# pet stores and their ignorance >:(



## mrsjuno (Mar 14, 2012)

recently i was in a pet store and they have a poor hedgehog in there that the girl working said has been there for a couple months that someone gave to them cause it was "mean" and the other girl working said "it" was a breeder hedgehog that someone gave to them. noone in the store can get it to open up long enough to find out the sex, its covered in grossness, and im sure it needs its nails trimmed, as noone there has even seen its face! He has a crappy diet that appears to be wetted down hard food (pretty big, chunks like dog food?) and tons of meal worms mixed in. Im determined to get this hedgehog, i dont have the money theyre asking for it and a second cage for another couple weeks, as some unexpected bills came up so I am harrassing the owner of the store to try to give me this hedgehog so he doesnt have to live another two weeks in this horrible condition. it drives me crazy that things like this happen cause people see a hedgehog as a "cool" pet thinking that it would be as simple as taking care of a gold fish.! and with absolutely no knowledge. My husband and I did research for months before purchasing our hedgehog, Sonic (my father in law insisted we name him that haha). We've had him for a little over 5 months and I cant get enough of him, and im constantly trying to learn more! I really hope i can convince the store owner that this would be the right thing to do. I plan on being presistant with this, and doing as much as I can. If I do not hear back from them soon, i am going to have friends complain to the store about the lack of care. Im so scared theyre just going to write me off and not change anything for the hedgie.  any suggestions on how to uhm. persuede this store owner to allow me to give this hedgie a good home now?


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Hmmmm.....I don't know about persuading the pet store owner, but maybe if you go in there and ask to bathe, clean his cage, trim his nails, etc. maybe he can see that you are truly concerned about the hedgie's welfare and that you have the animals best interest at heart. I've always felt that badgering someone into submission will only make them dig their heals in. If he sees that you just want to help the little guy, you talk to him about how generous it was that he provided shelter for this poor breeder, and how knowledgeable you are about them, then maybe he'll let you take him home 2 weeks early with a payment contract or something. Hang in there. Honey attracts more flies than vinegar. (although, i don't know who wants to attract flies.....maybe a frog?) Best wishes.


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## mrsjuno (Mar 14, 2012)

yes i thought of that, and i have said something to a few of the people working in there, and nothing happened. they just kind of looked at me like i was nuts. Im really crossing my fingers that i get an email back from the owner to try to work something out. its a small family owned place, so i really hope their interest is in the animals well being, not the money.  it's so sad to see them like this.


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2012)

keep in mind those working in the pet store are probably people working there for minimum wage and are not in a postion to be able to do anything. They are bound by the policies of the store so you would have been better of to go to the owner or manager right off the bat. keep trying but dont take it out on the employees or assume they are ignorant or ignoring you. may just be that they cant do anything and dont want to stir up trouble


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## mrsjuno (Mar 14, 2012)

I just heard from the pet store owner, he said they knew the pet was unfriendly and they would find it a home eventually, the food they fed it is made strictly for hedgehog s and he was so mean because he's an albino. I told him thanks for responding and if they would like I'd be willing to bathe him and clean him up and work with him if they're interested. We'll see.


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Oh, it sounds like you're doing everything you can. It really is in their hands unfortunately whether or not they will take you up on that offer. I would just wander in there every once in a while and renew the offer to care for the hedgie.  I don't know much about albinos of any animal, but I've never heard of a connection between "meanness" and albinism. Hmmm?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Bad pet store. Albinos are not any "meaner" than any other color. I think sometimes people think they are mean simply because they have red eyes. And obviously red eyes mean they are "evil." Chances are this is just an overly defensive hedgehog who has either been improperly handled or never handled at all.


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## gogrnny1955 (Jul 6, 2011)

My male Harpo is an albino and is a real
sweeite pie.
He is nearly 1 year old now and never has tried 
to bite either my hubby or myself.


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## mrsjuno (Mar 14, 2012)

I know I'm late on responding. But this actually ended up being a happy ever after story for everyone! The town I live in is a military town so people are constantly moving in and out and even worse impulse buying. But ill get back to that. A few days after I last posted, someone got ahold of me because I had posted an old cage on Craigslist and mentioned it was a hedgehog cage. The girl that got ahold of me asked if she could meet my hedgehog and asked me a bunch of questions and told me she and her husband had been doing tons of research and found a pet store that had one. So I asked and of course it was the same hog I had been trying to come up with a way to acquire. I was so excited to see that it was about to get a forever home! I explained to them he was temperamental and they insisted they didnot care. They got a cage from me which was a big cage, and even asked about wheels! I was so happy! Then I got to meet the little guy. Once he was out of the store he was completely different. Still a little ski dish but sweet. He opened up long enough to see his gorgeous face and bright red eyes. So there was a happy ending for him! And there's more! Since I had been saving for him,ii decided to see what else I could get my little guy and I stumbled on an ad for a hedgie for $50 that a couple had gotten at that same pet store! They said they wanted to get rid of him (which was actually a her)because their dog bothered it. So me being me went to get this hog and come to find out, their boxer had gotten a hold of the poor girl. She was luckily okay. She had no wheel and a dog food bowl just full of some diet food that was mostly meal worms. And a case of mites. All is well with her though. Were still working on finding foods she will eat and she is on a kick where she won't eat unless she's on my lap. But were working through it. My husband decided to name her Mrs. Zelda and my other hedgehogs name is mister sonic. Im so glad things worked out how they did. I have a lot of guests at my house and she loves the attention and mister sonic loves that she gets the attention so he can curl up with someone and sleep. They don't pay attention to each other if they're both out, which is only when two people are watching them. Soon happy ever after for two hogs that were put in a bad situation because of this pet store.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

So glad to hear there was a happy ending! Thanks for sharing.


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