# Pets at Home improving?



## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

Having now got two Pets at Home stores near where I live, I often go there for my rabbit food etc... and I think they're slowly getting the message about rabbit welfare and creating awareness... The hutches they sell seem much bigger these days and specify which ones are for pigs/buns and even encourage buying them in pairs. I was alos most impressed with the material they had in the store about Rabbit Awareness Week - most of which is on their website; anyone new to keeping buns should certainly give it a glance (I've kept bunnies for 6 years (as an adult, have them 25 years ago as a child!) and still found it a good read:

| Rabbit Awareness Week

jem


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## srhdufe (Feb 11, 2009)

The leaflets they have in store about rabbit awareness week are great...

BUT..

If you actually read one of their own leaflets, they are rubbish 

I dont think the hutches are getting bigger at all. They always have the same ones in mine, and are always 4ft or less :frown:


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

I guess that's why I posed the question... ARE Pets at Home improving? There seems to be loads more hutches and they're bigger than five years ago when I got my Violet... Haven't read their own leaflet in a while I must admit... s'pose am just hoping people are getting more educated bout rabbits, particularly the shops like Pets at Home - then it should spread to their potential customers and hopefully lead to better lives for bunnies. My local Pets at Home shops (I am NOT saying I am a FAN of this shop!!!!!!!!!!!!!) stock hutches 6 foot and bigger, but hopefully lots of buns spend plenty of time daily out of hutches and in big runs or gardens binkying til their heart's content!

SO I was just pondering really... hoping that pet shops are getting the message... slowly but surely...


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## Emmiiee (Jan 3, 2010)

my local pets at home is amazing!! the woman who is the manager is an ex vet who worked in the local zoo, she is amazing, she doesn't care wot rules pets at home have, she does wots best for the animals!


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

That's nice to hear - things are looking more promising these days - probs depends on the particular shop and it's employees.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I think a lot of it comes down to the individual store management, the chain itself still does stupid Easter promotions on live animals and still stocks unsuitable hutches.


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## Lollie1515 (Feb 9, 2010)

Emmiiee said:


> my local pets at home is amazing!! the woman who is the manager is an ex vet who worked in the local zoo, she is amazing, she doesn't care wot rules pets at home have, she does wots best for the animals!


thats nice to hear. 

ive stopped going to pth - to be honest i find them expensive for rabbit foods, and bedding and i now buy in bulk from my horse feed shop. they orderit in for for me 10kg bags.


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## Cazza1974 (Sep 23, 2009)

There is a girl who works in out local [email protected] and she always asks questions. I was in there on Friday and I mentioned about us getting the buns and she was asking all sorts of questions about the right sized hutch etc and am I aware they will need doing as they are both girls etc?
There are a couple in ours, who you know can't be bothered and just see it as a job though.


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

emzybabe said:


> I think a lot of it comes down to the individual store management, the chain itself still does stupid Easter promotions on live animals and still stocks unsuitable hutches.


ditto



srhdufe said:


> If you actually read one of their own leaflets, they are rubbish
> 
> I dont think the hutches are getting bigger at all. They always have the same ones in mine, and are always 4ft or less :frown:


I picked up their leaflets for practically all the animals a while ago and I swear it wasn't that bad. I could be confusing it with another leaflet but I was sure it had rspca minimum hutch and run sizes, info about jabs, what to feed them and that you should keep them in pairs. It certainly didn't push them as the low maintenance child's pet that a lot of places do.

like emzy said, I think it depends on the store. Mine always have 6ft+ hutches and anything smaller is listed as for guinea pigs.


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## Zippstar (Sep 25, 2008)

When i bought Rags I have to admit I didn't know much about bunnies, but the [email protected] near me were really helpful! I wasn't allowed to buy a hutch less than 5 foot for her - if I didn't agree, I wasn't allowed the rabbit, end of, which I thought was very good. Rags is in Lavender Lodge at the moment, but I'm just in the process of upgrading it !


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

So, depending on the particular store and employees, some correct and helpful information is coming from Pets at Home to help bunnies get the right care from their owners. Mixed experiences though on the whole...
They are expensive; but they're the only pet shop close to me. And yes, the Easter deals on live animals are bad. Good to hear of many positive experiences though...


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## $hAzZa (May 2, 2010)

I too find the hutches at [email protected] too small and I heard on another forum that the 'adopted' rabbits they sell are just their own buns labelled as adopted. Everytime I go there I look at the rescue rabbits and they all have the same reason for being rehomed
'Owner couldn't cope'

Im starting to believe this sort of thing is happening even though there is little evidence


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

$hAzZa said:


> I too find the hutches at [email protected] too small and I heard on another forum that the 'adopted' rabbits they sell are just their own buns labelled as adopted. Everytime I go there I look at the rescue rabbits and they all have the same reason for being rehomed
> 'Owner couldn't cope'
> 
> Im starting to believe this sort of thing is happening even though there is little evidence


Mine usually say "could not be sold" or "started to fight with litter mates" so I do believe them on the rare occassion they're listed as "owner could not look after me".

It wouldn't surprise me if other stores lied about it though.


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

I know what u mean - the Dutch adopted bun they had yest - I've done a thread bout him - was deffo one of theirs. However, last time I saw a bun in the adopted bit it was much older and a strange mixture of breeds - didn't look like any I had seen them stock.


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## $hAzZa (May 2, 2010)

jemma_79 said:


> I know what u mean - the Dutch adopted bun they had yest - I've done a thread bout him - was deffo one of theirs. However, last time I saw a bun in the adopted bit it was much older and a strange mixture of breeds - didn't look like any I had seen them stock.


It could be leftover buns that didnt sell from the prev litter, but I believe they lie about most of it. I think [email protected] are great for selling cat and dog supplies but aren't so knowledgable on smaller animals, but thats just my opinion!


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## Cazza1974 (Sep 23, 2009)

Do you think that they have other leftover animals in the adoption part too? I have seen rats, gerbils and hamsters before now in there.


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

They have loads of animals in my local stores... poor little things... but they're not usually there that long...hopefully having found good homes!


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

Cazza1974 said:


> Do you think that they have other leftover animals in the adoption part too? I have seen rats, gerbils and hamsters before now in there.


most of the animals in my local are openly ones that didn't sell or ones that matured early and started fighting with their litter mates.

It's very rare I see any animals in there that have been taken in by a member of the public.


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

I've only known of one such case from actually chatting to an assistant in the shop... and the bun did look old... bless it. Was soooo friendly too, poor bun. I asked about how they got some of the rabbits and they said people sometimes bring them in. I wasn't aware of it before then. Generally they're quite young but, as mentioned, matured too early, got too big etc... bless.


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