Petco keeping tarantulas correctly!!

[starnaito]

I just want to share this to prove that there is hope. If you see tarantulas in pet stores that aren't being housed properly, please try to educate the staff.

My local Petco has, in the past, kept terrestrial tarantula slings in these crappy plastic tubes in overly wet conditions. I spoke up about it and the next time I visited, they weren't selling tarantulas anymore. That was several months ago, and I recently visited again to find a pleasant surprise. They had adult tarantulas: an A. seemanni, a B. hamorii, and a B. albopilosum in great conditions! Not perfect, as they had just misted and a portion of the substrate was a little too damp, but otherwise ideal. Room temp, water dish without sponge, good hide, and sufficient coco fiber substrate. Not only that, but they'd changed up some of the other reptile habitats to make the animals more comfortable. (I was so impressed, I almost bought a T, but I'm trying hard not to grow my collection right now!) I don't know if this is a change across all Petco locations, or just this one. Let me know what you're seeing lately in your area.

If you see examples of poor care, please say something, and keep at it till something changes!

 

[antinous]

I’ve been barred from some Petcos for this (and for getting rodents for my snakes...but that’s a different story). I usually will mention it if there’s an employee nearby but even after I do, nothing really changes. I’ve found that mom and pop perstores are more likely to change the way they take care of their animals since apparently Petco has ‘guidelines’ when it comes to keeping animals and they can’t deviate from them.

 

[UniqueUserName]

I wonder if they hired someone who actually cares and is knowledgeable with tarantula husbandry.

 

[lostbrane]

I would hazard that this is a rarity. None of my LPS seem to take terribly good care of their t’s, especially Petco. Still, that’s awesome that at least one is doing something better.

 

[Venom1080]

Thought this was about petko. I was about to be surprised too.

 

[Dovey]

Thought this was about petko. I was about to be surprised too.

Dude, me too! This is how ugly rumors get started!

 

[SuzukiSwift]

Thought this was about petko. I was about to be surprised too.

I was thinking the same thing lol the comment sections in his videos can get a bit heated at times

I live in China so you can imagine how my “LPS” (ahem, bird market) keeps their animals

 

[velvetundergrowth]

Our version of Petco/Smart keeps all of their T's, regardless of species, on dry orchid bark with red spectrum heat lamps, and almost nowhere to hide. Water dishes usually empty, if present at all.
The few times I complained I was told I had the wrong info, and that they are "experts" at keeping animals...

 

[Dry Desert]

Our version of Petco/Smart keeps all of their T's, regardless of species, on dry orchid bark with red spectrum heat lamps, and almost nowhere to hide. Water dishes usually empty, if present at all.
The few times I complained I was told I had the wrong info, and that they are "experts" at keeping animals...

Don't forget one small detail -- Pet stores worldwide want to sell their creatures, they want them out in the open for viewing, not hidden away under hides in ideal set ups. Not that I condone this, it's just they way it is, and that's the reason it's always best to buy from private individuals whenever possible.

 

[Asgiliath]

Surprising!

My local Petco has had an avic for a while and it’s set up is terrible. It has a tunnel (not a hide), a crappy plastic plant (nowhere to climb), no water dish to be seen (???) and there are always a bunch of live crickets everywhere.

I’ve spoken with their small animals manager, who claims to have had T’s in the past and she said the set-up isn’t an issue because “it’s not going to be here forever”

 

[Dry Desert]

Surprising!

My local Petco has had an avic for a while and it’s set up is terrible. It has a tunnel (not a hide), a crappy plastic plant (nowhere to climb), no water dish to be seen (???) and there are always a bunch of live crickets everywhere.

I’ve spoken with their small animals manager, who claims to have had T’s in the past and she said the set-up isn’t an issue because “it’s not going to be here forever”

Waste of time talking to staff or even the manager, they will listen and tell you what you want to hear while you are in the store - and then carry on in their own sweet way - They want it to sell, not live it's life out in the store in ideal conditions. However some stores here in UK do make an effort and I am sure there are a lot of others worldwide, maybe stores like Petco are the exception. We don't have Petco here in UK which is probably a good thing by all accounts.

 

[Vanisher]

Don't forget one small detail -- Pet stores worldwide want to sell their creatures, they want them out in the open for viewing, not hidden away under hides in ideal set ups. Not that I condone this, it's just they way it is, and that's the reason it's always best to buy from private individuals whenever possible.

Guess you are right. But knollageble people rather buy the tarantula that is hiding than the tarantula that is out in the open. Sure there ate tarantulas that sits out abd being healthy to, but you know what i mean! If i had to chose between say a C lividus that was down a deep burrow or the same spider huddled up in a corner i would gave chose the first one! I guess tarantulas arent the ideal pet in a petshop

 

[Minty]

Our version of Petco/Smart keeps all of their T's, regardless of species, on dry orchid bark with red spectrum heat lamps, and almost nowhere to hide. Water dishes usually empty, if present at all.
The few times I complained I was told I had the wrong info, and that they are "experts" at keeping animals...

Is this Pets at Home, or another company?

 

[GalacticFurai]

This reminds me of the Petco in my town that actually takes care of all their animals (whoa), all the animals have great care and clean habitats, I go there for crickets (their crickets are small, like they label 1 inch crickets as large fml) just an overall relief to see that at least one store takes care of everything properly, and even the cashier took out one of the skinks and let it sit on his shoulder

 

[velvetundergrowth]

Is this Pets at Home, or another company?

It's called Equi-pet. Not sure if it's exclusive to Ireland, but it's definitely the big pet chain here.

 

[Dry Desert]

Is this Pets at Home, or another company?

American company with HQ in San Diego, no connection with Pets at Home UK.

 

[Minty]

It's called Equi-pet. Not sure if it's exclusive to Ireland, but it's definitely the big pet chain here.

Never heard of that one.

 

[Dandrobates]

I read an interesting article last month (sadly I can’t recall where as I would like to have cited it properly) regarding marketing techniques that big box pet stores utilize. To summarize, the author essentially stated that these stores cater to a key demographic of customers who consistently spend the highest amount of money on a consistent basis. Needless to say, serious exotics keepers (tarantula hobbiests included) are not in that key demographic (Hence the lack of appropriate general and specific exotic husbandry within the stores). Ultimately, the Petco phenomena is never going to go away since the attitude begins at a corporate level and trickles down. The goal after all is to make money and this is how they do it. They opt for animals and products that draw in their key demographic and everything else comes second. Marketing to their core customers also involves a tremendous amount of anthropomorphism and (arguably) it is much easier to anthropomorphize mammals than non mammals. All this being said though, it is possible to find the odd exotics enthusiast employee who does take exceptional care of non mammals but it’s always going to be the exception and not the norm. So to sum it up Petco and Petsmart will in all likelihood always suck.

 

[Paul1126]

Is this Pets at Home, or another company?

I've been to loads of pets at home and not one of them has ever sold any exotics, they do sell live prey though.

 

[Minty]

I've been to loads of pets at home and not one of them has ever sold any exotics, they do sell live prey though.

I haven’t seen them sell anything other than fish, and rodents, in terms of pets, for years.