PETCO Has Lost Their Minds!

[1001001]

Wait... I'm confused, as far as I know, PETCO doesn't even SELL "feeder" mice.

At the PETCO by my place, they have signs all over the mouse tanks making it clear that these are NOT for food use.

I purchased the snake at this same store. I was told exactly how to feed it, what to feed it, etc. The tank had a chart of how many live mice it had already been fed.

I have had conversations with the staff when I bought mice there..."Oh, what kind of snake do you have? How old is it?" Etc, etc.

There are no such signs at this store.

Seems a little weird that they'd sell the animal, but not its food...??

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

I finally got a reply to my email.

Dear 1001001,

Thank you for contacting PETCO regarding your concern with our store at 7715 Laguna Blvd. We are sorry to hear about your recent experience.

Please accept our apologies for any problems or inconvenience you have experienced. We strive to provide exceptional customer service, and sincerely appreciate hearing from you. Your feedback is vital for us to continue to improve our products and services. Our Company goal is primarily Animal Welfare. We encouraging customers to have the same goal, provide a safe and appropriate environment for companion animal since you are purchasing a live animal. Rest assured that I am going to forward to the upper department to review about your feedback regarding our Companion Animal Purchase policy.

Again, we apologize and hope that you will shop with PETCO again soon.

Please know that we care about our customers and what they think of us. By letting us know when we fall short of your expectations, we have the opportunity to address your concerns and to be better prepared to meet your expectations in the future. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to reply to this communication or call PETCO Customer Relations directly at 1-888-824-PALS (7257). Thank you again for contacting PETCO.


Well, that's pretty clear isn't it? At least I am being forwarded to the "Upper Department". That's got to be a good sign, right?



I'm thinking customer service might be "outsourced"....

Was it signed by "Peggy"?

 

[Chaos Descending]

I purchased the snake at this same store. I was told exactly how to feed it, what to feed it, etc. The tank had a chart of how many live mice it had already been fed.

I have had conversations with the staff when I bought mice there..."Oh, what kind of snake do you have? How old is it?" Etc, etc.

There are no such signs at this store.

Seems a little weird that they'd sell the animal, but not its food...??

Again, strictly anecdotal, the PETCO by my place sells frozen mice for reptile consumption.

A quick search of the PETCO website says that the company does NOT advocate feeding live rodents to snakes, they sell frozen rodents for that purpose.

I understand your experience with PETCO has been different, the whole thing just struck me as strange because of what I'd experienced with them.

 

[SeerSGB]

This may sound ignorant (and I am of most matter "snake" save for 1) I generally dislike them 2) They have their side of the field, I have mine, don't cross the line) but could you reheat some frozen feeder-mice, or will the snake only eat prey it can hunt?

 

[1001001]

I purchased the snake at this same store. I was told exactly how to feed it, what to feed it, etc. The tank had a chart of how many live mice it had already been fed.

I have had conversations with the staff when I bought mice there..."Oh, what kind of snake do you have? How old is it?" Etc, etc.

There are no such signs at this store.

Seems a little weird that they'd sell the animal, but not its food...??

Again, strictly anecdotal, the PETCO by my place sells frozen mice for reptile consumption.

A quick search of the PETCO website says that the company does NOT advocate feeding live rodents to snakes, they sell frozen rodents for that purpose.

I understand your experience with PETCO has been different, the whole thing just struck me as strange because of what I'd experienced with them.

And we do feed frozen mice to our corn snake.

But the python won't eat those. We tried.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Bad grammar from outsourced reps aside...it sounds kind of like my initial theory: that despite the fact they sold you the snake, they do not approve of the keeping of predatory pets (as in, those that eat nothing but live food). Do you have any local farmers who might be willing to trap some mice for you?

 

[Guartho]

So basically Petco is saying it's only ok to kill mice to feed a snake if you freeze them in between the killing and the eating. Makes sense.

 

[nightwind1]

Christ. That's as stupid as a sign I saw on a lobster tank in a grocery store around here once (Bi-Lo, Food City?): "Notice To Customers: Lobsters are live animals and the cooking process requires you to submerge the animal while still alive. Be aware that this process is extremely painful for the animal and causes a traumatic loss of life. Please be aware, you are boiling a living animal. "

They sell snakes, they sell feeder mice to feed the snakes. What are you suppose to do, make the snake a vegan?

Painful? Traumatic?

I'm a chef. Lobsters do NOT feel a thing when you toss them in the pot.

Whoever wrote that sign is an idiot.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Wouldn't it take a veterinary neurologist, or whatever that field is called, to make that determination?

 

[nightwind1]

I finally got a reply to my email.

Dear 1001001,

Thank you for contacting PETCO regarding your concern with our store at 7715 Laguna Blvd. We are sorry to hear about your recent experience.

Please accept our apologies for any problems or inconvenience you have experienced. We strive to provide exceptional customer service, and sincerely appreciate hearing from you. Your feedback is vital for us to continue to improve our products and services. Our Company goal is primarily Animal Welfare. We encouraging customers to have the same goal, provide a safe and appropriate environment for companion animal since you are purchasing a live animal. Rest assured that I am going to forward to the upper department to review about your feedback regarding our Companion Animal Purchase policy.

Again, we apologize and hope that you will shop with PETCO again soon.

Please know that we care about our customers and what they think of us. By letting us know when we fall short of your expectations, we have the opportunity to address your concerns and to be better prepared to meet your expectations in the future. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to reply to this communication or call PETCO Customer Relations directly at 1-888-824-PALS (7257). Thank you again for contacting PETCO.


Well, that's pretty clear isn't it? At least I am being forwarded to the "Upper Department". That's got to be a good sign, right?



I'm thinking customer service might be "outsourced"....

Great... even PETCO is outsourcing to New Delhi now...

 

[nightwind1]

I finally got a reply to my email.

Dear 1001001,

Thank you for contacting PETCO regarding your concern with our store at 7715 Laguna Blvd. We are sorry to hear about your recent experience.

Please accept our apologies for any problems or inconvenience you have experienced. We strive to provide exceptional customer service, and sincerely appreciate hearing from you. Your feedback is vital for us to continue to improve our products and services. Our Company goal is primarily Animal Welfare. We encouraging customers to have the same goal, provide a safe and appropriate environment for companion animal since you are purchasing a live animal. Rest assured that I am going to forward to the upper department to review about your feedback regarding our Companion Animal Purchase policy.

Again, we apologize and hope that you will shop with PETCO again soon.

Please know that we care about our customers and what they think of us. By letting us know when we fall short of your expectations, we have the opportunity to address your concerns and to be better prepared to meet your expectations in the future. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to reply to this communication or call PETCO Customer Relations directly at 1-888-824-PALS (7257). Thank you again for contacting PETCO.


Well, that's pretty clear isn't it? At least I am being forwarded to the "Upper Department". That's got to be a good sign, right?



I'm thinking customer service might be "outsourced"....

Was it signed by "Peggy"?

TRRANSFERR!!

 

[1001001]

So basically Petco is saying it's only ok to kill mice to feed a snake if you freeze them in between the killing and the eating. Makes sense.

This is what I don't get. Pet owners feed their animals other animals all the time. PETCO sells crickets, for example. And what is in dog food and cat food? What do large fish eat?

Sure, there's a degree of separation, but it is still essentially the same thing. The live animal is killed to feed another live animal.

Maybe it's just me, but I did not anticipate such concern for mice....

 

[scotpens]

So basically Petco is saying it's only ok to kill mice to feed a snake if you freeze them in between the killing and the eating. Makes sense.

To repeat what I said upthread: Snakes that eat small mammals sense their prey by its body heat. Many snakes, especially constrictors, have to be fed live animals because they won’t recognize anything else as food.

I suppose you could keep a dead mouse in the fridge, then warm it up in the microwave and see if the snake will go for it.

Wait... I'm confused, as far as I know, PETCO doesn't even SELL "feeder" mice.

At the PETCO by my place, they have signs all over the mouse tanks making it clear that these are NOT for food use.

The feeder mice are in a little room at the back, through a hidden doorway. You have to give the "shave and a haircut, two bits" knock. When the guy behind the door slides the little panel open, you say "I'm here for Mickey's funeral." Then they'll let you in.

 

[Guartho]

To repeat what I said upthread: Snakes that eat small mammals sense their prey by its body heat. Many snakes, especially constrictors, have to be fed live animals because they won’t recognize anything else as food.

Thank you random repeater.

Guess sarcasm really doesn't translate to text.

 

[scotpens]

I still say a lobster is nothing more than a big, swimming BUG. A very tasty bug, but still a bug.

Thank you random repeater.

Guess sarcasm really doesn't translate to text.

Well, sometimes it doesn't, you know. That's why we have the Roll Eyes smiley.

 

[Paradon]

You can starve it into eating frozen mice. I've done that with mine. Reptiles can, especially snakes, can go quite a while with food and water.

Just make sure he has heat and water while you are training him to eat the frozen-thawed mice.

I have a lot experience with reptiles...trust me on this. Ball pythons are not that hard to train it to switch...

Those freaking SPCA and Humane Society are probably at it again. I don't like them. But I don't like Petco either because they don't care for their animals well.

 

[1001001]

You can starve it into eating frozen mice. I've done that with mine. Reptiles can, especially snakes, can go quite a while with food and water.

Just make sure he has heat and water while you are training him to eat the frozen-thawed mice.

I have a lot experience with reptiles...trust me on this. Ball pythons are not that hard to train it to switch...

Those freaking SPCA and Humane Society are probably at it again. I don't like them. But I don't like Petco either because they don't care for their animals well.

Why would I do that, though? There's nothing wrong (in my eyes) with how he is now. I can just buy mice somewhere else.

Dead mouse, live mouse. It's still eating a mouse and a mouse is still dying to feed him. I don't see any difference, except that he naturally prefers to hunt his own dinner.

 

[Paradon]

Well, for one thing...a live mouse and rat can easily bite and kill a snake. It's been known to happen...quite often actually...especially if they are left in there when the snake hasn't eaten it right away. In the wild you see these huge 15 foot anaconda with deep laceration and bite mark from prey it had killed and eaten.

Second, if you buy frozen and it has been frozen for at least 30 days, all the parasites inside the rodents would have been killed. There is less chance of parasitic infection for your pet if you feed frozen.

You don't have to feed frozen, but frozen is better practice. Most of reputable breeders feed frozen-thawed prey items. And...it's more humane for the prey animals.

 

[1001001]

Based on what we've observed so far that doesn't seem like a likely scenario, however, I certainly don't want my snake getting hurt.

There is a Serpantarium in the next town. They helped us with a molting problem early on. I'll talk to them and see what they say.

Thanks.

 

[Paradon]

You should buy a book or books written by reputable snake keepers or breeders. There are a lot of people giving out bad information, so I'd be careful if I were you.

HOwever, I don't know anything about the Serpentarium you go, though.