# opening pet shop :)



## amymay01 (Sep 30, 2011)

Hi guys 
After your suggestions as fellow animal lovers please!
A very close friend of mine who owns a reptile shop has given me the opportunity to go into business with her re branding her shop and turning into a pet shop selling small furry,s and reptiles ect .
She currently breeds her own reptiles for the shop ensuring their health and well being and I breed and exhibit small furrys for example Rex rabbits ,giant continentals ,plush lops and rats ,mice and pygmy hedgehogs and both of us have many years of animal care & business experience under our belts .
I currently have a good client base from my side as does my friend and I also currently run a popular small animal boarding facility .
We would aim to only stock livestock bred by ourselves and supply enclosures to house these animals for example for rabbits a recommendation on a min of 6ft hutch for large breed rabbits a min of 4ft for dwarf breeds.
We would offer a wide range of natural feed ,bedding & accessories for all pets some practical and some luxury.
Other services would include ...
Local delivery.
Frozen & live foods.
nail clipping for reptiles & small animals .
Micro chipping for small animals & reptiles.
pet sexing .
discounts to local rescues & oaps.
online ordering .
Just after some more suggestions on what you guys would like to see in your local pet shops and what makes an enjoyable shopping experience for you and your pets x


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## nickmcmechan (Aug 1, 2009)

Pet shops are built on reputation which is a slow burn, but is the USP compared to Pets at Home.

IMO I would focus general sales and fast moving goods via Internet / eBay / amazon, using the premises for storage space. In the shop itself I would specialise - so for example you personally specialise in rabbits, mice, etc, concentrate on that and build your reputation....but be prepared to wait a while for a profit as it will take time for people to learn you are there and what you can do


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## broccoli (Jul 1, 2011)

i love my local pet shop 
they dont sell kittens/puppies ( sorry - i dont know enough about 'small furry'/reptile care to comment)

they only stock 'good' 50% meat+ cat food & dog - available in single sachets/cans as well as boxes/bulk (cats are fussy beasts  - i need to try small before a box )
all the staff know their stuff - you dont get that at a big place


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

amymay01 said:


> We would aim to only stock livestock bred by ourselves and supply enclosures to house these animals for example for rabbits a recommendation on a min of 6ft hutch for large breed rabbits a min of 4ft for dwarf breeds.
> x


This is incorrect. Rabbits should always be housed in pairs, and the minimum requirements are a 6ftx2ftx2ft hutch with permanent access to a 6ftx4ft run. For giant breeds there are no commercial hutches available that a big enough, bar bespoke ones, sheds and playhouses are more suited.

If you are going to be breeding your own stock, i do hope you are well versed in genetics and welfare.

Personally, i would never use a pet store that sold livestock.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I wouldn't use a petshop that sold livestock either, don't think any shop should be allowed to sell rabbits etc , sorry


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## Gertrude (Feb 7, 2010)

amymay01 said:


> We would *aim* to only stock livestock bred by ourselves and supply enclosures to house these animals for example for rabbits a recommendation on a min of 6ft hutch for large breed rabbits a min of 4ft for dwarf breeds.


I dont like your use of the word 'aim', that suggests to *me* that you'd maybe take other stock if it was offered to you when your stock was low...sorry if that offends but thats what jumped out at *me* 
Also your hutch size recommendations are too small.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

I hate seeing rats in tanks in pet shops, no enrichment kept on shavings sold off to any Tom dick and Harry. Often sold singular whereas rats should always be kept in pairs or more.
I avoid pet selling shops now, and only get my goods online or my local pet warehouse where all they sell is feed and toys.


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

Years ago my sister worked in the local pet shop and people would just turn up with home bred rabbits, guinea pigs etc for selling. Any pet shop that sells livestock will get this happening to them. 

Personally I wouldn't use a breeder who sells their animals in a pet shop. I work in rescue and so many animals are bought on a whim then end up with babies of their own through inadequate care and we're left dealing with the fallout.

You'll probably find the majority of members on this site will not use pet shops that sell animals. Most prefer to use shops with quality stock.


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

Nope wouldn't buy reptiles OR small furries from a Pet Shop, I'd also find it very unnerving to find that same pet shop selling live & frozen food for reptiles too, would unsold pets become food?? All a bit weird, and why would you in some cases be housing pray animals next to predators


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Pet shops seem to get a bit of a bashing on here but they are not all terrible. I completely agree with avoiding chain pet shops and others that use rodent farms. They probably do form the majority, but some independent shops do get their animals from genuinely good breeders.

I worked in the pet retail industry for years. The big sellers were wild bird/animal stuff (food, feeders, etc.) and pet food/treats. They are your bread and butter as they are something people will keep coming back for week after week. 

The problem with being too niche with your market and your product range is that you simply won't sell enough. Although you will get the more dedicated pet owners who are willing to spend that extra bit of money on 'better' products, sadly most people prefer to go for what's cheap. That is why places like Pets at Home do really well selling their crappy Rotastak cages, own brand toys/treats/accessories, etc - it encourages impulse purchasing and it's cheap.

It is REALLY difficult to compete with the internet and PAH now which is why a lot of small pet shops are going out of business.

Animals like your giant breed rabbits and pygmy hedgehogs again are a bit more specialized than the 'norm'. So realistically you are going to have to accommodate them in your shop space for a long period of time which is going to eat into your profits.

It can work as a business when you build up your customer base but until then, you have to tread very carefully. Remember that our perception of what is 'good' (product wise) isn't necessarily indicative of what the general public think!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

I don't like to see rabbits, rats, reptiles, birds for sale in shops 

And, I definitely couldn't run one or work in one.


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## EssieHayes (Aug 6, 2013)

Pet shops are widely introduced in this modern technology. I am also planning to open it up for not only opening the business but also providing the pet stuff at one place.


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2013)

I must say I used to love my local pet store and used to love them it was run all ways by real animal lovers and then bought over by numpties, the animals are now in small cages, the rabbits show signs of stress passing all the time because their in box sized hutches and I think their very irrasponsible keeping animals in such small species as it sets a bad example to potential owners >.>

I took my dog to be groomed when they first opened and I wasn't very impressed they had her all afternoon, half groomed her having only bathed her and charged me £32 never again!

Animals to be sold need to be in species appropriate environments in order to get the best of them.

I would love be a pet store owner but I would never sell animals I would be consentraiting on selling quality brands and natural feeding.


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## smudgiesmummy (Nov 21, 2009)

im sick of hearing how bad pets shops they are *ALL NOT* like this , for someone who wants to run one , you need to get all the knowledge , right conditions , go on animal courses

if the correct procedure is doing selling animals in shops which all get checked btw regular, even the cage sizes are measured

one pet shop i know gets all there animals from local breeders

the comment regarding live food for reptiles , its illegal to sell live mice ect for food and they don't use animals that sell for food ...things like crickets , locusts , mealworms ect are only sold live

also baring in mind all petshops need a licence to sell any animal if not they are breaking the law


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## Cruella De Vil (Sep 25, 2013)

I think you've got a brilliant idea, I would love to open a pet shop, only problem is I'd be overrun with things as I couldn't bear to let them go! But I really think that you have a great idea, [email protected] have put far too many small town pet stores out of business, there's at least 5 gone from where I am, and they were fab little shops, stuffed with all sorts of items, really traditional style, where they weighed out everything for you, one had a parrot by the counter that squawked when you went in, and usually some baby rabbits or mice or something, that some local had bred. [email protected] just doesn't have that homely 'feel' to it, its so clean and spotless (not to mention expensive!) its almost clinical. Its like a town grocers compared with Asda, there's nothing special or unique about it, because nothing is out of place, there's no character to it. So if you want to open a proper old world style pet shop, good on you and good luck, we need more of them not less, otherwise they'll die out altogether and they'll only be places like [email protected] left.


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2013)

Its been my childhood dream to open up a pet store! 

I would not sell animals though :> 
My pet store would be aimed at selling good quality food and housing.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Personally if I was to get an animal, I'd prefer to get it from a breeder, even if they happened to have a shop too. I think its unfair to bash the OP down when she's not even opened the shop and already she's getting unfair comments. I don't see keeping animals in a shop in cages any different from being in a house IMO. Those who have made those comments haven't even seen the shop so don't cast comments until you've seen the shop.
I buy treats from pets at home because I can't see the point in paying delivery costs when I could just pop down the road and get some. Apart from not being interested in rodents/rabbits etc at the moment anyway, I still won't buy animals from pets at home.


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2013)

I would pick [email protected] any day they look after their animals well and provide the propper enclosures for their pets while they are their and are one of the few places that are set up to take animals back if need be and re home them.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Prowl said:


> I would pick [email protected] any day they look after their animals well and provide the propper enclosures for their pets while they are their and are one of the few places that are set up to take animals back if need be and re home them.


They also get all of their animals from rodent farms. Pets before profits my arse.


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2013)

labradrk said:


> They also get all of their animals from rodent farms. Pets before profits my arse.


Have you evidence of this?

Most pet stores don't even know what conditions the pets they buy previously lived in.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Prowl said:


> Have you evidence of this?
> 
> Most pet stores don't even know what conditions the pets they buy previously lived in.


It is common knowledge they get their animals from rodent farms. I have had this confined by numerous former employee's. They use Essex Breeding.

The pet shop I worked in knew exactly what conditions the animals previously lived in - because we knew the breeders personally and did not use rodent farms.


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2013)

labradrk said:


> It is common knowledge they get their animals from rodent farms. I have had this confined by numerous former employee's. They use Essex Breeding.
> 
> The pet shop I worked in knew exactly what conditions the animals previously lived in - because we knew the breeders personally and did not use rodent farms.


So its hear say then not actual evidence sorry but if I were to hear such a statement I would need more then employees word to believe it.

You might think an employee would know but that all depends if the employee held a grudge. I have never heard this before so unless someone were to presant me with propper evidence I would not believe them.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Prowl said:


> So its hear say then not actual evidence sorry but if I were to hear such a statement I would need more then employees word to believe it.
> 
> You might think an employee would know but that all depends if the employee held a grudge. I have never heard this before so unless someone were to presant me with propper evidence I would not believe them.


Feel free to ask Pets and Home yourself, but the answer they will give you will be "we are not able to disclose the name of our animal supplier".

Think about it logically. 350+ stores, each with umpteen livestock. You are not telling me for one moment that reputable individual breeders are constantly supplying 350+ stores with well bred livestock on a weekly basis? why do you think PAH have a constant supply of animals? when I worked in an independent pet shop, if our breeders didn't have any babies ready then we didn't have any. PAH don't have that problem because they put in a weekly order from Essex Breeding.


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

amymay01 said:


> Hi guys
> After your suggestions as fellow animal lovers please!
> A very close friend of mine who owns a reptile shop has given me the opportunity to go into business with her re branding her shop and turning into a pet shop selling small furry,s and reptiles ect .
> She currently breeds her own reptiles for the shop ensuring their health and well being and I breed and exhibit small furrys for example Rex rabbits ,giant continentals ,plush lops and rats ,mice and pygmy hedgehogs and both of us have many years of animal care & business experience under our belts .
> ...


Personally I feel a pet shop should have a duty of care to the long term wellbeing of the animals they sell.

To cut a long story short we were refused a hutch of 4' for a rabbit from our local pet shop Paws for Thought. They would only sell a 4' hutch for guinea pigs. Unfortunately they didn't have a large enough hutch in stock. We were told to get a minimum size of 5' although the bigger the better. They reserved the baby rabbit for 1 hour. Needless to say we managed to get a 5' double hutch. This was almost five years ago, that impressed me, that they were genuinely concerned for the long term welfare of their animals.

I would like to see 6' hutches including double with varying sizes of runs available for rabbits, in pet shops and also information sheets on caring for animals that are sold, designed specifically for each type of animal.

Have you thought about doing basic pet care workshops.


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

Nonnie said:


> This is incorrect. Rabbits should always be housed in pairs, and the minimum requirements are a 6ftx2ftx2ft hutch with permanent access to a 6ftx4ft run. For giant breeds there are no commercial hutches available that a big enough, bar bespoke ones, sheds and playhouses are more suited.
> 
> If you are going to be breeding your own stock, i do hope you are well versed in genetics and welfare.
> 
> Personally, i would never use a pet store that sold livestock.


Whilst I agree with you, there is no legal requirement for rabbits to be sold in pairs or minimum hutch size, these are recommendations only. tbf I have two rabbits four years age difference I would be gutted if I couldn't acquire a single rabbit as a companion for the surviving rabbit.

Having said that Pet Shops could take the lead here as Paws for Thought did with us, ie only selling 6' hutches double and single with and option of various size runs for rabbits.

It is only after owning rabbits I realise how much space they actually need, they may be a small animal but they can run at speed.

imo the recommendation of 36sq ft for two rabbits is not large enough that would be the equivalent of 5' x 2' double hutch 20sq ft plus a 4' x 4' run 16sq ft. imo that is no way near large enough for two rabbits, even with additional exercise out side of their hutch/run.

I had this size set up for one rabbit and used the 36sq ft set as we progressed with the bonding process. I have now more than doubled the set up for them, which seems to be adequate, coupled with the additional time they have to exercise in the garden.

tbh honest selling a 4' hutch for a rabbit (even a dwarf) to live its life in is cruel. No guarantee the rabbit will ever come out of the hutch. :nonod:


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## Cruella De Vil (Sep 25, 2013)

labradrk said:


> Feel free to ask Pets and Home yourself, but the answer they will give you will be "we are not able to disclose the name of our animal supplier".
> 
> Think about it logically. 350+ stores, each with umpteen livestock. You are not telling me for one moment that reputable individual breeders are constantly supplying 350+ stores with well bred livestock on a weekly basis? why do you think PAH have a constant supply of animals? when I worked in an independent pet shop, if our breeders didn't have any babies ready then we didn't have any. PAH don't have that problem because they put in a weekly order from Essex Breeding.


It is hard to imagine how they always have a supply, although I have been in some stores that were out of some animals, or only had some types in, so they don't _always_ have stock in. And when you think how many baby rodents are advertised on free ads, its not a massive stretch to imagine the people offer them to [email protected] if they can't find homes for them, so some of their livestock could have come from places other than farms. I know they will take baby animals off people, they offered to buy my cousin's baby guinea pigs to sell in the store, and some baby hamsters, rabbits etc. One of my other friends regularly supplies a pet shop with baby birds, and their other stock they either breed themselfs or order in as requested from other breeders if they have anything, and if they don't, you have to wait. Simples.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Why not use Pet Shops?

Rodent farm suppliers to large pet shops/etc


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