PetSmart vs. Petco

[CookieNCream]

When it comes to rabbit food/equipment/toys/etc, which is better: PetSmart or Petco?

Please take into account availability, prices, quality, etc. Thanks! :thanks:

 

[katt]

i don't know about prices, it think they are generally the same

but i won't shop at a petco. . .for this reason:

they sell salt water fish (and i am not sure if they are wild caught or captive bred)

the ones i have been to don't work with rescue's like petsmart does

they sell many different types of animals like ferrets and rabbits (while petsmart only sells a small amount of animal breeds)

i also like that petsmart's sex policy. . .they only carry male smallpets, they are easier to tell the sex then females and they don't breedin the store, or create the problem of a male and female being sold toa home that only wanted 2 females or 2 males. . .i don't know whatpetco's policy is and if it is the same or not.

i don't buy animals from petsmart, but i take their care and sales into account of where i shop

there also isn't a petco located near me, there was both petsmart andpetco down in muskegon, but up here, i only have a petsmart!

 

[Tabitha]

I prefer Petsmart. Petco is moreexpensive and doesn't care near as many products as Petsmart.Also Petsmart is always willing to help you find a product you needeven if they don't carry it themselves. Petco smells badlyeverytime i go in, quit obvious they don't clean and disinfect the cagedaily. The animals in Petsmart are always moving around and alert butin Petco they are always sleeping.

I have both a Petsmart and Petco right across the road from me but I only shop at Petsmart.

 

[JadeIcing]

I think it depends on where you are located.

 

[bluebird]

The Petco here is way too expensive.The petsmartis cheaper and they do notsell rabbits.I get most of mysupplies at shows or feedstores.bluebird

 

[naturestee]

I rarely buy rabbit toys at petstores. There's a few I get (and bird toys work well too),but I get the best stuff at craft stores, dollar stores, and Pier 1.

Petco has Martins which makes decent pellets, as well as Kaytee TimothyComplete. The only pellet I'd buy at Petsmart is KayteeTimothy Complete. But timothy pellets are for adult rabbits,not growing babies. IMO the best pellets for baby rabbits arefound at feed stores. They're much cheaper, too, and feedstores often carry wood pellet litter which is the best and leastexpensive rabbit litter I've ever found.

And I wouldn't buy cages from either store, ever, unless they were bigdog crates or puppy pens. Although Katt did find a coolhutch, but it's only online.

 

[golfdiva]

Can I place a write in vote?

I like the V.I.Pets store near my workplace. I starteddealing with them when I got turtles and they were very knowlegable,(It is difficult to find people who know about keeping turtles!) andhelpful. The turtles they sold were not kept in OPTIMALconditions, but considering they should be there only temporarily, theywere well kept.

They sell ferrets, rabbits and etc. As with the turts, theconditions aren't optimal, but good as temporary housing. Themales and females are housed separately.

They sell a nice variety of food and equipment for allspecies. But they came down a peg when I went to buy food formy new baby rabbit. I asked a sales girl what was recommendedfor a baby. She pointed out several options, and then (OOPS!:disgust:') said the stuff with seeds was the best because itwas the most fortified!hwell:maybe she was new there!

BTW they had rabbit pellets (w/o the other "stuff") that were either alfafa based or timothy based.

 

[maherwoman]

I agree. Though there are many ofother types of stores near us (even a geek store that sells dice androle-playing game accessories...we frequent it, hehe!), there aren't awhole heck of a lot of pet stores. We have the choice of aplace called Lots of Pets (which has our favorite type of water bottle,but that's about it in the small animal department, though they have aNICE cat section, with good selection...so we go there for the kitties'things) or Petco (which has a NICE small animal section...GOODvariety).

So, though there are things about either store that I don't like, wedon't have the availability to shop elsewhere (because those are theONLY two petstores we've found within a reasonable distance from home),and sometimes you just can't wait for something you've purchased online(nor can we always afford the shipping).

So yeah, depends mostly on the location.

OH!! I can't believe I almost forgot!! We also buybunny things (mostly apple branches and various toys) from BunnyLuvcloseby in Van Nuys. GREAT place...not a huge selection, butall the right stuff...and you can spend some time with the bunnies,too! They have this huge group of bunnies that are allbonded, and you can sit right down in the pen with them...it's so muchfun!!

I think BunnyLuv's site should be added to the resource listings...infact, let me see about adding them...they're WORTH IT.

JadeIcing wrote:

I think it depends on where you are located.

 

[missyscove]

I don't have a petsmart nearby. Mypetco does not have many of the issues others list. Ofcourse, ferrets are illegal here. They don't sell bunnieseither. Resuces come every saturday. They have goodpricing and good selection.

However, for bunny stuff, I love the Red Barn, the feed store near myhouse. They don't sell any animals other than chicks, butthey have great stuff.

 

[CookieNCream]

I just found out that while for 24 oz of timothy hay petsmart charges $3 something while petco charges $6 something!!!

I ain't goin to Petco, not in my budget.

 

[hunnybunny63]

as i live in the uk we have neither here but imnot sure if i like the idea of petstores only have one sex of animals!what if you particually wanted 2 female or just one and what happens toall the females?

 

[caramel]

have these shops got a web site. would loveto see what products and toys you guys have access to in the US cosover here i've only found one proper pet shop called pets at home thatsupply things for rabbits and they are quite expensive and dont have avery selective range

CookieNCream wrote:

When it comes torabbit food/equipment/toys/etc, which is better: PetSmart or Petco?

Please take into account availability, prices, quality, etc. Thanks! :thanks:

 

[hunnybunny63]

caramel wrote:

have these shops got a web site. would love to see whatproducts and toys you guys have access to in the US cos over here i'veonly found one proper pet shop called pets at home that supply thingsfor rabbits and they are quite expensive and dont have a very selectiverange

CookieNCream wrote:

When it comes torabbit food/equipment/toys/etc, which is better: PetSmart or Petco?

Please take into account availability, prices, quality, etc. Thanks! :thanks:

i have found lots of good petshops near me and even more on theinterent. i find it depends what you are looking for to know which shopto go to!

 

[caramel]

now down her incardiff there is only pets at home and tesco but neither do a very bigselection of things like toys, i've bought her a load of toys off anamerican website but i was also looking for a new hutch as she isgrowing out of her but the ones at pets at home are a little on theexpensive side

 

[hunnybunny63]

caramel wrote:

now down her in cardiff thereis only pets at home and tesco but neither do a very big selection ofthings like toys, i've bought her a load of toys off an americanwebsite but i was also looking for a new hutch as she is growing out ofher but the ones at pets at home are a little on the expensiveside

im not sure what is more expencive but i recently boguht a hutch fromthe happy hutch company and they sell big hutches, good quality andthey deliver them within a few days!

 

[caramel]

have they got a website hun, if so can you please post the link for me ta

 

[Bunman]

The shelters are bursting at the seams withunwanted rabs (& other species), so i can't see any good reasonfor buying them from a pet store. I think we need to do more to makepeople aware of the shelter option.

I get most supplies (basically hay) from Agway. They are cheaper& have a bigger selection than the local pet shop. I have toorder Oxbow Bunny Basics T.