FINCHforum

The other day I went to the petsmart to check some birds for sale, I was shocked. Most of their birds looked sick to me, the feathers puffed up, sitting and sleeping. My goodness to thing about, some unexperienced person would buy one of those finches and then for sure the poor bird would die. Their cordon blues were the worst. Poor, poor birds.

That's terrible. It's not like that everywhere though, thankfully. The Petsmarts around here are really great with birds. I'm always impressed at how healthy they look and how clean and roomy the cages are. I got my two boys at one of these Petsmarts and I've had them for two going on three years now.

That really is a shame. The ones around here are good with their animals. Like Victoria said they are all different depending on where you go. Buyer beware.

That's too bad.

I actually stopped buying from PetsMart if I can help it. Almost every bird I've gotten from them has died within a few days after buying them, though there has been some exceptions. They're birds also seem grossly overpriced to me. I saw Pin-tailed Whydahs for sale there once for around $85 or so a piece. I turned around and went someplace else and bought them for $25 per bird.

I have 3 different PetSmarts around me, 2 take really good care of their bird, one...the closet store the bird look ill.

It's a crap shoot here in Calgary also.
Some are great and the birds are fantastic and some
places keep their shops in terible condition.
They are all individually owned and if the owner does not care,
why should the employees?

Jerry

Their parakeets are in good condition but the rest of the birds ..... May be because cordon blue should not be in the same cage as zebra finches and there is not enough room to fly away, and so on. I also went to the canadian one, since we live on the border, well their birds even in worst condition. Good thing we have privet owed bird store around here so I can get good birds from them, and they also breed them so they can tell me some background and the food they feed and so on.

The Petsmart near us has both open and glass enclosed bird cages. the finches in the open air dont look so hot- all the birds within the enclosed cages looked fine. The 17 degree cold air blasting in on them all day long couldnt help any.

The Petsmart near me seems to do quite a good job with their animals. We have purchased many fish and a hamster from there and all has been well. Their birds look great. They are just there for a long, long time. I'm sure the price is the reason. I just wouldn't pay $30 for a zebra finch I could find from a local breeder for $5 or $10 dollars. Although I did have to stop myself from getting a beautiful little black cheeked male... hubby would have had a fit!!

We have two Petmarts in our town, one in the North end and one in the South. The South one near me takes very good care of their birds and I really haven't seen any that were puffy or sick for the years that I've lived here.

The North end is a different story. Although it's a new store, their bird section is very poor. Often there are no birds other than a few cockatiels, and the staff there doesn't seem knowledable with birds at all.

It's like they are stores run by two totally different companies.

I guess it really comes down to whether the manager in charge of the birds knows about bird care (and cares). I have a handful of birds I bought at a Petsmart over 5 years ago who are still doing great. Like all of you I've walked into others, however, where all of the birds were fluffed. Give your money to those who take proper care of their charges and don't give business to those who don't - that's my motto.

flrancho wrote:That's too bad.

I actually stopped buying from PetsMart if I can help it. Almost every bird I've gotten from them has died within a few days after buying them, though there has been some exceptions. They're birds also seem grossly overpriced to me. I saw Pin-tailed Whydahs for sale there once for around $85 or so a piece. I turned around and went someplace else and bought them for $25 per bird.

The Petsmarts in the New Orleans area give you a guarantee you sign and you have 2 weeks to return the bird if you are not satisified with it or it dies. I would think the same policy would be in effect at all of them.
I have bought birds from Petsmart and all the birds have done well. I just don't buy birds from them any more because the prices are way out of line with the going prices.

John, they do the same here, paper work and a 2 week turn around if anything happens...sometimes they do run specials and I have noticed prices are about or lower than what I see at the shows.

The one thing that I look at is the bottom substrate if there is the corn cob material that has gotten wet and has mold on it, then the cages aren't being mantained properly. The birds are exposed to that and it could make them ill, internally and from inhaling the mold spores. You can even have mold growth in poop if there is a build up and it is damp, seen that in a few privately owned pet stores...gross.

Petco use to carry finhes here but no longer does...there birds look really good, at least at the store near me.

Hilary wrote: Give your money to those who take proper care of their charges and don't give business to those who don't - that's my motto.

I agree 100%

You have to look at the individual store, just as you would look at an individual breeder--some are better than others. My local PetsMart had Green Singing finches on sale recently, so that brought the price down to a more reasonable one, and I would have bought a pair, except they only had two males. Both were in beautiful condition.