A typical pet store in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

A pet store or pet shop is a retail business which sells a number of varieties of animals, including fish for home aquariums, small birds such as parakeets, small mammals such as fancy rats and hamsters, and small reptiles such as lizards and snakes. Mice, small goldfish, and other animals that serve to be live food (called feeders) for reptiles and fish are also usually sold. Pet stores also sell a range of food, supplies, and accessories. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 773 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 773 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Country Netherlands Province Gelderland Area (2006)  - Municipality 57. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... “Aquaria” redirects here. ... Budgerigar Parakeets A parakeet is one of several parrot species. ... Species The fancy rat or pet rat is a domesticated breed of the Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) or, more rarely, of the Black Rat (R. rattus). ... Genera Mesocricetus Phodopus Cricetus Cricetulus Allocricetulus Cansumys Tscherskia Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... Families Many, see text. ... blue: sea snakes, black: land snakes Superfamilies and Families Henophidia Aniliidae Anomochilidae Boidae Bolyeriidae Cylindrophiidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Xenopeltidae Typhlopoidea Anomalepididae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenophidia Acrochordidae Atractaspididae Colubridae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Viperidae A snake is a scaly, limbless, elongate reptile from the order Squamata. ... Feral mouse A mouse (plural mice) is a rodent that belongs to one of numerous species of small mammals. ... Trinomial name Carassius auratus auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) For the baked snack crackers, please see Goldfish (snack). ...

Puppies and kittens

Less common in pet stores are larger mammals such as dogs and cats. Some shops that carry puppies and kittens charge higher prices for them the same animal from a breeder. Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... This article concerns Breeder, an occupation in agriculture, animal husbandry, or animal fancy. ...

There are many small, privately owned pet stores that carry puppies and kittens, maintain a superb level of care and get their animals from large, inhumane, and illegal Puppy Mills. In the UK and many other countries dogs and cats are not sold at pet stores.

Exotic pets

Exotic pets like sugar gliders, large snakes and large parrots are available at some pet shops. Because the care of these types of animals is difficult and expensive, usually only stores that specialize in exotic animals carry them as regular stock. Capuchin monkeys are among the primates kept as exotic pets An exotic pet is a rare or unusual creature kept as a pet, or a creature kept as a pet which is not commonly thought of as a pet. ... Binomial name Waterhouse, 1839 Sugar Glider natural range: Red: Blue: Darkgreen: Yellow: Violet: Lightgreen: Black: The Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small gliding possum native to eastern and northern mainland Australia, New Guinea, and the Bismarck Archipelago, and introduced to Tasmania. ... It has been suggested that True parrots be merged into this article or section. ...

Criticisms of pet stores that stock pets

Critics argue that there are numerous problems with the way stores acquire, care for, and sell animals. Before purchasing a pet, potential customers should ask questions and observe the conditions and employees in the store to determine whether the establishment is reputable. Make sure to research on the illnesses the pet can have so that you know if the pet in the store is sick or not. Make sure to also look at care information about the specific pet on-line. If you have a problem with a pet being sick or neglected at the pet store, contact animal control authorities. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Buying from large-scale breeding facilities

Pet stores may acquire their stock from large-scale commercial breeding operations that may also supply animals to industries that pet store patrons could find morally objectionable (such as cosmetics testing). Overcrowded cages and long, stressful journeys via air or truck can cause the spread of disease, resulting in sick animals arriving in the store. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Cosmetic. ... In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The driver of this DAF tractor with an auto-transport semi-trailer truck prepares to offload Å koda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales For other articles with similar names, see Lorry (disambiguation) and truck (disambiguation). ... The term disease refers to an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs function. ...

Conditions

Some cages in pet stores are not actually large enough for the animal that they house. A group of many animals may be placed in a cage not large enough to provide proper exercise to a single animal of the same species, although the animal may only be on the cage for a few days before it is sold.

Unneutered animals of both sexes are housed together in some stores, particularly in the case of small animals like mice, rats, hamsters or rabbits. Because rodents and rabbits become sexually mature at a young age, females in a mixed-sex cage may become pregnant, sometimes by their own brothers. The customer who bought the pregnant pet is also left with unwanted baby animals to sell or give away. Mice may refer to: An abbreviation of Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions. ... This is an article about wild rats; for pet rats, see Fancy rat Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Genera see text This article is about the animal. ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae, found in many parts of the world. ... A pregnant woman Pregnancy is the process by which a mammalian female carries a live offspring from conception until it develops to the point where the offspring is capable of living outside the womb. ...

Neglect and mistreatment

Due to the nature of store environments, some animals may not be properly socialized by the time they are sold to their new owner. This can result in frustration for the owner who may then get rid of the pet. The likelihood of this occurrence can be decreased through pet care and other education on the part of the owner. Mishandling can result in behavioral problems that make the animal difficult to place in a permanent home. This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Screening or lack thereof

Pet stores that sell puppies and kittens are commercial businesses. Many animals are purchased from a pet store on impulse (especially as pets for children); these animals suffer when the novelty of the new pet wears off. Animal shelters and rescues take in many store-bought pets whose owners have lost interest in them. Some reputable pet stores attempt to screen customers, and offer to take back pets that do not make a successful transition to a new home. However this screening depends on the honesty and cooperation of the customer. A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... Dog at a no-kill animal shelter in Washington, Iowa An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats. ... Animal Rescue is a TV show hosted and produced by Alex Paen. ...

Related Links

Pet Supplies Plus of Dickson City, PA- Information on the specific pet store.

Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council - Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) is the world’s largest pet trade association, representing all segments of the pet industry

Petstoreabuse.com - Stop pet store abuse.