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Original poster

Pets at home animals (do they live long)?

58 replies

Timeless10 · 23/09/2021 10:48

Does anybody know if pets at home rabbits live long?
We have a purpose built shed, run etc all kitted out for rabbits (have had many in the past).
No breeders around the area and haven't been for a while (been keeping an eye out locally for ages but nearest is 35miles away and worry about the distance for them in the car journey home).
I've never bought animals from them but have seen a couple in our local store. The only issue is I've heard bad things about their animals being sick and suffering or not living long etc.
So would it be worth risking getting them or would you not bother?
TIA

OP posts:
Hippopotas · 02/10/2021 20:19

My pets at home rabbit died in April at the age of 11 1/2 she had a long full happy healthy life until her final 2 weeks

Tulips15 · 02/10/2021 20:23

Im adopting from our local (45min drive away) rabbit rescue.
Is it worth putting a mention out on local social media pages about any rescues?
I had never heard of ours until I asked on social media.

KilljoysDutch · 02/10/2021 20:37

Considering the attached picture is how their rats are bred I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

Pets at home animals (do they live long)?
Nomoreusernames1244 · 02/10/2021 20:44

I’d also be concerned about the bulk breeding and animal welfare aspect.

We did get a couple of gerbils who had some sort of congenital issue and died after a year or two, compared to the two we got from a local hobby breeder which lasted nearly 5 years.

There are enormous amounts of rabbits and small pets in rescue if you search.

Elzbells · 02/10/2021 20:45

We have had 4 hamsters from PAH. First 2 lived 2 1/2 years each which is good going for the syrian hamster. Current 2 are doing well at 1 and 18 months.

Only issue is that Pansy and Princess developed a massive pair of bollocks each a few months in despite us being assured they were indeed females. And poor Ronnie never found his (hers)!

LoveMySituation · 02/10/2021 21:06

I got a rabbit from PAH. She was on her own, looked miserable and I fell in love with her on sight. I went in over a few weeks, and she was still there, so my boyfriend at the time bought her for me. They told me she was on her own as the others were bullying her.
A few weeks later, she started sneezing. Turned out to be pasturella.Cured her eventually(my vets were useless, I complained about her treatment) So that was probably why she was on her own.
I knew nothing about rabbits the day I got her, I just thought if she was already on her own,it would be OK. She was very loving,would lick my face,and follow me around circling my feet and binkying.So I think she was happy. She died young though, from GI Stasis, I think from the vets(awful) advice to not give her hay.Still miss her,and feel guilty about how her life ended

pinkpirlie · 14/10/2021 21:56

I would never buy an animal from pets at home, but then again I boycott them for everything due to them getting their animals from mills.
People frown upon buying cats and dogs from mills, and should also frown upon other animals.
The risk of getting an animal with genetic or health issue is just so much greater from a mill as opposed to an ethical breeder who carefully pairs the parents for good genetics and temperament.
The only way to stop them selling little ones from mills is to stop buying from them altogether.

Duckypoohs · 14/10/2021 22:05

Our 2 rat girls both lived longer than the breeder pair we got a few months after them, although the breeder pair were much friendlier and better socialised as you would expect.

Passthecake30 · 14/10/2021 22:13

Out rabbit died at 2yrs old. A childminder had gerbils that died within days.

Rescues are the place to go (I’ve seen the light since!)

romdowa · 14/10/2021 22:16

I bought a pair of rats from there and one of them died within a few weeks. It was very sick and badly handled.

Absii · 14/10/2021 22:17

Please look on FB for your local rescue centre or for an unwanted pet. So many animals in need of homes: just no need to support breeding and selling. You'll feel so good knowing you've helped a bun find a home. X

liveforsummer · 14/10/2021 22:45

The animals in our local pets at home stores always look pretty alert and healthy. I have some veterinary experience including exotics that includes the rabbits gpigs as well as lizards and snakes and while conditions in the stores aren't ideal especially for the snakes I don't see why the majority can't go on to be healthy pets with a natural life span.

Angelbaby1985 · 15/10/2021 02:27

Worked for pah for a while the animals in the rehoming section are just animals that never sold before the next lot came in but given story's ie owners had to give them up , there delivered in crates /tubs and its take your pick remember g pigs coming in and all had no teeth others hamsters had no legs whole lot killed was shocking

BooseysMom · 20/10/2021 03:54

Got my hamster from there. Poor thing only lasted a couple of months. I was heartbroken.

That's so sad. We got our Syrian from there and he didn't quite make a year. We suspect a congenital condition. He was adorable. We got another from the same place but had to return her for adoption. My DS just didn't get along with her as she urinated absolutely everywhere and would jump out of our hands constantly on to the floor. The original one we had from there was a one-off, very friendly and calm. We were told it was because he was male and females are far more temperamental. So pah said they wouldn't sell us another for a few weeks so we went to another branch that had absolutely no problem with selling us a male that we asked for. The girl was lovely and very understanding and gave us great advice. (It was Cheltenham) We even got a follow up phone call.

BooseysMom · 20/10/2021 03:57

@pinkpirlie. I had no idea about the mills. I would prefer not to buy from them but where else trustworthy could we get hamsters?

pinkpirlie · 20/10/2021 08:28

@BooseysMom
There are several more ethical breeders around the country.
Alternatively there are hundreds of little ones in rescues.
Where abouts are you located? I can suggest some options.

Maxstrong · 22/10/2021 12:02

I got 2 guinea pigs from PAH 6 years ago. They are very friendly and have never been sick or had any problems.

BooseysMom · 24/10/2021 09:29

@pinkpirlie.. Thank you. We are in the Midlands, Worcestershire

pinkpirlie · 24/10/2021 10:00

@BooseysMom
How random. We are also in Worcestershire.

There is a lovely breeder in Alcester, called Lilliput Hams. There is also Jean Tye in Bath, she is TriStar hamstery.

If you would like a rescue, in Kidderminster there is Greatfield Animal Rescue or in Gloucester there is happy.paws.rodent.rescue (insta handle).

I would recommend getting in touch with Lilliput in Alcester. You may need to wait a couple of months but she has regular pups.

If you want to know more about how hamsters should be bred, I would highly recommend looking up Strong Brew Hams. They are based in Canada (so no good for getting one from), but they are very ethical and have lots of interesting information on genetics and breeding.

BooseysMom · 24/10/2021 17:22

@pinkpirlie... that's a coincidence you're in Worcs too! Thank you for the suggestions

kitcat15 · 24/10/2021 17:28

We had a hamster from there which died 36 hours later....tbf they did swap it for one which lived 2 years

Annabelle69 · 24/10/2021 21:49

Please do not support Pets at Home. If you don't know what a Rodent Mill is, and you'd like to see where many of their small pets come from, google image it, it's heartbreaking. I volunteer in animal rescue and we are constantly having to undo all the terrible advice PAH staff give out. They keep us extremely busy. There is not a single cage or item of housing that is large enough for any of the animals they sell. Please try your local rescues first.

pinkpirlie · 25/10/2021 21:56

@BooseysMom
Lilliput's recent litter of Syrians....
fb.watch/8SQQ7y8glx/

BooseysMom · 26/10/2021 02:50

@pinkpirlie.. oh adorable! Thank you for posting. We nearly got a Syrian tortoiseshell with beautiful and v unusual markings for PaH hamsters from the Cheltenham store. There was a black one too when we went. Usually at our local store they only have the standard golden. DS opted for a long-haired white.. he's called him Snowball. The girl there was really helpful and knowledgeable about hamsters.

Nat6999 · 26/10/2021 04:21

Our first 3 hamsters lived reasonably long lives,
Hamster 1 18 months
Hamster 2 2.5 years
Hamster 3 15 months

The last 2 we had
Hamster 4 6 months, we suspect he died from a stomach full of plastic as he ate his way out of 3 cages
Hamster 5 6 weeks we found her dead one morning after taking her to the vets the day before with discharge from her eyes.

All 5 hamsters were from Pets at Home, I suspect their breeding conditions aren't good & despite their assurances that hamsters are regularly handled think they aren't as our last 2 were impossible to handle, we are experienced Hamster owners.

Miniature lop rabbit 19 months, woke up to find him dead in his cage, had been well cared for, allowed out of cage all day & only put back in cage at bedtime, fed as instructed by vet, had been vaccinated & neutered at 6 months.