# Dear pets at home...



## SilverSky (Oct 2, 2010)

....your hamster cages are not hamster proof.
i know i was looking at new ones online last night but i kinda needed the old one still!
maybe consider making them NOT chewable?


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Dear Pets at Home - most of your hamster cages are inadequate for hamsters!!!


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## PrettyxPerfection (Sep 9, 2008)

They need to learn how to sex them as well :devil:


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## genevie (Jul 12, 2011)

I think their biggest problem is their lack of knowledge! The amount of times I've tried to explain things about hamsters to the staff, only to be looked at like an ignorant child by most of them, is more than I can count on both hands, I'm sure. How hard would it be for the company to just ask some knowledgeable people for advice, then distribute _that_ to their staff rather than the rubbish a lot of them seem to come out with? Such as mis-sexing all 3 hamsters I've ever had from them (before I knew better than to buy from pet shops), and not making it clear to people that their Russian hamsters are hybridized and could go on to suffer from various illnesses as a result of that. 

Plus, if they're going to sell inadequate products, it would be nice if there was some level of: "Feel free to buy this cage, but just know that it's far too small and could be chewed through - oh, and while we're on the topic, this hamster you're buying is _probably_ a female, but who knows!"

Though I don't imagine that would be good for business :lol2:


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## slizard (Sep 3, 2012)

dear pets at home your advert is a load of crap your staff dont know jack about animals.
your quarantine room made me sick.
Also wheels with just bars not solid are you retarded?
Your cages are a joke! Over priced and normally broken.


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## IceBloodExotics (Sep 17, 2012)

I bought a hamster cage from pets at home about 4 years ago, had to return it 6 times in 1 day, never again...

Also with the broken bits he just put them in a nother box and put it back on the shelf...


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## Moony14 (Aug 20, 2011)

I summon upon the wise words of ChazzieJo! :whistling2:


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## Disillusioned (Jan 3, 2012)

Dear pets at home, your morals are shocking and I dread to think of the conditions the poor animals are in before they even reach your stores :bash:


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## Embo (Jun 7, 2012)

Dear Pets at Home, 

Please - just stop. 

Sincerely, 

Emma


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## SilverSky (Oct 2, 2010)

lol i really started something didnt i


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## Disillusioned (Jan 3, 2012)

SilverSky said:


> lol i really started something didnt i


Meh...Sometimes we all just need a little rant lol.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

SilverSky said:


> lol i really started something didnt i


You sure did! :roll2: PMSL!!!


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

They should simply not give advice.

I always say you don't expect Tesco to teach you to cook the chicken you buy, why expect PAH staff to teach you about the things they sell.

Somethings in society need changing. The ideas that cats should be allowed to face the world alone and that pets shop staff in minimum wage should be expected to be able to educate anyone on anything are examples of this.


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## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

Dear Pets at Home ,feel free to have a good laugh at yet more pet no-it-alls who hate you so much they feel compelled to regularly visit your stores (a bit stalkery)You win ! Regards


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## Embo (Jun 7, 2012)

Graylord said:


> Dear Pets at Home ,feel free to have a good laugh at yet more pet no-it-alls who hate you so much they feel compelled to regularly visit your stores (a bit stalkery)You win ! Regards


I don't shop there.


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## genevie (Jul 12, 2011)

Kare said:


> They should simply not give advice.
> 
> I always say you don't expect Tesco to teach you to cook the chicken you buy, why expect PAH staff to teach you about the things they sell.
> 
> Somethings in society need changing. The ideas that cats should be allowed to face the world alone and that pets shop staff in minimum wage should be expected to be able to educate anyone on anything are examples of this.


I agree with this to a degree, but if you think about it it's not the best comparison because Tesco aren't a specialist store. The range of products they sell is far too vast to expect any staff to have a deep knowledge of individual products. Pets at Home comparatively have a very small range of products (and animals).

If you went to a butcher's, for example, you might well expect some advice on certain meats (perhaps this is a poor example because I'm a vegetarian and have never been to one!). I know that, if I went to a phone shop, I would expect at least one member of staff to be able to tell me how to do such-and-such on my handset. Many job applications for shops (like the Apple Store, for example) expect you to know at least a bit about the products. 

So I'm not sure about you, but from my own personal experience and what I know of others, you do generally expect a shop specialising in one type of product to have some knowledge of it. 

Maybe that doesn't mean that the floor staff should be the ones advising you, but I definitely think there should be someone on site who can give a bit of correct advice to a customer. Really, if they don't do it, who will? I personally can't think of any existing institution that pet knowledge could be integrated to. As much as I would have loved it when I was in school, it's not practical to get people to take classes on pet ownership, nor can we expect every single person to go out of their way to talk to a profession such as a vet, or trawl the internet for correct information. Most people just don't have the initiative. Until someone finds another way to educate pet owners (which I would personally back strongly as I don't believe the current situation is ideal), the places where they acquire their pets (AKA pet shops, breeders and shelters) should be giving out accurate care info.



Graylord said:


> Dear Pets at Home ,feel free to have a good laugh at yet more pet no-it-alls who hate you so much they feel compelled to regularly visit your stores (a bit stalkery)You win ! Regards


I very much doubt anyone here who visits Pets at Home does it for any reason other than needing to (either because it's the only pet shop in their area, or because it's the only supplier of a certain food/item/etc).


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Dear Pets At Home

Your crestie enclosures are shit, too.










: victory:


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Dear Pets At Home,

£9.50 for a Syrian Hamster??? WTF??? :gasp::gasp::gasp:


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## IceBloodExotics (Sep 17, 2012)

Zoo-Man said:


> Dear Pets At Home,
> 
> £9.50 for a Syrian Hamster??? WTF??? :gasp::gasp::gasp:


sounds about right for a shop...
The shop I work in and 3 other local shops sell them for £8.50 each and they sell quickly...but yeah I suppose you would expect [email protected] to be cheeper considering they can buy in bulk =/


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

IceBloodExotics said:


> sounds about right for a shop...
> The shop I work in and 3 other local shops sell them for £8.50 each and they sell quickly...but yeah I suppose you would expect [email protected] to be cheeper considering they can buy in bulk =/


When I had my pet shop, we used to sell Syrian Hamsters for £5.50!


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## Moony14 (Aug 20, 2011)

Zoo-Man said:


> When I had my pet shop, we used to sell Syrian Hamsters for £5.50!


You had a shop?! :gasp: When? What was it like?! Oops distracted :lol2:


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## julieszoo (Dec 22, 2012)

Dear Pets at Home

Regarding rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils etc. The ones with the big furry torpedos at the back end are called BOYS! Yes, it is possible to tell . Amazing, but true.


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## genevie (Jul 12, 2011)

Zoo-Man said:


> Dear Pets At Home,
> 
> £9.50 for a Syrian Hamster??? WTF??? :gasp::gasp::gasp:


My friend once bought me a Syrian hamster for ... wait for it ... £15 :/ But in all fairness, I prefer it that way, at least it puts impulse buyers off.


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## TIMOTHY AND MATILDA (Oct 31, 2008)

Dear Pets at Home

Just because all your locusts and crickets are dead and starting to smell,nobody will buy them on a sunday afternoom cheap as our pets can tell if they are not moving!!!!:gasp:


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## julieszoo (Dec 22, 2012)

TIMOTHY AND MATILDA said:


> Dear Pets at Home
> 
> Just because all your locusts and crickets are dead and starting to smell,nobody will buy them on a sunday afternoom cheap as our pets can tell if they are not moving!!!!:gasp:


Oooh wonder if they sell they off for 10p just before the shop closes (like ASDA does with the leftover bread). Then I could buy them for the chickens as a bit of a treat


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## IceBloodExotics (Sep 17, 2012)

TIMOTHY AND MATILDA said:


> Dear Pets at Home
> 
> Just because all your locusts and crickets are dead and starting to smell,nobody will buy them on a sunday afternoom cheap as our pets can tell if they are not moving!!!!:gasp:


Same goes for their fish then :lol2:


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## blowupcavs (Sep 1, 2007)

i really dont understand what everyones problem with them is. PAH have been around for years and everyone knows who they are for good reason. you all complain about the prices but £9-50 is the going rate for hamsters these days. you also have to remember that you are dealign with young animals and sexing although most of the time you can get it right there will always be cases where people get the wrong sex. not everyone is a expert in everything in there and mistakes do happen. and i really dont under stand how you can blame the company for a hamster chewing its way out of its cage, hamsters naturally chew things and its in there nature. if they where to sell cages that are chew proof they would have to be all metal,heavy and expensive, no one would want them. complaining about how the vivariums are all 'shit' seems a little unfair. a company that has high ethics on animal welfare and is partnered with the rspca isnt just going to throw together a nasty viv and sell animals from it. they have clearly taken there time into what reptiles are most popular and for beginners and designed there vivariums around them. and the price for some of them seems very competitive since iv seen creasties for well over £150. if live food is dead, THEN DONT BUY IT. all the local stores reduce there live food when they start to croak it so its not just PAH. i think that any company has it downfalls from time to time, but ranting online wont fix a thing.


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## IceBloodExotics (Sep 17, 2012)

blowupcavs said:


> i really dont understand what everyones problem with them is. PAH have been around for years and everyone knows who they are for good reason. you all complain about the prices but £9-50 is the going rate for hamsters these days. you also have to remember that you are dealign with young animals and sexing although most of the time you can get it right there will always be cases where people get the wrong sex. not everyone is a expert in everything in there and mistakes do happen. and i really dont under stand how you can blame the company for a hamster chewing its way out of its cage, hamsters naturally chew things and its in there nature. if they where to sell cages that are chew proof they would have to be all metal,heavy and expensive, no one would want them. complaining about how the vivariums are all 'shit' seems a little unfair. a company that has high ethics on animal welfare and is partnered with the rspca isnt just going to throw together a nasty viv and sell animals from it. they have clearly taken there time into what reptiles are most popular and for beginners and designed there vivariums around them. and the price for some of them seems very competitive since iv seen creasties for well over £150. if live food is dead, THEN DONT BUY IT. all the local stores reduce there live food when they start to croak it so its not just PAH. i think that any company has it downfalls from time to time, but ranting online wont fix a thing.


:whistling2:


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## jaykickboxer (Feb 11, 2008)

My local ones pretty decent they had a million pound refurb the dart frog tanks are smart they got a 8000 litre marine tank my guinea pigs are both girls as they stated u have to tell them what size Fishtank u have when buying a fish and how long your tanks been set up, I've witnessed a girl refusing to sell somebody a rabbit hutch and rabbit the same day I don't think there that bad granted there not all the most clued up or knowledgable but I think the store is genrally trying to improve this any big company has useless employes its just the way it is , they also let u take ur dog in which I like and there own premium brand food is decent and cheap


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

It really does depend on the individual branch and the manager of that branch imao! 

Some are just not doing their best for the animals.

Blowupcavs - it's really just a fun thread this one - most of the points raised have been raised in previous threads as complaints, so everyone's just bringing it all back up.

At least that's the way I've taken it!


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

Moony14 said:


> I summon upon the wise words of ChazzieJo! :whistling2:


And you are?

I don't feel the need to defend anything, just because I work weekends for them for a bit of extra pocket money (at least I actually work unlike a lot of young people), doesn't mean I believe the company is amazing. All pet shops have their flaws. A friend recently bought a lizard from a well respected and praised local reptile shop which ended up dying as it was full of parasites. I agree the hamster cages are rubbish, in fact me and my colleagues were talking about them the other day, but it's easy enough to go online and order one. I fought to take over the reptile department when I started six months back as I thought it was disgusting and now me and a colleague have taken it under our wing, it's improved so much. Put pen to paper and write a complaint, don't whinge on a forum else nothing will change.


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## 5plusmany (Sep 29, 2011)

Dear (Chippenham) PAH,

Please stop selling baby degus when you regularly have your rehoming section FULL of them! :bash:

...I have actually put this in writing to them long ago but the situation has not changed...


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## genevie (Jul 12, 2011)

ChazzieJo said:


> And you are?
> 
> I don't feel the need to defend anything, just because I work weekends for them for a bit of extra pocket money (at least I actually work unlike a lot of young people), doesn't mean I believe the company is amazing. All pet shops have their flaws. A friend recently bought a lizard from a well respected and praised local reptile shop which ended up dying as it was full of parasites. I agree the hamster cages are rubbish, in fact me and my colleagues were talking about them the other day, but it's easy enough to go online and order one. I fought to take over the reptile department when I started six months back as I thought it was disgusting and now me and a colleague have taken it under our wing, it's improved so much. Put pen to paper and write a complaint, don't whinge on a forum else nothing will change.


It's nice to see someone who cares about animals working for Pets at Home. I've been trying to get a job with them for over a year, part time, to relieve a bit of financial pressure (the joys of being a student!). I am particularly passionate about rodent welfare and I've always hoped that if I could work in one of their stores, I could improve the condititons they're kept in, at least slightly. Seeing your reptile story has made me feel a little less naive in my hopes!

I think people who would criticise those working for Pets at Home might have forgotten how hard it can be to get a job _anywhere_ when you're young, and how little opportunity you have to be picky!


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## farnell182 (Jan 26, 2009)

blowupcavs said:


> i really dont understand what everyones problem with them is. PAH have been around for years and everyone knows who they are for good reason. you all complain about the prices but £9-50 is the going rate for hamsters these days. you also have to remember that you are dealign with young animals and sexing although most of the time you can get it right there will always be cases where people get the wrong sex. not everyone is a expert in everything in there and mistakes do happen. and i really dont under stand how you can blame the company for a hamster chewing its way out of its cage, hamsters naturally chew things and its in there nature. if they where to sell cages that are chew proof they would have to be all metal,heavy and expensive, no one would want them. complaining about how the vivariums are all 'shit' seems a little unfair. a company that has high ethics on animal welfare and is partnered with the rspca isnt just going to throw together a nasty viv and sell animals from it. they have clearly taken there time into what reptiles are most popular and for beginners and designed there vivariums around them. and the price for some of them seems very competitive since iv seen creasties for well over £150. if live food is dead, THEN DONT BUY IT. all the local stores reduce there live food when they start to croak it so its not just PAH. i think that any company has it downfalls from time to time, but ranting online wont fix a thing.


High ethics :whistling2:

MOST PAH stores are useless when it comes to reps, but apparantly a couple of decent ones. People put in charge of the reps should be vetted more IMO..


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## morning-star (Jan 1, 2010)

dear pets at home; 
-learn to sex your rodents
-learn to I.d any mutant hamsters, aka out-cross your breeding lines once in a while (I brought a female Chinese, sexed as a male, and turned out to be a female without a vagina (no man parts either)) 
-don't keep selling hamsters full of respiratory infections 
-stop selling all rodent products at stupidly high prices. 
- stop having pretty ones in I feel sorry for and want to buy.

good points;
-you pay for all the vet bills due to your mistakes.


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

genevie said:


> It's nice to see someone who cares about animals working for Pets at Home. I've been trying to get a job with them for over a year, part time, to relieve a bit of financial pressure (the joys of being a student!). I am particularly passionate about rodent welfare and I've always hoped that if I could work in one of their stores, I could improve the condititons they're kept in, at least slightly. Seeing your reptile story has made me feel a little less naive in my hopes!
> 
> I think people who would criticise those working for Pets at Home might have forgotten how hard it can be to get a job _anywhere_ when you're young, and how little opportunity you have to be picky!


I worked for PAH about 8 years ago, it was a living nightmare to get anything changed. I couldn't even get the manager to not replace a robo that had been killed in someones home. He could not grasp the concept that if you have sold a pair over a week before and they have lived in someones home if one then kills the other then you hand them another it has less chance of survival than the first one had, at least the first two smelled alike and knew each other. He kept repeating but they are from the same litter! Yes maybe...but they will have no idea of that having been apart for perhaps weeks and in very different environments smelling very differently now!! :bash:

In my opinion they have gone downhill since, at least back then they seemed to sell sensible plain collars and things, now all they sell is fancy patterned and expensive brand named stuff.


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

genevie said:


> It's nice to see someone who cares about animals working for Pets at Home. I've been trying to get a job with them for over a year, part time, to relieve a bit of financial pressure (the joys of being a student!). I am particularly passionate about rodent welfare and I've always hoped that if I could work in one of their stores, I could improve the condititons they're kept in, at least slightly. Seeing your reptile story has made me feel a little less naive in my hopes!
> 
> I think people who would criticise those working for Pets at Home might have forgotten how hard it can be to get a job _anywhere_ when you're young, and how little opportunity you have to be picky!


Thank you.

I'd love to gain a vet nursing placement and felt having some 'hands on' experience with animals may boost the CV a bit. I work weekdays for the NHS but they have so few full time positions, I had no choice but to get another job. I've had bad experience with PaH stores in the past when I was a child and it's not always peachy where I work either, but I fight hard to make changes and so far have been successful. As you said, it's difficult for everyone to find jobs at the moment, so I can't help but feel miffed when people point fingers at employees working for particular companies, claiming we know 'nothing'. I'm not going to be judged by some nobody on the internet. I am animal-crazy and their welfare is so important to me, I've taken on adoption animals that were brought into the store in appalling conditons, I work hard to ensure the reptiles are looked after properly and I get so much satisfaction when customers return simply to praise me (and colleagues) for general advice that has helped improve their animals welfare. All the stores I have been to have been different, there's no need to tar every one with the same brush.



Kare said:


> I worked for PAH about 8 years ago, it was a living nightmare to get anything changed. I couldn't even get the manager to not replace a robo that had been killed in someones home. He could not grasp the concept that if you have sold a pair over a week before and they have lived in someones home if one then kills the other then you hand them another it has less chance of survival than the first one had, at least the first two smelled alike and knew each other. He kept repeating but they are from the same litter! Yes maybe...but they will have no idea of that having been apart for perhaps weeks and in very different environments smelling very differently now!! :bash:
> 
> In my opinion they have gone downhill since, at least back then they seemed to sell sensible plain collars and things, now all they sell is fancy patterned and expensive brand named stuff.


Sounds to me like your manager was just an idiot tbh, I would've reported him to HQ. We sell loads of 'plain' stuff at our store, but the truth is it doesn't sell well. People want the fancy bits these days, they spend an absolute fortune!


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## Keeky101 (Apr 17, 2008)

Dear Pets at Home, 

I have owned reptiles for 5 years, had cats, fish and rodents my entire life, work with horses and birds of prey, have an unconditional offer from university to study bioscience with zoology as well as a conditional from another uni to study animal science, and yet when i go to apply for a job you won't even consider giving me one because I have no shop experience!? I'm sorry, but you need someone who knows SOMETHING in your shop, not those guys who told a girl in my geography class that a royal python was the only type of python. And let her buy a gorgeous wee boy when she knew nothing about snakes. 

Sincerely, a very annoyed 17 year old girl who just wants to help.


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## genevie (Jul 12, 2011)

Keeky101 said:


> Dear Pets at Home,
> 
> I have owned reptiles for 5 years, had cats, fish and rodents my entire life, work with horses and birds of prey, have an unconditional offer from university to study bioscience with zoology as well as a conditional from another uni to study animal science, and yet when i go to apply for a job you won't even consider giving me one because I have no shop experience!? I'm sorry, but you need someone who knows SOMETHING in your shop, not those guys who told a girl in my geography class that a royal python was the only type of python. And let her buy a gorgeous wee boy when she knew nothing about snakes.
> 
> Sincerely, a very annoyed 17 year old girl who just wants to help.


One of the most annoying things about the shop. That's the same reason I always get rejected. For one, you can't seem to get any experience unless you have experience! It's come to the point where I'm applying for several jobs a week (and have been for over a year) and I'm getting instantly rejected due to lack of work experience. And secondly, learning how to work a till and talk to customers can be learned in next to no time, but for this company real knowledge seems to be few and far between, so they really should be prioritizing this.


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## liam peel (Sep 26, 2011)

Personally I thinkfor a pet shop that deals with varied types of animals they should have people who deal with that department only, for example a reptile person, a rodent person, fish and so forth.

I would rather it be that way where a reptile guy has no knowladge on how to take care of fish but is amazing with reptiles so if I need advice on a snake perhaps I would go to him and if I need advice on hamsters he simply points out who I need to ask, that way I know for a fact the information I am getting is correct as they are the people who really know what they are dealing with not just people who think they do.


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## BMo1979 (Feb 13, 2012)

I can only speak for one of our local branches, as [email protected] seems to really depend on local management and staff.

Pros:
Staff is always very friendly and helpful. I have never inquired about rodents, but at least two of them know their stuff about corn snakes.
Their own brand dog food is just as good as some of the really expensive stuff and contains at least a decent amount of meat.
The reptiles enclosures are always spotless and the animals look in good nick. 
The frozen reptile food is individually packed and never crushed, bleeding or in awkward shape.
They have an adoption section and often guide customers to this BEFORE their animals for sale.

Cons:
Some of the prices are a bit high, especially for live animals. On the other hand this could prevent spontaneous buys (certainly stopped me oggling up their beautiful King snake).
I can only speak for the rats, as I know FO about hamsters, gerbils and co:
The rodents, especially the rats are kept in unsuitable display glass tanks, which are way to small. One buck has been on his own for months now and you never see him move. As oppose to that, the small PS where I got 2 of my rats, the rats were quite keen on social interaction.
The rat I bought (albeit from a different branch) was terrified of humans (well, everything really) and it took a lot of work and determination to get her to where she is now (she's still on edge all the time). She's also prone to RIs. As opposed to that again my other 2 rats, who were half the age, were already used to human contact and are a lot more confident and healthier.
I don't like the idea of having a vet inside a shop. IMHO, it tricks new owners into buying a lot of unnecessary stuff due to the advise of the vet (who will obviously collaborate with [email protected]). I also don't like how the waiting room is wide open and there don't seem to be an alternative for stressed "patients".
Recently they seem to have had quite a few fish "in treatment - not for sale". I don't know if it's the suppliers fault or if the fault lies within their husbandry. Again, I know nothing about fish, but it would make me a bit wary about buying fish from there.


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

liam peel said:


> I would rather it be that way where a reptile guy has no knowladge on how to take care of fish but is amazing with reptiles so if I need advice on a snake perhaps I would go to him and if I need advice on hamsters he simply points out who I need to ask, that way I know for a fact the information I am getting is correct as they are the people who really know what they are dealing with not just people who think they do.


We have this in place in our store, we have 'specialists', which is normally people who are genuinely passionate about a dept. For example a colleague of mine has amazing fish knowledge so if I'm ever unsure, I'll always direct customers to him, which he's happy to help with. I personally stick to the reptiles. We have customers quite often come in on 'set' days to see certain members of the staff, but that's the way it should be. A lot of knowledge is personal experience, so owning reptiles myself I feel I'm more qualified to help than a colleague who has just read a few books.



BMo1979 said:


> I don't like the idea of having a vet inside a shop. IMHO, it tricks new owners into buying a lot of unnecessary stuff due to the advise of the vet (who will obviously collaborate with [email protected])


They don't collaborate at all, companion care and PaH are two separate companies. In fact as a member of staff, we're actively encouraged to steer clear and leave them to it. I like that we have them on site as it's handy for those 'emergencies' when we sense an animal may be unwell.


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## Rhianna.J (Nov 5, 2011)

Dear Pets at Home

When fish have white spot, removing said fish from the tank and putting it in a tank around the back will not stop the other fish in the original tank from getting whitespot. Treat the tank, not just the fish....

And also, treating a scaleless fish like a pictus catfish Protozin (?) for whitespot will kill it. Shame, cos they are a lovely fish. Which shouldnt have been in a tank with mollies in the first place. 

Also, for the love of god, please give your fish tanks a clean every now and again! Theres nothing more ofputting to a customer then thick green slime on a tank when it only takes 5 minutes to remove.


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## SakuraPastel (May 14, 2011)

Zoo-Man said:


> Dear Pets At Home,
> 
> £9.50 for a Syrian Hamster??? WTF??? :gasp::gasp::gasp:



can get you one for under 2 pounds, need to defrost them first.


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## yummymummytothree (Mar 12, 2012)

They are so overpriced too but as said above staff have no idea our shop is crap


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## Gratenkutzombie (Dec 28, 2012)

Having a vet in a [email protected] store seems like a conflict of interests too me. Even if there is an innocent 'relationship', i.e. [email protected] and vet are entirely separate entities, it still sticks in the back of the head.


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

yummymummytothree said:


> They are so overpriced too but as said above staff have no idea our shop is crap


I agree here, when I worked there and bred mice I use to buy a certain brand of dog biscuits as a protein source. Even with my staff discount it was cheaper to buy them in another shop.


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

the problem with the fish is most stores have all the tanks being filtered by the same system so if you see white spot in one tank then all tanks will have been exposed to it 

i liked working for them but i new more than my 3 managers and they used to ask me for advice this was a few years back tho 

but i have been in since and cant see much change the advice they give is wrong and sometimes dangerous my local one has a royal in just now with retained shed its all stuck and coming off slowly in peaces 

i asked them if they had gave it a soak in warm water to help and was looked at like i had flippen horns so as people have said every store will be diffrent but the tank systems are usaly the same so to buy fish you should check every tank not just the one your buying from


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## marktheglass (Mar 24, 2012)

*PAH Staff*

Dear Pets at home, Reckon around 99% of the knockers on here would love your job :whistling2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I agree, but only if they were allowed to use their knowledge to benefit the animals in their care and sadly this doesn't seem to be the case in most of their stores!


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## vetdebbie (Jan 4, 2008)

Gratenkutzombie said:


> Having a vet in a [email protected] store seems like a conflict of interests too me. Even if there is an innocent 'relationship', i.e. [email protected] and vet are entirely separate entities, it still sticks in the back of the head.


How on earth is having a vet in a pet shop a conflict of interest?? That makes no sense at all.


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

feorag said:


> I agree, but only if they were allowed to use their knowledge to benefit the animals in their care and sadly this doesn't seem to be the case in most of their stores!


I quite often dispute what is written in PaH caresheets and give my own advice based on experience (as do a lot of my colleagues), it's not what the company expects, but I genuinely know my stuff after a lifetime of being a huge animal lover, and would prefer customers knew what they were doing
: victory:


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## Moley165 (Sep 27, 2010)

I personally think pets at home on the whole is getting better as a chain. But here goes my rant, 99% of the people on reptile forum really really fail to understand that these places are a business and thus needs to price its stock to make a margin of profit to pay its low paid staff generally school leaver staff (which is the norm with most chain shops). 

they have a range of products for each animal for example i have seen many people moaning about the hamster cages. each hamster cage is different and some are more hamster proof than others. now unfortunatly if you are one of the people who bought a cage without thinking through the needs and demans of your pet... THATS YOUR FAULT! 

also whilst on the subject of the rodents. your all moaning about the prices, now as a business they will be trying to bring in the cheapest stock they can to turn a profit an now when you go to purchase your animal if you arnt clued up enough to give it the once over health wise or sex it yourself... THIS AGAIN IS YOUR FAULT! DONT BUY WHAT YOUR NOT EDUCATED ON! 

This is one massive gripe i have with most people you want everything perfect for next to nothing! if you want the best then stop :censor: moaning about it and open your purse strings and dont go to this chain and buy from a private reputable dealer! 
But rather than do that lets all jump on a forum and have a unconstructive moan WELL DONE ALL! : victory: keep up the good work!


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

ok they need to make a profit but £90 for a mountain horned agama that will be wild caught when most other places sell them for under £40 is a bit over and greedy 

also knowing they payed about £15 for them in the first place as i know other shops that use the same surpplier


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## Rowena (Mar 9, 2012)

Moley165 said:


> I personally think pets at home on the whole is getting better as a chain. But here goes my rant, 99% of the people on reptile forum really really fail to understand that these places are a business and thus needs to price its stock to make a margin of profit to pay its low paid staff generally school leaver staff (which is the norm with most chain shops).
> 
> they have a range of products for each animal for example i have seen many people moaning about the hamster cages. each hamster cage is different and some are more hamster proof than others. now unfortunatly if you are one of the people who bought a cage without thinking through the needs and demans of your pet... THATS YOUR FAULT!
> 
> ...


This.
[email protected] near me is great. all the staff is reasonably well educated on the animals they work with and I've never had a problem with their products.

It varies from branch to branch and all I smell in this thread is tar and brushes.

These pathetic myths of them breeding their own stock and other bullcrap really irritates me.
Try checking out US Global Exotics. THAT is where the animals are coming from, well it's UK equivalent anyway.

I don't agree with the ethics of how they get their animals, or really how some stores treat their animals. But as stated, it's a massive chain company. Not a private breeder.


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## Moley165 (Sep 27, 2010)

adamntitch said:


> ok they need to make a profit but £90 for a mountain horned agama that will be wild caught when most other places sell them for under £40 is a bit over and greedy
> 
> also knowing they payed about £15 for them in the first place as i know other shops that use the same surpplier


 
in regards to your statement, most other reptile outlets are owned by 1 maybe 2 people supporting the running of there small privatly owned shop. 
pets at home is supporting a chain of shops employing hundreds of people up and down the country... "over" "greedy" or a valued employer in the uk? 

i think that how a shop is run is down to its owner and whether people agree or not with the shops ethics can be judged by the shops success and as a chain they are doing well and are expanding into more exotics constantly. 

and my final point on this will be that if you disagree with how a shop is run... dont shop there, dont even go in there as it seems to distress some people! just go to your better shops that only sell completely hamsterproof prisons and sell rodents (that come equipt with all sexual organs that you were to dozy to notice yourself) for rock bottom prices! and sells its cheap wild caught reptiles to go into your less than adequete cheap cages!


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## jojobeans123 (Feb 5, 2011)

adamntitch said:


> ok they need to make a profit but £90 for a mountain horned agama that will be wild caught when most other places sell them for under £40 is a bit over and greedy
> 
> also knowing they payed about £15 for them in the first place as i know other shops that use the same surpplier


Their stock isn't WC it's CB by Monkfield....
They get their livestock and livefoods exclusively from Monkfield.

Home | Monkfield


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

Moley165 said:


> But rather than do that lets all jump on a forum and have a unconstructive moan WELL DONE ALL! : victory: keep up the good work!


Well could be worse. These people could be jumping on a forum to have aN unconstructive moan about people on a forum having an unconstructive moan 

That would really be a job well done...and look at you go at it with such passion :2thumb:

Same as people could just not shop there rather than moan you do realise you could just not read this thread rather than moan? 

If course where as not reading this would be easy for you, in many cases not shopping at Pets at Home, at least for things you need in a hurry, becomes fairly hard because once one opens the options you use to have fade. No matter how good their store is small business owners in all types of shops can never really hold their own against national chains, no matter how inferior.


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## Moley165 (Sep 27, 2010)

Kare said:


> Well could be worse. These people could be jumping on a forum to have aN unconstructive moan about people on a forum having an unconstructive moan
> 
> That would really be a job well done...and look at you go at it with such passion :2thumb:
> 
> ...




When it come to a neiche market such as livestock yes small businesses can hold there own because people value knowledge (well most people) over price! And I wanted to read the comments above its always fun to read through the comments of the under educated louts who just want to say ME NO LIKE PLACE lol I have no problem with peoples opinions just wish that people would look at their own choices when purchasing items for their pets or when purchasing pets in general. Places like pets at home survive off of peoples impulse buys and people who haven't done research into what they really need! And that's the problem the shopper NOT the shop! 

Oh and it gives me great pleasure that out of my entire rant you were only able to find one part that you could find an argument to! And that was I should stop moaning at people moaning and moaning moaning moaning and so on  gold star have a good night


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

jojobeans123 said:


> Their stock isn't WC it's CB by Monkfield....
> They get their livestock and livefoods exclusively from Monkfield.
> 
> Home | Monkfield


If the store above is selling mountain horned dragons they are indeed WC. 

Monkfield sell WC, CF and CB stock, as i have their lists here. 

But yes their reptile and livefoods come from Monkfields, and their furries from Simons rodents like most pet shops. 

Jay


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

:jump: My word I'm so excited! :jump: I've just discovered I'm an


Moley165 said:


> under educated lout


 I'm so excited. Yippee!!! :jump: :jump:

/


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

feorag said:


> :jump: My word I'm so excited! :jump: I've just discovered I'm an I'm so excited. Yippee!!! :jump: :jump:
> 
> /


I so sorry, I would have told you earlier, but I am not educated enough to know one :whistling2:


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## Moley165 (Sep 27, 2010)

feorag said:


> :jump: My word I'm so excited! :jump: I've just discovered I'm an I'm so excited. Yippee!!! :jump: :jump:
> 
> /


My my that's selective quoting, you a journalist? Lol almost made it seem like I said it directly to you and that it wasn't an open statement about perticular posts!


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## heathster (Jan 24, 2013)

Everyone, put your toys back in your pram. This isnt a bitching thread. You want to argue, do it somewhere else


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Moley165 said:


> When it come to a neiche market such as livestock yes small businesses can hold there own because people value knowledge (well most people) over price! And I wanted to read the comments above its always fun to read through the comments of the under educated louts who just want to say ME NO LIKE PLACE lol I have no problem with peoples opinions just wish that people would look at their own choices when purchasing items for their pets or when purchasing pets in general. Places like pets at home survive off of peoples impulse buys and people who haven't done research into what they really need! And that's the problem the shopper NOT the shop!
> 
> Oh and it gives me great pleasure that out of my entire rant you were only able to find one part that you could find an argument to! And that was I should stop moaning at people moaning and moaning moaning moaning and so on  gold star have a good night


It wasn't 'selective quoting' it's how I would comment on a specific word or sentence in a long post. However, OK then, let's go for unselective quoting - there's your whole quote. You said "And I wanted to read the comments above its always fun to read through the comments of the under educated louts who just want to say ME NO LIKE PLACE" and as I was one of the people who commented about PaH, that surely makes me an under educated lout in your eyes! 


Kare said:


> I so sorry, I would have told you earlier, but I am not educated enough to know one :whistling2:


:roll2: PMSL!!!


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

jojobeans123 said:


> Their stock isn't WC it's CB by Monkfield....
> They get their livestock and livefoods exclusively from Monkfield.
> 
> Home | Monkfield


lol you live in a bubble its hard to get captive bred mha frrom most places and to keep up with demand can say that most from there will be wc


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## jojobeans123 (Feb 5, 2011)

adamntitch said:


> lol you live in a bubble its hard to get captive bred mha frrom most places and to keep up with demand can say that most from there will be wc


 
It's not a species that interestes me tbh therefore have never really done any research into them so didn't realise how hard they are to come by - every days a school day! No need to be a penis about it...

My statement regarding [email protected]'s stock being CB came from a conversation I had from the manager at the Edinburgh store. He said they only ever stock CB's..... maybe that's only the Edinburgh store.


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

jojobeans123 said:


> It's not a species that interestes me tbh therefore have never really done any research into them so didn't realise how hard they are to come by - every days a school day! No need to be a penis about it...
> 
> My statement regarding [email protected]'s stock being CB came from a conversation I had from the manager at the Edinburgh store. He said they only ever stock CB's..... maybe that's only the Edinburgh store.


Most stores are only CB as they sell beardies, elo. cresites, corns and kings which are all commonly kept species. 

However, I believe there are three [email protected] stores that have a wider selction of reps including WC/CF. 


Jay


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## Lilly Exotics (Oct 10, 2008)

Dear Pets At Home

Thanks for investing millions in our wonderful, life enhancing hobby. However, I feel it may be wasted due to plenty of RFUK members unwittingly loading the bullets into the anti-reptile movements gun.

Nick


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## BigBaz (Jan 12, 2007)

jojobeans123 said:


> Their stock isn't WC it's CB by Monkfield....
> They get their livestock and livefoods exclusively from Monkfield.
> 
> Home | Monkfield


They also get ALOT of stock from Peregrine


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## IscariotWolf (Feb 18, 2013)

Pets at home employees are not employed for their knowledge.
They're employed to sell the animals as stock, not as living creatures.
They will tell you and say anything to make the sell.
Most animal lovers cannot work there as the conditions in the back with the animals are ridiculous. They also can't bother putting up with the bullshit from the other employees who tell the craziest shit just to make sells!
Also, all rodents in [email protected] are supplied by Simon's Rodents, a rodent mill in england that is only permitted to keep running as they give very large donations to the RSPCA to keep them quiet... :gasp:


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

Dear pets at home....stop filling the reptile department with cute little hatchlings that I don't have the space to buy!! :whistling2:


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## lisadew24 (Jul 31, 2010)

Dear pets at home stop selling a pair of dwarf hamsters to people with kids as kids get very upset seeing their hamster getting killed by the other one. We get people complaining a lot about this in my shop


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## Moscowlynny (Jul 1, 2012)

IscariotWolf said:


> Pets at home employees are not employed for their knowledge.
> They're employed to sell the animals as stock, not as living creatures.
> They will tell you and say anything to make the sell.
> Most animal lovers cannot work there as the conditions in the back with the animals are ridiculous. They also can't bother putting up with the bullshit from the other employees who tell the craziest shit just to make sells!
> Also, all rodents in [email protected] are supplied by Simon's Rodents, a rodent mill in england that is only permitted to keep running as they give very large donations to the RSPCA to keep them quiet... :gasp:


One of the funniest posts I've read yet


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## MrJsk (Jul 29, 2012)

genevie said:


> One of the most annoying things about the shop. That's the same reason I always get rejected. For one, you can't seem to get any experience unless you have experience! It's come to the point where I'm applying for several jobs a week (and have been for over a year) and I'm getting instantly rejected due to lack of work experience. And secondly, learning how to work a till and talk to customers can be learned in next to no time, but for this company real knowledge seems to be few and far between, so they really should be prioritizing this.


Hey again! It might be worth doing an animal related course at capel manor college (bullsmoor lane) It is just across the road from mcdonalds.. I am in my forth year there and you get the chance to get sooo much experience with farm animals, reptiles and small rodents.. plus you have to do actual work experience which I done in a pet shop, medi vet and kennels!


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## MrJsk (Jul 29, 2012)

Would also just like to add, [email protected] in waltham abbey is actually really good : victory:


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## EmmaLock (Nov 10, 2010)

Dear Pets At Home, Colindale. 

Your store enclosures are not secured. 
Last month you had a hooded rat on the loose and it bit through a child's finger nail when she bent down to pick it up. 
You're lucky that charges were not pressed.


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