Pets At Home Store Review 2

Today I took a trip into town to visit the East Grinstead Pets at Home. To read about my previous visit and review of the Crawley branch (In which I state some problems with P@H nationally) please click here.

Date of visit - 01/06/2014

Time of visit - 2:30-3:30pm

When I arrived I was greeted by an immaculately kept store, there was no litter or stock strewn across the floor. Most of the products were well stocked up.

I had a look at the leaflet rack and it was almost full, apart from Syrian hamsters. I approached a nearby colleague and asked whether there were any more out the back. She giggled and went to get some. She came back with a pile and stocked it back up, handing me one too.

Pets At Home are well stocked up on wood shavings and I couldn't see any Carefresh anywhere or another suitable alternative for those with allergies. They also sell scented wood shavings which can be irritable for the hamster. Upon closer inspection, some of what I thought were shavings were actually sawdust. On the back it states suitable for hamsters, but in their own leaflet on Syrian hamster care, it states "Do not use sawdust as it can make hamsters ill". Hamsters cannot use sawdust as it is too fine and can be inhaled, so yet again they are going against their own advice, and policy where 'pets come first'.

The sign below does not make sense, as hamsters have been domesticated for generations. The hamsters they sell are not wild hamsters. They like places to hide from potential predators, not because they burrow in the wild. 

I walked past a woman who had about 6 young syrians in a small cage with a 6 inch wheel with very little wood shavings. I had then realised that she actually could have been a breeder for the store. I hovered and when she saw I was looking I went in closer hoping for a conversation. I said "Sorry to be nosy, they are so gorgeous!" She just looked impatient and didn't respond, like she wanted rid of them and to go home quickly. This concerned me. The colleague then came back to her and like a lot of the staff members I had seen, refused to pick them up properly. She first tried the 'grab from behind' approach (Which is not advised before the hamster is tame, as this is how they are picked up by predators.) and couldn't get hold of it. She then got a log bridge from one of the shelves and let the hamster climb on, and when I came back to the hamster displays later I saw they had already been put out to sell.

I asked a different colleague a small tester question, "Do you have chinchilla sand for hamsters?" he responded "You mean chinchilla dust?", "No, chinchilla sand for hamsters", which seemed to confuse him. He then took me to the hamster litter and started looking for the sand. They didn't have any stocked in and I couldn't find a space for them on the shelf. He said "We usually get a delivery in on Mondays". While he didn't understand what I was after, I was pleased that he didn't hand me the dust and claim it is safe for hamsters, however i would have been more impressed had he informed me that the dust is harmful.

Like the Crawley store, they didn't stock a single cage suitable for Syrian hamsters. There was also a mix up with the measurement labels, as one cage said 38cm in length, but one that was much smaller was labelled as 40cm. Their cages for rabbits were actually the base size of my hamster cage. The image below shows the measurements of their largest hamster cage.

For the same price as the very poor cage in the image below, you could get an Alaska or Barney online, which meets the 75cm x 40cm general minimum guideline. This was one of their larger hamster cages in store...

The worst part of my visit came towards the end. This was the big one. I approached a third employee and said to him "I wonder if you could give me some advice please, I was wondering what the best bedding is for hamsters". He took me over to the nesting material and it was obvious straight away that he was bluffing his way through this sale. He pointed to the paper flakes and said "They are good", then pointed to Safebed paper wool (Which is plant fibres, not paper) and said "That one is good too". I said "What about this cotton bedding, is that one any good?" and he said "Yeah it's good like the others. They can take how much they need. Just if they go toilet on it it can be hard to clean out." I bit my tongue so I didn't start explaining the hazards and my disappointment that their training doesn't involve this, and thanked him for his help. After he'd gone, I decided to get the only one he hadn't advised which was actually the most suitable for a hamster.

In the adoption center, they had a folder with images and details of the rescue animals. I turned to a roborovski and read that they had to have their leg amputated. I was then horrified to see fluffy bedding in the image with the hamster.

There was a woman that came in with her daughter who wanted a guinea pig. She was out the store within 5 minutes with the animal. I hovered nearby when the child was holding the piggie to see whether the colleague would properly test the customer to ensure it's going to the right home, she said "Do you have a cage and stuff?" She said "Yeah, yeah." with no further queries after that.

The **disturbing** images below were shown to me by someone who visited the Newton Abbot store. Not only is there no stimulation or enrichment whatsoever, there are smears of what looks like blood on the side. 

I find it exceedingly disappointing that despite genuine concerns towards this company, they show no desire to improve or pay attention to modern research. They continue to sell products that are considered harmful, or that appeal to children instead of practical for the welfare and life of the animal itself. 

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Pets At Home Store Review

For years I've been a regular customer at four Pets At Home stores. My two most local branches are the East Grinstead and Crawley stores, and here I underwent a secret trip to the Crawley branch to review their standards and see first hand whether they live up to basic welfare guidelines. 

Date of visit - 30/05/2014

Time of visit - 12:00-1:00pm

When I first walked in I went upstairs to the neatly kept cat food section and vet area. There was nobody on reception so I presumed they were shut, though I thought it was strange as it was midday, during half term. I read a sign that had a price list for cats, dogs and rabbits. I couldn't help but wonder why there were no prices for other animals. 

The above sign bothered me, as not only are Chinese hamsters not considered a dwarf hamster, but the three species of dwarf hamster are Winter White, Campbells and Roborovski. Pets At Home sell a hamster called a Russian hamster, which is a hybrid. It's sold as though it's some kind of special rare species.

Another thing I found bothersome is that under each of the hamster signs they state 'for older children'. Making all the mothers with nagging kids give in to the "Awww, can I have one? It's cute" before doing proper research. The Syrian hamster is also listed as "Fun for older children" as though it's expected to do a song and dance to entertain us.

A woman with a young girl was looking at the Chinese hamsters with a member of staff. She told the staff member that her daughters Chinese hamster keeps screeching at her and she wants to buy them a 'friend'. The store colleague should have at this point told her that Chinese hamsters are generally considered solitary animals like the Syrian, and should be housed alone. Their sign simply states that the females can be aggressive. The colleague was telling the customer that males fight and females should live in pairs, not only going against her own employers policy, but completely wrong anyway. The customer was the one who said "I might need to get another cage if they start to fight" so I breathed a sigh of relief. 

My relief turned to horror when the colleague picked up the Chinese hamster by her tail! I was horrified and my partner had to walk away out of disgust. I stood shell shocked as my anxiety kicked in. She put the hamster (Who hadn't nipped, the staff member just seemed to not want to touch them) in the wheel on its side and tried to look through the bottom to determine the hamsters gender. After a good few minutes she said "I think it's a boy". Another few minutes of looking and she said "No I think it's a girl". Lets just let them find out for certain when the customers female gets pregnant, or they end up killing each other, eh?

None of the cages in Pets At Home are actually suitable for a Syrian hamster. The largest cage they had in store was the Bristol, which was tucked out the way on the floor by a staff door. This was the largest cage and at 58cm x 35cm, it still doesn't meet the 75cm x 40cm minimum for proper hamster welfare. Their cage shelves were mainly empty and I couldn't see any Hamster Heaven cages or a space for them on the shelf. After doing further research, I have seen that it is only available online. This was previously the only hamster cage that was suitable for a Syrian, yet they have removed it from stores. Bizarre.

There were live locusts jumping around the shop and when my partner informed a member of staff, they simply told him that it happens a lot and they don't pick them up until they close at the end of the day. 

The staff all seemed flustered and after the woman bought the Chinese hamster there were no staff members working the shop floor, just two on the tills. The shop seemed chaotic, as though multiple colleagues had called in sick that day. Boxes and products were scattered everywhere and a roll pallet completely blocked one of the aisles. 

The leaflet rack was almost empty and there were no information on any species of hamster. The staff member didn't seem to ask the customer any questions regarding the care of her Chinese hamster, whether she had the correct nesting material or what cage she had. It seems the colleagues really are trained to push for sales, not ensure the animal is going to have a suitable home.

After a long successful campaign to remove the Rotastak fluffy bedding from stores nationally, highlighting the dangers and eventually receiving cooperation from the company, I was very disappointed to see they had replaced it with three other brands of fluffy bedding. These three took up the whole of the top shelf, with paper bedding tucked underneath. There was another shelf for paper bedding to the right of these three, but the shelf was empty.

The far right it deceiving as it says 'Paper wool'. It is torn into strips and looks a bit like paper, but it is in fact made from pant fibres, and is the same material as the rotastak fluff. I think it is ridiculous that they have got rid of a harmful product only to essentially order in the same thing with different packaging.

 

The female Syrian hamster was kept in a tiny tank with a 6" wheel. The wheel is far too small, even at this age. There is also no information on this, or guidelines that hamsters need a big enough wheel to prevent their backs arching. I have seen signs in other pet shops that state they need a big enough wheel to prevent spinal problems, they should think about this too, and not sell ones that are unsuitable for even Roborovskis. They do stock two larger wheels that are suitable for Syrians, but they are advertised as rat wheels so it is too easy for the customers to purchase a small one that could potentially cause harm. 

Overall I left with a sour taste in my mouth. Not only had I not enjoyed the shopping experience, but I was disappointed to see the standard of cage generally seems to be overlooked by people like the RSPCA. Money really does make the world go round for some.

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How To Care For A Hamster

Are you considering bringing a hamster in to the family? Or have you always been a pet owner and are looking for some new tips? Look no further, you'll find them here.

1 - Things to consider

You need to look for healthy signs when buying a hamster, and I would advise buying from a reputable breeder instead of a pet shop.

Unhealthy signs (With any breed) can include:

• Drooping or gunky ears
• Wet nose
• Wet tail (A form of diarrhoea which can be caused from too much fruit or veg, and even stress)
• Lethargic behaviour
• Wheezing or sneezing (Could be a respiratory issue, or even the flu. Yes, hamsters can catch a cold!)

More experienced hamster owners should consider rescue hamsters as they can often be harder to deal with and sometimes impossible to tame. (E.G. The Pets at Home adoption centre.)

2 - What breed?

You need to consider what type of hamster you want, as there are many different species that require different upbringings.

Syrian - 

The Syrian (Teddy Bear/Golden) is the largest domestic species of hamster. They are solitary and territorial, therefore must be housed alone. They are the most common type of domestic hamster and have a lot of variety of coats and breeds. Their life span is approximately 2-2.5 years.

Teddy Bean - Syrian

Chinese -
The Chinese hamster (Listed in P@H as a Chinese 'Dwarf', which is incorrect) is smaller than the Syrian, and has a slightly longer tail. They can be housed in pairs as they are more sociable than the Syrian, however be prepared to get a second cage as some pairs can still end up fighting. It all depends on the hamsters individually.

Hope - Chinese

Roborovski - 
(Robo dwarf) They are the smallest domesticated hamster, and they're probably not even the length of your little finger (looking at mine, which is about 2.5 inches). They are NOT recommended for children as they are very fast and will rarely sit still in your hand. Though they can be tamed just like any other hamster. They are commonly known as the longest living hamster, living on average 3 years.

Karot - Roborovski

Winter White/Campbells - 
These are another two dwarf hamster species that can be kept in pairs. They are so named as their coats can turn whiter in winter, however they are usually a grey colour with a darker stripe down their back. They can also have fluffy feet. The Russian hamster is a hybrid of these two species'.

Thistle & Pippy - Winter White & Campbells 

Click here to view a video describing the difference between Winter White and Campbell hamsters.

Be sure to do your research on the species' individually before buying on compulsion. You need to ensure you're putting that hamsters health and well-being before your own fun.

3 - Housing

You need a suitable cage depending on the species of hamster. All hamsters need a cage with as large as possible floorspace for exercise, and to prevent boredom. This does not include any add-on cages. Smaller breeds require a tank/aquarium type cage, with a mesh roof for ventilation, to breathe and keep cool in the summer. This is as they are small enough to squeeze through the bars and escape, which could result in them having a nasty fall, running away, or chewing on an electrical wire!

The Syrian hamster is commonly placed in a wire cage with the bar spacing being 1cm, and the cage must be at LEAST 80cm by 50cm long, and 45cm tall. Some popular cages are the Mamble 100 and the Alexander. Hamster Heaven by Savic is another favourite, though some people create their own bin cages using large plastic boxes and wire mesh.

Keep in mind a hamster would prefer a larger base to run around than a taller cage with shelves. They prefer hiding and digging to climbing.

If you DO buy from a pet shop, bear in mind the sizes are often wrong. If it's labelled as a Syrian cage, it's more than likely the size for a dwarf (Though do not buy it for a Dwarf or Chinese if it has bars). Try to imagine yourself in a cage of similar proportions, with no space to run around and you just wait for your owner to pick you up so you can get out!
Have a look at this video for a guide to cage sizes: Click here

4 - Bedding

For base bedding most people use wood shavings and others use tissue type clumped material like Fitch (Which can be bought in larger 10/20kg bales) or Carefresh. It is possible your hamster can develop allergies to the shavings, and you don't want the sharp pieces to dig in to their paws or cheeks. Avoid pine and cedar bedding as it gives off toxic fumes when urinated on. Also avoid sawdust, as it can irritate their respiratory system.

For nesting material, steer clear of any 'fluffy bedding' bedding that looks like cotton wool, even if it says "Safe" or "Vegetable Fibres". This is a dangerous type of bedding for two main reasons:

1 - It can wrap around limbs, causing loss of blood flow and they may need amputation, and in some cases, hamsters can gnaw their own limbs off to free themselves! 
And
2 - When they tear the pieces apart to make their bed comfier, they can ingest pieces of the material which will get lodged within their respiratory system causing what looks like a cold, but is incurable. They will be wheezing and struggling to breathe as the bedding doesn't break down inside, and it is a very slow death. It is recommended by the best breeders to use ripped up unscented, uncoloured toilet roll. Cheap and easy!

Those in the UK, sign this petition to do your bit! - Click here

5 - Food

Choose the food that is labelled "Hamster food", do not get one intended for rats, gerbils etc. Harry/Hazel hamster is recommended. You can add some other bits like fennel leaves, dandelion leaves, sage and milk thistle. Hamsters can also have minimal amounts of cooked chicken breast for protein, and small pieces of vegetables like cucumber, carrots and green beans a few times a week. Do not give them too many fruits and vegetables, as it can cause wet tail (Diarrhoea). Do not give your hamster anything that would be unhealthy to a human, like chocolate and crisps. No sugary, salty or fatty foods.

Straw is not suitable for hamsters as it can damage their cheek pouches.

Below is a list of foods you can and cannot give your hamster occasionally:
Click here for the list

6 - Toys and chews

Hamsters teeth continue to grow throughout their life, therefore they need chews and toys to gnaw on to keep them down and prevent them hurting their gums. If a hamsters teeth get too long and it stops them eating or injures them, they will have to be taken to the vet immediately to get them trimmed. Do not attempt this yourself. It can also be caused by excessive bar chewing, which can cause the teeth to grow in crooked.

Below is a list of some chews and toys you can get for small pets to keep them entertained:

Alfalfa blocks
Loofah toys
Untreated wooden chews
Cardboard tubes (Also toilet/Kitchen roll tubes)
Hammocks
Shelves
Walnut dangle toy

7 - Exercise

Hamsters are active creatures and in the wild would run approximately 5 miles per night. This means they need to keep active in and out of their cage, and a lot of owners do this by buying a hamster wheel. Here are some examples of ones suitable:

Silent Spinner - 
This comes in 3 different sizes; 4", 6" and 12".  The 12" would be suitable for a Syrian, and the 6" for a Dwarf hamster. 11" is the minimum size for a syrian to prevent their backs arching and developing spinal problems.

Flying Saucer - 
The Flying Saucer is more suitable for the dwarf hamsters as it can make Syrians turn their backs too much. 

Wodent Wheel - 
This is the perfect wheel for Syrians (The 11") as it's big enough, and it's also quieter than other wheels. 

Trixie - 
This is an imitation Wodent wheel, and my personal favourite. It's rather quiet, and it can be free standing or latched on to the bars.

You must consider all these points and do some research before buying a hamster. You must be able to devote up to 4 years to care for them, and ensure you don't get 'bored' and neglect them. They require daily attention and love just like any animal. If cared for they can be the perfect pet!


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Also thank you to ErinsHamsters