I've heard many times that it's always better to buy animals from a breeder rather than pet stores. I know I haven't had a very good track record with pet store rabbits recently, and I was wondering what others two-cents are in this regard. What are the pros and cons of each? Have you had personal experience with breeders/pet stores?
Not all breeders can be trusted so you'll have to do your research, decide that the breeder is trustworthy then move on to the next step. This article on about.com lists all the advantages of getting your pet straight from a breeder rather than a pet-store. Log In Apart from getting a good deal at a local pet store, I don't suppose there's any other advantage. . .
Pet stores are extremely unethical. I would never in a million years buy an animal from them. It's very tempting to buy them, just to save them from that system, but then your dollars go to support what they do and I can't do that. I don't agree with breeders either (especially exotic), but if you go that route, do your research and look into them and get your needed proof. Don't just believe what they say, make them work for your money... the reputable ones will make it easy.
There have been undercover video of animals (small animals in particular) that have been sick and were suffering and instead of the getting the medical help they needed the store would choose not to spend the money on them. That's what's really sad. Breeders can be iffy too, it's best to do your research to make sure they're licensed and it would be good to check the conditions that the animals are in before you buy.
With breeders, I think that it would be best to just check out the breeder's place first if the place is conducive to the pet and if the cage is well maintained, no cramping, etc. since it shows if the breeder is concerned about the well-being of the pet. I don't think you can do the same in pet shops though, so do your research first before buying one.
I think it would depend on the animal. There's a reason why pet stores that sell dogs and cats are almost non-existent so that would be a definite no. Since you mentioned rabbits, they could be okay but I am unlikely to buy a rabbit from a pet store anymore. I had many rabbits in my life. They passed on for different reasons but my last rabbit lived a full 6 years and I think it helped that she was from a breeder. It's a small price to pay too if you love rabbits. The most a rabbit will sell for is 30 dollars. There are also usually plenty of rabbits at the shelter. However, I think with animals like a hamster or a lizard, a pet store would be okay. I was sure that breeders for those kinds of animals were very rare anyway and you could only get them in certain areas. Then again I've never looked into that so maybe I'm wrong.
