Never mind not buying the small furries, I don't spend my money in petshops that sell animals. I make a statement with my money and buy online (you do need to check that they don't have retail shops that sell animals, a few will and won't advertise it widely) or find smaller petshops that are livestock free. Luckily I have two locally but before my most local one stopped selling pets, I just bought everything online.

It's not so much the conditions that the small furries are kept in in PAH that I worry about, my main worry is the breeders that PAH buy off of! People don't realise that many big stores like PAH buy off of commercial breeders that are the equivalent to small furries puppy farms!! For example the rodents are bred at ridiculous speeds and kept in not nice conditions then general half are sold to big stores for selling as pets and the other half become food for reptiles... I think it is alot safer to buy off breeders directly, people who just breed rabbits etc as a hobby with only the occasional litter.

After all you wouldn't buy off a puppy farm would you?

We go into PAH quite a bit as we live quite near the one in Norwich. Have to confess Parker LOVES watching the small furries and not in a predatory way either. Wouldn't buy animals from pet shops though-shame in the 21st century they are still being sold this way.

This is very very true, all of their animals in all of their stores come from the same breeder... So one "breeder" breeds enough animals each week to stock 200+ pet stores.
Now i'm not good at maths... But i know thats a lot of animals being pumped out each week.
result.. inbred, unhealthy animals which likely wont live as long as a better bred animal.

Also syrians........ Well they have to live on there own (they are naturally solitary animals) so how come on their shopfloor i once saw 4 syrians crammed into a very small cage together. If they are old enough to be sold - then they should be seperated!!!!!

We got a hamster from PAH (having tried to source a rescue or local breeder but actually foudn it impossible at that time)> Said hamster was long haired and a grey colour, very unusual, lovely temperament..lived til he was nearly 3.
A month and a half ago we were in PAH buying poo bags and found the rescue section, hadn't seen it before to be honest. In there was Screech (thus named because he screeches methinks...and since renamed anyway!) He had not been bought in PAH but his previous owners had taken him in in a small tuperware box and said they 'wanted rid'...
Given he had had NO interest and had been there for a month mug one and mug two took him home (swayed also by the fact that the donation we paid for him would be shared by 2 dog charities!)
He is not very well socialised, he is huge...and loud...but he has a better life now than he did before. Job done. Yep, he came from PAH rehoming section...well at least they have one.

My neighbours have rabbits from there...they have been fab with them, as the rabbits don't actually get along. They have given them a second hutch at half price and loads of good advice.

Yep I can't condone 'rodent farming' but as I say initially I did look for a rescue or local breeder ( I wouldn't go near one of my local pets shops to buy livestock, although my closest one doesn't sell animals, but does give great advice...)I couldn't find one so PAH it was. Sulu was fab and lived to a ripe old age. Thus far Flash ( otherwise known as Richard Hammond and previously known as Screech) is diong well, much happier, coat in better condition, very chilled...knows our routines. I can't complain really, especially as he is a rescue hamster...I didn't expect him to be anything other than pretty anti social and scared

Can't help but think as well...at least PAH are trying with the rescue section...they only ask for a donation and that goes to charity so the care of the animals when they are with them is paid for by PAH. I don't think therefore that they are all bad.
I am just glad Flash...aka Richard Hammond has a lovely new home

A lot of the animals in their 'rescue' section are older animals that have been in the shop for a long time & have got big, thus are difficult to sell. Therefore, they don't really do much 'rescuing' at all. Bit of a con really.

When we got Screech they had a gerbil that had been brought in because it was fighting with the other gerbil of the house, they had 2 rabbits who had been brought in because of a change of family circumstance and 2 who had been brought in because they weren't too well and were costing to look after..... {sigh}

Not one was there because they hadn't been sold.

And you believe them?

I can only speak as I find... Not saying I like animals being sold in petshops at all...but not sure it will stop. The 2 PAH I have used have boeth been fab and offered great advice.