Poor pet store employee behavior...

[Nakiska]

So today while I had a few moments I once again, decided to stop in the pet store while waiting for my son at the Doctor who is only a block away.

I've been in this pet store quite a few times and I don't like it, per say, I just go there to browse around and kill time...many of the birds are kept in cages smaller then the average parakeet cage. 6-8 Finches kept in little 12x12's, a dozen keets in a 18x18 and a quaker in a keet cage...just not good. Don't seem to have a very high sell rate as many of the same birds have been there, month after month.

When I inquired about the Quaker a couple months ago ($259.00) I asked if he/she was tame at all. Employee said, No...it's evil...had him out cleaning his cage and he walked up and took a chunk out of her leg. I was like...Hmmmm....

So anyway's...today...one of the employee's was training a new employee...and I seriously couldn't believe this...she said to him in an exhasperated tone...

"And this little brat get's apple pieces everyday. It was raised this way totally spoiled and will throw a huge fit if it don't get the stupid apple."

I thought...HOW RUDE! Really??? Calling the GCC a "Little Brat"

And as I'm telling myself...nooo...you can't save 'em all...walk out of the store...not your problem...I thought, if I was training that employee...I'd be explaining how IMPORTANT fresh fruits and veggies are to birds and the benefits of feeding a well rounded diet...and I'd NEVER call ANY of the animals "little brats." I know she could have said worse, but it really got under my skin.

As most of you know by now, we have our YSGCC Franklin and love him to bits. He has given us such joy and laughter and most of all unconditional love and it saddens me to know that this poor GCC has been in that store for a couple months now that I know of ($229.00) and is definitely NOT getting even the slightest amount of attention and mental and emotional stimulation it needs to be a happy, well adjusted, overall healthy bird. Same with the quaker.

It's EVERYTHING I can do, NOT to go buy them both out of pitty.

Well, thanks for reading...I just had to vent as this really irked me today.

Toni

 

[sixshades]

Aw, we call all our loves brats, because they're loved and spoiled, and do bratty things that we usually find adorable. x3

Maybe she didn't mean it in a hateful manner? At least they're giving them fresh fruit!

 

[Conurekidd]

I call my birds brats all the time. There all brats. all 5 of em lol.
But never in the manner this employee was acting. That's just sad and just plain rude!!

 

[darkling]

I call Pi names all the time but I mean it with love. snot muffin, brat bird, little monster, little punk, etc

Pet stores aren't meant to be permanent homes so yeah, they do tend to cram a lot of animals into small spaces. Unfortunately there usually isn't enough staff on hand to handle all the animals individually either so you do end up with totally untamed critters.

 

[Nakiska]

I suppose so...but the tone in her voice made me believe otherwise...she just had that demeaner about her I guess...



I totally understand calling our babies spoilt brats and so on...but this just seemed different to me. I know that these birds aren't tame, they certainly don't ever display the goofy, fun, acrobatic ways of the conures I know. At least not when I've been in the store, they just sit there, seemingly numb to all that goes on around them.

Oh well, I just have to keep myself from going there anymore. But I'm such a softie who apparently loves to torchure myself. hahahahaha!!

((((rolls my eyes))))

Toni

 

[Steph]

Well yeah, we call our babies brats in a loving way. She was saying it spitefully and that is not okay!!

 

[Nakiska]

I just feel like if they are a pet store, in the business of SELLING PETS then she should be more respectful of them overall...if I was an employee there...and I used to work in a pet store...although you don't have time for individual attention to each and every pet...you can talk nicely to them. I mean when I cleaned cages and fed the birds, I was all about telling them how pretty they were, how are you, whatcha doing, it's okay, oh soo pretty, are you hungry, want some apple - and so forth. Remembering always that potential customers ARE listening.

I mean, other than feeling sorry for the conure and the quaker...I have NO desire to purchase any of their birds. They are all dull and seemingly with no personality. I'm sure they're depressed and sad to be in such conditions for so long. And if the only time they are being spoken to or about it's in rude tone...why should they care. I can totally understand their unhappiness. I've been in this pet store probably 8 times in the last 3 months and each time I've seen no positive interaction toward any of the birds.

I've been hoping they find a forever home soon...because I have to keep telling myself, I really can not save them all! LOLOLOL!!

Toni

 

[AmazonServant]

On the plus side, I suppose you don't have to worry about them selling these birds to people who have no idea what they're in for and will just end up getting rid of them after they start biting and screaming. At least they're not lying to customers about the "tameness" of the birds? I find it sad when pets stores sell parrots because it's disturbing seeing parrots sold at some all-purpose mart, where you can go in there for dog treats and come out having bought a bird on a whim. Whenever I'm killing time looking at birds in pet stores, I tend to notice that they are not very well socialized and don't seem like they'd make very good pets. So it's sad to know that the birds that require more attention and experience to handle are the ones going to the least prepared homes ):

 

[Nakiska]

On the plus side, I suppose you don't have to worry about them selling these birds to people who have no idea what they're in for and will just end up getting rid of them after they start biting and screaming. At least they're not lying to customers about the "tameness" of the birds? I find it sad when pets stores sell parrots because it's disturbing seeing parrots sold at some all-purpose mart, where you can go in there for dog treats and come out having bought a bird on a whim. Whenever I'm killing time looking at birds in pet stores, I tend to notice that they are not very well socialized and don't seem like they'd make very good pets. So it's sad to know that the birds that require more attention and experience to handle are the ones going to the least prepared homes ):

Well, this is true, I agree. It's too bad not all pet people are "educated pet people" before they decide on a whim, "Awwww...let's buy a bird!" :20: I DID purchase all our birds from a chain pet store, (not this store that I'm complaining about)...and all our birds were at different levels of tameness when we purchased them. Our first was just hand tame, step on your finger and sit there...nothing more, our 2nd was absolutely NOT tame at all, not even sit on your finger for a split second, our 3rd is our conure and he was handfed and raised and he was - OMG stuck on you like glue acrobat! LOLOL

I had had a bird years ago, a tiel and prior to that a couple keets...so I knew about the birds I was getting myself into. Our family is so enriched with these birds, it's just amazing! Our tiel's are soo sweet! And our male, the once wild, take a chunk out of our finger freak, is now sweet as pie and talking up a storm and developing quite a vocabulary! And I can't put words to the joy our conure has brought to us.

Anyway, I guess my point to my post was just, I felt this employee could have been a bit more considerate of her tone...it's like...if she'd have said, in a higher, cooing type, loving tone "aaand this little brat get's apple slices everyday" I wouldn't have become irked...but the snotty, I hate this bird, I hate all birds, as a matter of fact, I hate my job exhasperated tone "And THIS LITTLE BRAT get's apple slices every day" That irked me...because these poor birds didn't ask to be placed in THAT type of environment.

Maybe I should look on the bright side...maybe she was training the guy taking her place I can only hope!

Toni

 

[kitt]

I applaud you on being a bigger person then me....if I had heard that conversation I'm sure I would have had to say something......
It is sad that people can't look at things differently.....that she had to put a preset idea into someones head of the bird being a brat.....let people make their own judgements....
I bet she would be an awesome bird for someone.

 

[Xenthius]

I would recommend talking to the manager/owner of the pet store. Probably best thing is to be polite about it, let them know you owned by several parrots (perhaps not that way) and you were concerned at the employees actions. Perhaps the employee wasn't trained properly, and perhaps that particular employee should be working with animals.

 

[xreinx]

I know how you feel! I useto deal with people like that all the time! (quit my job, but is still on call for the shelter)

people think being Firm with a dog meant hitting them, and they always asked "why" when you tried to explain to them that these birds were a Bonded pair... Oh and I love the People who hate cats and walk in asking "why so many cats?!! they are disgusting creatures, get rid of them and make room for dogs!"

Id not even bother with the manager, believe me, they know about it by now. Call the city shelter and ask for a wellfare check.

IT is the best thing you can do for those poor birds, think of it this way, you can save them all At once! By law, you need to give birds enough space so they can spread their wings and flap without touching the cage walls, or other birds. if they cant, then they are too crowded.
Current Law and Suggested Approaches to Improving Captive Bird Welfare

it says right there.