here. I always hoped another pet store would open but nothing yet. I’m happy that they are promoting natural food for dogs!

[@InfinityPets]

^also my Petco is really good at keeping all there pets happy and healthy soo that’s why I support them!

[@tiffanylehmkuhl6715]

i work at Petsmart and I love my job and the people i work with. I have yet to be told by my managers to promote the TinyTales line and i hope it never happens. I always try to steer my customers in the best direction possible when it comes to their pets. This whole debt business that is going on worries me. I don't want to lose the job I love so much

[@asher8747]

My local Petco has stopped selling Crittertrail cages and the other bad cages!

[@MunchiesPlace]

I've yet to see Petco do this. O.o they have a partnership with Kaytee unless they're just out of stock.

[@asher8747]

Munchie's Place I know that they aren’t out of stock, they’ve been selling great cages! Really big ones for cheep prices.

[@aresol6487]

My local Petco is so sweet and has amazing husbandry. I have been there and seen several times employees encouraging buyers to adopt their small animal or pet. I've even seen employees explaining to kids how those adoptable small animals want homes and it will be a little harder from them to find a home. They teach the kids and the kids are usually understanding but sometimes they buy them anyways. I also love how this women who works there loves little parrots and birds and she takes them out to hold.

[@karinahilton2330]

Glad to hear Petco are going to start stocking better food options and its fab to hear you talking about the well known foods brands and that they aren't as good as people assume... I raw feed so it doesn't make a difference to me but hopefully other pet parents will see these changes and move their pets to a better quality food

[@impossibruru]

Im the companion animal leader at a Petco here in Nebraska, and I dont know how many conversations Ive had with new hamster parents to not even BUY anything from our selection at the time because we didnt have anything I deemed suitable for a syrian. When I suggested a bin or tank, they always get these crazy expressions like "it has to be a BIG cage?" We have a petco internet-like forum that employees can use to read news and leave comments and we raise the same concerns about fishbowls still being sold among other things. From the feedback ive heard so far the company is aware of these problems and are slowly but surely going to take action. You can thank our new CEO, he is the one who has pushed these new changes

[@weefslider]

So exciting! I hope Petco improves their education and care, too. I've heard the pet stores in Germany and other European countries are very ethical and good- like a really high quality local pet shop- and it would be soooooo amazing to see that here!

[@jessicasmuda462]

Glad to see your internet is back up Jessica. My husband and I look forward to watching all your videos

[@andreavictoriasanchez7082]

I’ve been shopping at Petco since I first owned pets- it’s my go to store. I was surprised to hear about their changes and hope this makes food brands take a 180 and improve!

[@brimarie2673]

I’m happy to say I work at petsmart and I try to be as honest as I can be with my customers because my job title is to be a pet care specialist. And I ALWAYS tell them tiny tails are not appropriate for any size hamsters. I always push aquariums tanks, or reptile tanks because small hamster cages are absolutely too small. I stress so much, that the customers need to consider that these cages are ALL the hamster will ever have, and I stress to them that no one wants to live in a bedroom their entire life. The bigger the better. Even if that means you need to wait a month or two and save a little more money just to get the appropriate size home. I’ve met so many customers who want the cheapest, least maintenance pet and habitat they can find. It’s so incredibly sad. But it makes me very happy when I actually push some to do the right thing and they actually listen!!

[@Zoe-qf9ev]

Pet Store worker here. I am known at my store to be *the* small animal person, especially for guinea pigs and hamsters. I make sure the other employees know cage size standards when selling and if they're not sure on something, they page me for help. My GM knows this about me and fully supports it. Education and proper care over sales!

[@LifeWithAllOfUs]

Love that they are going natural, and your bangs

[@secretbobs6336]

In England PetsAtHone are upgrading : in the cages they are actually adding wheels although they are only maybe 6 inch but the could do for a baby dwarf , they are adding a little bit if paper bedding for nesting material, and hay are adding chews and attractive bowls and hides. Also they are selling a Syrian hamster “mansion” which is the standard guinea pig size pet shop cages at least they’re trying. They are also making the guinea pig hutches even bigger. Thank you

[@sammierain3544]

Another bad thing about PetSmart that most people don't know about is that over the last year A LOT of dogs have been dying or getting seriously injured through their grooming program. I've been following the stories for a while now and it usually end with PetSmart blaming the dog owner and not taking responsibility. I'd recommend doing your own research on the subject though if anyone want more information just because there is a lot about it. There is also a Facebook page called "Justice for Gunner and other fur babies" that shares a lot of the info.

[@abbeediaz]

You mean the same facebook page that's about to be taken down? Many people including myself have asked Gunner's owners to show the supposed autopsy reports that they claim they have. Yet every time people have asked, they're either blocked from the page or have their comment deleted. PetSmart has even offered to pay for ALL medical expenses including autopsy and others. Yet the owners refused and are now being counter sued for slander and defamation of character.

[@KARROTSSSS]

I love Petco so much. I always feel that the stores around where I live have clean stores, clean displays, even proper sized wheels for hamsters. One of my favorite parts about Petco is that recently, I have been looking into getting a cockatiel. I've done so much research into them, I have a cage set up, and all I need to do is buy the bird. I've gone into Petco several times to buy bedding, feed, and toys, and I always see signs on their animal displays that say, "Think about adoption first." I was unable to find any adoption centers for birds around me, but it did convince me to go to a more local pet store. I am now currently saving money to buy a feathery friend from there. I feel I can walk into Petco, buy something, and not feel guilty about it.

[@XxLadyxGaladrielxX]

I love your channel. I only found it a few days ago, but it warms my heart to see people teaching proper husbandry for hammies. The Pet Supplies Plus I used to work at did not sell A SINGLE cage suitable for the small animals (dwarf hammies, syrain hammies, guinea pigs, chinnys, ferrets) it sold. NOT ONE. I had to try and educate parents about C and C cages for their guinea pigs and let poeple who were looking at chinnys and ferrets that unfortunate we didn't sell proper cages and they would have to order online or try Petco. My manager was an ass, which is why I left, but it was so draining to care for these animals knowing that they were going to go to bad homes were they would be abused. People don't want to hear that the cage with the hamster on it isn't suitable, or that the half gallon coloured plastic betta container that is labeled Betta with a picture of a betta is not suitable and is abusive. They just go "well then why are you selling it?"

[@ljn369]

In my town, there's one Petco and one PetSmart. When they first opened, PetSmart was the better one and Petco wasn't. However, it's flipped over the years and that's because Petco has been listening (Unlike PetSmart.) to its customers. I found this video and your amazing channel because both stores are hiring. After looking into both stores, I've decided to go to the job interview for Petco and not the one for PetSmart. Thanks for helping me learn about the stores and for like the Hammy facts so I can help people! (If I get this job.🤞)

[@vmorris7639]

Hahahaha that song!! It just cracked me up. Thank you so much for making these videos! I didn't know about Purina so I just tossed it and bought blue buffalo which I hope is actually a good brand!

[@MunchiesPlace]

You're welcome to donate food to shelters instead of tossing it. Shelters feed the animals anything that they're donated and it could really help them since they are not always funded. Just a suggestion. ❤️

[@DarkKingdomBlade]

please don't. this is misinformation. Purina is trial tested and formulated by veterinary nutritionists. It is a good food, especially their pro plan line. Blue Buffalo, on the other hand, has had multiple recalls due to high led quantities. There is no evidence to suggest these "higher quality" brands are healthier. In fact, recent research is showing that these "natural", "grain-free' diets may be causing DCM in dogs, a fatal heart condition.

[@Lithdra9061]

I work at petco and To help people who can’t make it to other pet stores in the area and soften the blow that the store will take from losing all those foods, we are offering coupons behind the register that give 50% off one of the healthier brands to give customers time to switch their dogs or cats to a better food before the bad foods are out of the store completely. So if you are using Purina and you want to switch to a better brand there’s a coupon for it to encourage you to do so. This is at my store but I’m not sure if it’s only in select stores or what. But if you are interested you should definitely ask your local petco about it.

[@chloeszoo]

Also PETSMART is getting sued for all the deaths they caused in groomers. My dog also almost died. But shes still here over 60 dogs have been reported dead.

[@charlottesmart6249]

I commented on one of your vids that my mum and dad would not let me get a hampi and because I ve been watching your vids I’ve got loads of info and I impressed my mum and dad with my info so yesterday we went out and got a big cage big wheel and I got a Russian dwarf hamster yesterday thanks ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@ecologist_to_be]

Hope they know about vet bills

[@charlottesmart6249]

Sarah Camley yes we do I’ve had one before and I do know a lot about them already but thanks x

[@wloxya7422]

Charlotte Smart I hope your hammie is doing good ❤️❤️

[@JojoIsTotallyClowning]

I am so glad we don't have a Pet Smart in my area! Petco has always been my go-to and always got wonderful products for my pupper. Hopefully they start that research for smaller animals too. (I hate driving to and from a city that's an hour away just to get nice cages,food,etc for my birds. But they mean the world to me so I do it.) Go Petco!

[@bpdrave]

As a Petsmart employee, while working the floor I’ve tried to educate as many people as I could about proper Hamster Husbandry, Guinea pig & Mice care. And I’ve also talked a few people out of buying terrible cages... But I’ll tell you as a cashier, if I or any other cashier tried to talk you out of purchasing something, we’d get in trouble. It’s something we literally cannot do. But I would never ever, try to sell some one a product just bc my manager told me to, especially if it wasn’t something I believed in. At my store we’ve yet to be asked to promote tiny tales- thank God. Give Petsmart employees a chance though bc the majority of us see the REAL issues with in Petsmart and don’t want to be apart of it either.

[@amandarobbins6779]

When I was younger, my family's dog and grandma's dog both died from bad dog food. I don't remember what brand, but it still breaks my heart. This is one reason I'm such an advocate for animals now-a-days. I find brands that just want to make money and don't care about animals sickening. Edit: unfortunately my family and grandma didn't know any better and trusted the dog food company, which was a mistake. I was only around 10 (I'm 23) when this happened, but I remember it being a huge thing where it killed hundreds of dogs.

[@Thestoneofdoom]

I work at the cooler pet store u mention and I constantly find my coworkers suggesting big tanks over cages. Sometimes we lose the fight and the buyer goes for the cage- when that happens we stress that it’s very temporary and to try to expand as soon as possible-the cool side is no matter what kind of habitat they choose if they do not express care or reject buying the proper items then they go home animalless.

[@justnana1473]

Personally, I worked at PetSmart for about three years before the ownership change in 2014 as a Petcare Associate. It felt like there was an immediate change in atmosphere (although it already felt bad to begin with). One thing that comes to mind is when they added something to the doorway to count customers coming through, and they added a new metric to the STUPID MORNING MEETING about how many sales we made per customer coming through. Unfortunately, as an ex employee, I know that corporate doesn't care about the animals at all. They won't change anything unless it's profitable or terrible press not to. Also I had like no training on how to care for the animals. Everything I learned I had to learn from senior employees or the internet, which isn't the best source of information. They pushed us to sell any extra product we could; I remember the Puppy coupon guide or whatever being a particular pain in my ass. Also the reptiles are so poorly treated, I felt like a monster having to force feed pythons cause they were so stressed, underweight and dying.... so glad I left.

[@gemzed8791]

I work at a PetSmart and they are strict about the cashier needing to call out the conversion numbers (this includes how many items are sold per transaction) every half hour and we're advised not to step on the front rug because that's where the pressure plate is. The conversion goal for getting people signed up for the new Treats program is around 80% of the transactions they do where the customer isn't already signed up for the program. It's ridiculous how profit driven they are.

[@bewarepetloverhere8819]

I always liked petco over petsmart whenever I have a chance to shop the same thing at one of the stores I always choose petco

[@Furrykarmawolf]

My Petco has had nice big saucer wheels in their cages for their animals and it made me so happy to see. An employee there knew we were looking to get mice for pets and she got so happy and informed us of a 6 month old mouse named muffin that was surrendered to them that needed a home so we adopted her and got a few more female mice to keep her company. I was extremely disappointed in the cages at Petsmart as all the small animals had wire mesh wheels in them.

[@wcspegasus]

I was so excited to see the food announcement from Petco. I actually did ask about if the policy will roll over onto small animals or other areas and got a kind of half-way answer, I think they were trying to not say no but also not wanting to commit fully. I have a suspicion they're waiting to see how the cat/dog food changes go over with the public before they commit to more. I'm hopeful that they get so much positive PR and reviews and hopefully an uptick in sales to help encourage them to reconsider the small animal lines, not just for food but enclosures and treats as well. Heck, most days I'd even just day a redesign of the aisles that those items are on to make it more clear which treats are appropriate for which animals. Because the packaging can be horribly misleading and there isn't a clear line between what is good for hamsters vs guinea pigs vs rats vs rabbits. Even when I'm trying to help guests choose good products it can be horribly frustrating to sift through and find which items are okay for the particular small animal they're shopping for. I'm living for the day they decide to increase clarity in this area as well. And I think they're headed there, I'm willing to give them the time to ease across into something better.

[@foxxics]

Our dogs were on Purina for a while, less then a year. Our senior dog had never had issues with it but all of a sudden our younger lab started scratching and getting hotspots. I did some research and talked to my mom and we switched to Rachel Ray nutrish. Not the super fancy stuff but good quality food with real meat. Both dogs coat conditions improved and our senior dog now has tons more energy and is loosing excess weight that we attributed to her age.

[@MunchiesPlace]

If you need recommendations, i would suggest Canidae. RR is natural however it doesn't have high amounts of meat protein and is more veggie/fruit based. The more meat in their diets, the better but of course you gotta start off slow and gradually make a change due to how rich meat is on the stomach. But just a suggestion if you were to want to try something else in the future. I am glad you also changed from Purina. I made the horrible mistake of feeding my animals that in the beginning and now i know better. :)

[@CapAndMumpis4976]

Thank you now it's so much easier to decide which pet store I want to go to now thank you for giving us this information cuz I was planning on going to the pet store but I didn't know which one to go to I mean there's not really many around near me but it's still hard decision if you don't have much experience and don't really mean you're too lazy to do research I've been following your channel because I love animals that's why I links that video in one of your other videos I sent that to

[@Halloween_Central]

When the hamsters in the background are moving I died with love. 🐹

[@kenadeekaplan7304]

Thank you for informing me about the adoption in petco now Since I heard I am adopting 3 hamsters THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@sabinamaria]

I love petsmart personally. I get my food, toys, chews, bedding, food bowls etc. and I saw a girl and her mom buying a hamster. The lady helped them get, bedding, food, chews, toys, a wheel, everything she needed. The girl pointed to the tiny tales castle and said I want that. The mom said ok. But the lady told them no. She said it was to small. She said you can get an aquarium or make a bin cage. She said you need at least 450 square inches. The mom said ok, we will set up the cage tonight then. We will make a bin cage. The lady said to look up online how to make one. Then the mom said oh well you might not get that same hamster when you come back tomorrow with the cage set up ok? Then the lady said I will hold this hamster for you, I just want to make sure this little guys is taken care of! That is such a touching story for me. I love petsmart! I don’t support their cages, but I love petsmart!!

[@sarasthoughts]

How is red n3 still legal in the usa?

[@MaddoxEzman]

My cat Spike was on Kit and Kaboodle food for years and he got a severe UTI infection. I looked up the ingredients of his food the night before his vet appointment and saw all the pure sh*t they put in that food. And when I mentioned this to my vet he was impressed about how much I learned right before I went to him. My cat went on the special UTI wet food diet and went on antibiotics. He was doing great but he went missing 6 months ago. Lesson of this story, pay attention to what you’re feeding your pets and read the ingredients to see if they’re the healthy choice for you let or not.

[@MunchiesPlace]

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. :(

[@MaddoxEzman]

Munchie's Place Thanks Munchie, maybe one day I’ll find him:)

[@bugloverspiderlover8490]

Our last cat got kidney failure from that trash! We feed our new cat natural foods only.

[@McChicken03]

That's great! We can finally get proper food care for our animals! I own many fish, and my first choice is omega one and fluval bug bites, I always see someone buying aqueon food, and reading the labels on that was horrifying. So it's nice to get the best for your pet, let's go animal community! WHOOP WHOOP!

[@sirbirdingtontheiii7561]

Hoo boy do I have a fricken sad story for u I have two cousins one good cousin, (gc for short) and a bad cousin (bc for short). I got them both hammies! I got them fishes before to see if they were responsible. They were exited! I got them both bin cages and all the other necessities. After a week, I come to their house and bc’s hammys cage got replaced. By tiny tales. Holy heck. I told them the cages were horrible and they didn’t give a crap. I thought whatever, their too stubborn. They keep the hammys in their separate rooms because of fighting. Both gc and bc are well aware of this. One day I visit and there’s some screaming happening. Bc had put the hammies in a bucket and poked them with a stick to make them FIgHT gc was telling bc to stop but she didn’t. I got the hammies out and they were happier. They go outside and I don’t think of it but bc was playing catch with her hammie with the neighbors kid. Omigod.she wouldn’t stop for anything. After that I was fed up and told the parent. We both agreed and I took bc’s hammy and bc wasn’t able to touch gcs hammy. I took the bin cage back and he’s living a happy life. ✌️

[@sirbirdingtontheiii7561]

Sisters this sucked the life out of my fingers

[@FutureWisdom]

In the city near me, the petsmart is always so much busier because it has a much better location. the petsmart is down the road and behind a resturaunt, so peopple never go there. The other day i went to petco on a whim and was so impressed by their fish department, everything looked so clean and they had really good brands. nice to know that theyre making a move in the right direction, wish the one near me was able to get better traffic.

[@sulcataqueen5461]

Had my dog on a great brand of food. It was $80 a bag. Ended up killing my last dog. So I don’t know about how this new roll out and “better food” is going to work. Because it seems even big expensive brands are killing our pets.🤷🏻‍♀️

[@creativeneko2405]

Thank you for letting me know about chewy. I used it for the first time a bit ago, but now I know it is PetSmart, I won't be going back. I don't appreciate their business practices. They need to get with the times, not take huge strides back.

[@olivia.capitano0691]

Petsmart is making such bad decisions when I got my guinea pig I went there thinking it was great but I knew there cages were too small so instead of getting a small 30 by 18 cage I got a rabbit cage that was 50 by 25

[@aina3387]

I teach business at a university, so it is interesting to me to see the product differentiation that is going on by Petsmart and Petco right now. I used to think they were quite similar, but recently they have been taking steps to differentiate themselves. Petco seems to be taking a higher quality/ higher cost approach, whereas Petsmart is going the way of Walmart. I like Petco's strategy more, because with the internet I think we are seeing more informed consumers so I think playing to that market is a good move. The only caveat I have for them going all natural is what you mentioned about the prescription pet foods. My concern is that the prescription foods may not be all natural because some of the ingredients which are necessary for the prescription may be unable to be naturally derived. As for me, I go to both on a regular basis, lol. My cat and rabbit food come from Petco, and my dog food I get at Petsmart.

[@Singingshadowgirl]

Aw, that swells my heart that Petco is taking this step. It's pets that matter, not the profit

[@avac3323]

🎶”these cages are bad”🎶 🎶“Lalalalalaalalaa”🎶 It drives me crazy It feels so bad Making sales! 🎶lalalalalala🎶

[@evie402]

I'm also in Washington one thing I noticed about petco's and PetSmart's here is that PetSmart is always dirty for some reason which is a big reason why I prefer Petco, although petco doesn't sell the specific foods I use for my mice.

[@duskmaiden5645]

I recently adopted a Male mouse from either Petco or Petsmart about 2 months ago. He was previously owned and they wanted to make sure he was adopted and not made into a feeder for reptiles. They said he needed to be housed separately from other mice because he was known to be aggressive with them. That was fine. I do want more (ofcourse in a separate cage then him like 2-3 females together) but I wanted to start small to make sure this was something I could handle, so one was fine to start with. I did a lot of research, watching KZbin videos, reading blogs, etc. Complete deep dive on the internet to make sure I knew everything. At the beginning I didn't have much stuff for him but I did a bunch of DIY things and he has a very enriching cage that has many levels to climb and many places to hide. The correct bedding material, that I change once a week. A large water bottle, that I refill with fresh water about twice a week. Commercial food and a mix berry and nut blend food. A plastic (not metal wire) wheel that he won't run on but likes to sit in and climb on top of. He has wood blocks to chew on. The whole nine yards of what everyone said I needed. The first day I had him, I set up his cage and let him explore without interaction. Day 2, when I made my first contact with him, I just put my hand in, I didn't try to grab him, he was jumpy but not as jumpy as he is now, and he just barely nibbled the tip of my finger and then climbed on my hand (this was the only time he "bit" me until recently) I took him out, just on my bed, I had a container he could go hide in to feel safe. But he did explore me, climbed all over, sniffed me, what have you. I did this every day for about 15-20 minutes, I would offer treats, and let him freely explore my bed and myself. Now, I try to take him out once a day, for 30 minutes, to let him run around and explore in a big box that I also filled with lots of enrichment and hiding places, I put the water bottle in there when he's in it and have a food source but also use this as a time to give treats. If I dont have the time to do the full 30 minutes, I just take him out on my bed for 10-15 minutes to give him a treat and a bigger space to run on for a bit. The more I've taken him out, the more he has become scared of me I think? If I put my hand in his cage to take him out, either hoping he will climb on my hand or using a tube, he has started to bite. I've had him for about 2 months I believe and it had been fine until about a week ago. I don't know what I could've done to suddenly make him want to bite. I don't know if it's a smell, like if I've eaten something recently. I don't know if it's because my hand is something going into his cage that he thinks he should chew on. I don't know if maybe he's not using his chewing blocks so his teeth are getting long or something so he's biting more. Long story short, What could I have done wrong that changed his behavior?

[@HuntressWizard]

The way you get angrier the more you talk about tiny tales shows how much you care

[@popcornartandanimation]

I don’t know about hamster care at my local pet smart and petco but as far as birds PetSmart does not clip their wings while petco does. Clipping a birds wings takes away their ability to fly. This is horrible and makes them feel vulnerable like if you stick a hamster in a cage without hides.

[@brie6952]

I bought my first pet rats at pet smart and it was horrible my rat had an upper respiratory infection and when I called to see if I could get vet care they said they would take her and give me a new one! Wth. One of my recent babies came from petco after one of my ratties died of multiple tumors (from horrible breeding) and she is just great and they offered 30 days to get vet care if she gets sick.

[@lazyhomebody1356]

Was the rat breathing in wood shaving dust, or some other bedding dust? Rats can develop ling disease from that

[@brie6952]

@@lazyhomebody1356 No she wasn't it was from the aquariums that they keep them in. The ammonia build up was horrible.