Conference misery::feline_v1

    Please, folks who are deperate to get rid of kittens, think about
    this carefully.  Remember, you never know what the Pet Store may
    do with the kittens or who they may sell them to....
    
    Remember, the pet store is only out for the bucks!!!
    
    cin
    

    Not only that, but many of the Pet Stores have bad reputations for
    the way they treat their animals.  I read about that in a monthly
    Humane Society News that I receive.  It's so upsetting!
    
    The people envolved get fined- but never enough!!! 

    
    
    	I've been to the store you're talking about and everyone
    	there is very nice and loves the animals.  Cary and i
    	almost bought an eskimo spitz from there and the woman
    	we talked just adored her.  I'm only going on what I've
    	seen but I don't think that ALL pet stores are just out
    	for the $$.  Some actually do care.
    
    	JJ
    

    Gee....
    For $39.95 you can get a kitten at Aquarium & Fish World (or something
    like that) on Amherst St.  They didn't look real happy to be in
    the window today.  Maybe because it was a bit warm??
    
    MaryAnne

    My husband and I were at the Nashua Mall on Sat PM.  There were 12
    kittens in one little cage.  I was furious.  They were all sitting 
    on top of each other and cramped up.
    
    I've heard that buying pets from a pet store is not a good idea.
    They are often not as friendly - I'm assuming for neglection.
    
    

    The other problem with supporting pet stores is that many (not all
    there area few good ones out there) buy their dogs and cats from
    Puppy Farms and Kitten Farms.  The cats and dogs are kept in deplorable
    conditions and tiny cages.  Their entire life is devoted to breeding.
    These farms are disgusting places!
    
    Occasionally, a pet store (Dr. Pet at the S shore plaza did this)
    will have a kitten or kittens because someone abandoned them there.
    They will ask something like $35 for the kittens which probably
    just covers their expenses.  Of course, as buyer, you have no idea
    of the cats history.  Of course, you really wouldn't anyway unless
    you bought from a reputable breeder.
    

    
    I got a kitten from this pet store once.  They had gotten in a litter
    of Burmese and one of them had conjunctivitis in one eye.  They
    were going to destroy him because they couldn't sell him that way.
    My daughter's friend was working there at the time and said that
    he would take him home (of course, Edward ended up at my house).   
    We paid the store $10 to cover what their vet had charged them, took
    Edward to our vet and got his eye cleared up.
    
    J
      
    

    I am putting this in to ease my mind.
    
    The Pet Stores are definitely out to make money BUT not all the people
    are heartless.
    
    My daughter worked at two different pet stores.  All the animals were
    given special attention especially the ones that had been there for a
    while.  My daughter even took a baby hamster out of his cage and
    took care of it in the back room because it was getting beat up by his
    siblings.  All of the people she worked with at these stores cared for
    the animals.
    
    I personally know a few girls that work in a pet store (no names) and
    they DO care about the animals and give them good treatment.
    
    I have read many stories here about pet stores and pet mills.  I know
    it DOES happen but I really think that not ALL people in these stores
    are bad.  We read alot about bad teenagers because that's what sells
    papers.  It doesn't mean that ALL teenagers are bad.
    
    Nuff said.  Just had to say my piece.
    
    Sandi (mom to Lightning, DejaVu & Thunder)
    
    

    I did say NOT all fo the pet stores carried on these practices.
    I have a friend who worked for a pet store where they obviously
    did care very much for the animals.  I'm glad they're out there.
    :-)

    re: .8
    
    Sandy,
    
    I think that many people believe that if the pet stores didn't buy
    these kittens and puppies from the "mills", the "mills" would maybe
    disappear.  What these pet stores do is give these "mills" a place
    to sell the animals.  
    
    I really have a hard time dealing with pet stores that sell Persian
    kittens for $500 with papers to people who don't know that what
    they have just bought is a Pet Quality cat.  These cats are usually
    not of the quality to improve the breed, and should not be sold
    with papers.  It's sad to sit at a cat show and see these kitten
    being shown.  I feel bad for the owners who don't know the kitten
    is of poor quality until their told by a judge at a cat show.  Most
    people believe that because they get papers that the cat is a show
    cat, and that simply isn't fact.
    
    cin...
    

    re: .10
      Because they get papers AND pay a high price.  Its amazing
    how much price influences perception of quality.
    

    Your right, Nancy, 
    
    This reminds me of something that happened at a cat show in New York
    several years ago.  I had some pet kittens for sale with spay
    agreements.  I was selling them for $250 as pets, this was a little
    high, but at these very large NY shows the prices go up a bit.  I
    watched a person at the end of the row from me sell her pets for $350
    with the say spay agreement.  The kittens were very similar in quality
    and colors but the NYers thought they were getting something better if
    they paid more money for it.  
    
    I was already uncomfortable at the $250 price since at that time I sold
    my pets for around $150.  I did sell my kittens that weekend, but it
    was strange how people reacted to the price.
    
    cin...

    I used to make jewelry - semi-precious stones, mostly beadwork -
    and sell it at a coop.  When I started I was afraid to charge
    what I thought it was worth because I thought no one would buy
    it. Well, no one bought it anyway and the manager of the store
    told me to raise the prices - no one would believe that they were
    real semi-precious stones for the prices I had on them. 
      Well, I raised the prices and sold lots of jewelry.  :-)
    strange, eh?