Local Pet Store

[jimmycoop2005]

I was walking around the mall with my girlfriend in a mall about an hour away from my house. We cruise by the pet store, we never buy anything there because they mark everything up 100% and the prices are ridiculous! I hear a familiar screech, and I am like no way!! I go in there and there are two CAGs, a military macaw, and a blue and gold macaw in like a ferret or guini pig glass enclosure. I walk up to it and put my hand down in the cage and say step up and the first Grey does so I get him out and play with him, he was very sweet put him back and get the other out. She was a little more independent but wasn't bad, both were extremely sweet. I now pick up the military and he is a real butt. He beaks my finger not hard a couple of time then grabs my thumb and lays into it. I shook the finger he was standing on and said NO! he let go and looked at me like what??!! why not?? He started going for it again I said No and he stopped. I was doing great with him, I think he was understanding. Then the pet store employee runs over fast and says can I help you, I turn and he bites my thumb again. the employee then looks at me and him, then flicks him in the beak hard. He is stunned, I pull him away and set him down, and ask her why she did that? She said you're suppose to, I was like no, if you do that they will act aggressively every time fingers are coming at them. She said "oh well I never thought of that hehe" and walks off.Out of curiosity I asked how much they wanted for the birds, she told me $1,700 for each grey, and $1,900 for each macaw. I expected a lot but I mean really??

[lovemyGreys]

Grrrrrrr don't pet stores with untrained staff just make you angry :angry: They all should have some basic knowledge on how to care for a bird in the correct way. Unfortunately Jimmy this is not just an isolated incident i have heard other stories, if we had that lottery win many of us would give some of these poor guys new homes.

[danmcq]

It sounds like you had some good out of cage time with those Parrots at the Pet store Jimmy.

 

As Tracy said, most pet store staff have no clue how to properly deal with the large variety of critters they are charged with caring for. It's great that you corrected her and I hope she passes that on to other store staff.

 

As far as the pricing goes, that's a Pet store!! :-)

[jimmycoop2005]

I bet that poor military has been flicked a million times. No wonder he wanted to bite me. Yeah I think I am going to apply there and tell all of them to stay away from the birds haha

[MakenasDad]

I've noticed this all the time at pet stores!!! :angry: If you think about it, most people who work there are selling and handling dogs, cats, and fish. As all of us here know, birds are nothing like any other "pet." And with the inflated prices you stated, the owner obviously IS in it only for the money! They see "exotic" birds as items they can sell for huge profit. Still makes you sick to see it thought, huh?

[jimmycoop2005]

oh yeah for sure. it is crazy how much they ask for things

[judygram]

Jimmy you let us know if you do get a job there, I would like you to educate them on the proper handling and treatment of their birds.

[jimmycoop2005]

I would love to work there, we will see.

[ziggy]

Here is a great point also how many of the so called employees dont use or tell customers to sanitize there hands before touching those birds. I say never, they are kids from high school that have the knowledge of a flea and they think they know something. For the price it is a shame how many people buy them at the prices they ask. The owners of the stores are too worried about saving money on payroll by giving jobs to $7.00 an hour kids. With the prices they charge you would think they could afford to get a person in there that is qualified to handle birds. Jimmy no offense to you, being a person that has no real experiance in birds like yourself would not do any justice to the cause.Being a good hearted person, you got upset with the girl for doing that, but that does not make you a person that can give the best advise to people that never had a bird or that want a question answered that you may not have the answers for. True you do have more knowledge then them thats probably a no brainer, but I think your emotions are telling you to get the job and not your experiance. You would be better at a rescue or sanctuary for birds you have a heart for mistreated animals. Plus you would get more out of that then in a pet store. You would be working side by side with people that have alot of valuable input. You will not learn any thing working with those moreons at the pet store(thats my opinion)

 

Post edited by: ziggy, at: 2007/12/03 04:40<br><br>Post edited by: ziggy, at: 2007/12/03 23:19

[BMustee]

Excuse me, but not all pet store employees are flea brain high school morons. I work at a pet store in the bird department and I DO know what I am talking about. I have been breeding finches for a number of years and I have a CAG of my own. I’m not there just to sell overpriced birds, I take time with people that come in and have questions on the health and happiness of their feathered friends. I spend every moment not with a customer making sure all the birds have fresh food and water, giving proper loving attention, and observing them to make sure they are in good health. As for the “sanitizer” you say you refuse to use, we have had birds get sick due to @$$holes that come over after handling the puppies and bunnies and don’t clean their hands. If I ask someone to clean their hands and they refuse…your getting your grubby butt kicked out of the department and probably the store. I’m responsible for 2 military macaw, 2 Buffon’s macaws, 2 Scarlet macaws, 2 hyacinth macaws, 4 Caninde/Blue Throated macaws, 7 Blue and Gold macaws, 1 Harlequin macaw, 1 Hahn’s macaw, 1 Yellow Collared macaw, 3 TAGs, 2 blue fronted amazons, 4 yellow nape amazons, 4 Orange-winged amazons, 1 red lored Amazon, 1 Cuban Amazon, 2 Mexican Red Headed Amazons, 1 Lilac Crowned Amazon, 1 Mealey Amazon, 3 Umbrella cockatoos, 2 ducorp cockatoos, 1 bare-eyed cockatoo, 5 Nanday Conures, 4 Sun Conures, 4 Half moon Conures, 4 Lories, 3 Alexandrian Ringnecks, 3 Indian Ringnecks, 4 Red-bellied, 2 Senegal’s, 1 Meyers, 1 Black-headed Caique, a bunch of cockatiels and budgies along with 13 different types of exotic finches when I’m on the sales floor so I’m not going to let some pompous germ-covered butt munch come in and put my flock at risk. I know every one of these birds personally and can answer questions on all of them because in my spare time I read everything I can get my eyes focused on so that I can pass that information on to people that wouldn’t be inclined to spend hours researching parrots. If we want to insult people in pet stores, it would have to be the customers that have no experience handling large birds and pick up macaws…and then can’t understand why they got bit. Or the jerk-offs that think they are experts and think they are above store policies.<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2007/12/03 17:50

[BMustee]

And one more thing...I don't sell anything but birds. I don't have anything to do with the dogs, cats, fish, snakes, monkeys, or any of the other animals that are sold at my store. As for the prices, of coarse they are going to be jacked up. For example, the Military macaws at my store sell for $1200, we probably bought them from the breeder for $800. There is the cost of feeding the bird for the time in the store, as well as medical care (all our birds are seen by an avian vet) and the cost of overhang. When you buy from a breeder you don't have the overhang or the middleman so you are basically buying wholesale instead of paying retail price. There is also supply and demand, if a breed of parrot had a bad season the cost goes up because there is less of a supply but the same demand. This is simple economics.

[Kibibi]

Too bad all pet stores don't have experienced staff like you BMustee.

[Christina]

BMustee...would you say you are the exception or the rule for pet shop personnel? It sounds like you have, not only alot of avian experience, but also, a big heart in wanting to know each bird and the traits and characteristics of that species, as well as their individual personalities. I don't think Ziggy was saying "all" pet stores employees are yucky, but I'm sure everyone has a pet store horror story. I also think Jimmy would be wonderful in a pet store or wherever...all you have to do is care enough to go the extra yard...or as in your case...the extra mile to learn. And how else can you learn, except by interacting with these wonderful creatures. what shop do you work in? I'm in Tampa...and sometimes venture down that way. I'd love to stop by and see your flock.

[BMustee]

I work at Pet Kingdom, and at my store the sales staff in the bird department is very knowledgeable. One lady owned a pet store back in the day that specialized in Amazon parrots, and the other lady was a breeder and at one time had about 300 birds in her care, the manager of the department has worked there 15 years and can tell you the life story of every bird there. Now, our maintenance staff for the bird department is not the most knowledgeable, but they don’t interact with the customers and focus on keeping the department clean…you all think having one parrot that throws it’s food all over the floor is bad, try having 12 macaws determined to make a tile floor look like peanut colored carpet. I know that at least a couple of the girls that do puppy sales are very knowledgeable as well. The flea brains as Ziggy put it normally don’t last more than a few days because we all work very, very hard and must have everything up to the owners standards at all times. Normally in my department the people that don’t love the birds quit after a day or two because they can’t take getting bit nonstop…I get nailed at least once a day and I know what I am doing, so imagine the people that don’t know. LOL. I’m sure there are some shady pet stores, but I know that there are breeders that can be just as bad or worse. At least with pet stores there are regulations and customers that see what is going on, you never know what is going on at a breeder’s home unless they open it up for you. I agree with Jimmy being a good candidate for working in a pet store. He’s always on the forum asking questions and I’m sure that if someone is asking that many questions they also are doing some research on the side.

[BMustee]

And thank you Kibibi and Christina for the kind words.

 

My store has a website, you can watch in real time what is going on in the store from cameras and there is another section where you can look at all the pets that went home each week.

 

http://www.petkingdom.org/

[lovemyGreys]

BMustee you are an exception, you have great knowledge,compassion & love & you are not included in the usual run of the mill shop assistants who know nothing

[judygram]

My sentiments exactly, wish all pet store employees could be a quarter as knowledgeable, caring and loving as you are. You go girl!!!

[BMustee]

ohhh geesh...you two are too much :blush: . Thank you, and I do wish there were more people in this world that would see animals as more than just animals but individuals with wants and needs. I know I’m not alone though, because I’m sure that all of you are the same way as me.

[lovemyGreys]

We sure are

[judygram]

Maybe sometime when I come down to Florida I will just have to come in and visit this store where you work.

[BMustee]

Yeah...It's a fun place to go. I know most pet stores only have a few parrots at a time but as you can see from the list above we got birds coming out the wazoo!

 

I've seen those little fenic foxes there, we have sugar gliders right now, and all kinds of weird critters. Once we had a kid for sale.....goat kid that is. LOL

[judygram]

And I know about the goat kids, my daughter had a goat that had babies and they are so adorable when they are little and do some incredible acrobatic moves. Must be a fun place to work.

[Guest briansmum]

thos poor birds in that store, i hope you do go to work there jimmy and show them how it should be done!

 

and karma to you BMustee for being a wonderful exception in what seems to be a field of ignorance

 

we don't tend to have big pet stores over here, usually nothing bigger than a chinchilla, and rarely birds. but even so, sometimes i wonder whether the employees have been hired because they know how to care for the animals or because they can stack shelves and work a cash register.... my bet is the latter.

[ziggy]

Hello BMustee,

I never said ALL employees did I. On a whole thats what you get when you go to a pet store. This is not to affend you this was to let Jimmy know that he has a great heart and should do rescue work. His knowledge about birds sounds like he needs more to make a differance in the pet store. You have the exreriance and thats great, good for you. People would appreciate that knowing that you have more knowledge then the others that work there. Another thing are you in high school? That was what I said so if you are in high school then you are much better off and advanced then the regular high schooler. I have been in the restaurant business for 22 years and I can tell you that people that hire young unexperianced (high schoolers) are not the answer for a sucsessful business. Point here is you must have been to a fast food restaurant before and they are mostly high scool kids that work there and how many times has your order been messed up.My POINT HAS BEEN MADE. I think we can all agree on that. Why are you telling me about sanitizer I said they probably dont use any or tell customers to use it.<br><br>Post edited by: ziggy, at: 2007/12/03 23:54

[ziggy]

One more thing you are lucky to work in a store that the owners care enough to hire the right people. that is not the case in MOST PET STORES!!!. You are lucky that your co-workers are knowledgable that you can learn and teach them. That is not the case in most stores. I live by christina and I can say that most pet shops here are filthy and you would not even by a cricket in them. So you a lucky that your store is the exception to the rule. You should be happy about that. I did not attack you, and you are basicly putting me up on the cross about this.<br><br>Post edited by: ziggy, at: 2007/12/04 06:10