Fin & Feather Pet Center, Inc.

Reviews 5

A

A Private User

Like a few other reviewers I began shopping at Fin and Feather because a. they sold a premium brand food for my pet rats b. it is a convenient location for me and c. I like to support our locally owned businesses. Unfortunately, I will not be going back unless some changes are made. Ive been disappointed in the way this store has kept its pets for sale in the past but today I was saddened by what I saw. I spent most of my visit in the rodent room. I understand some of the mice are sold as feeder mice and therefore it is acceptable (in some schools of thought) to keep a large quantity of mice per cage. I personally would not feed these mice to a pet snake. The mice I saw were not healthy. They are kept in dirty glass cages with about 20+ a cage, in sawdust bedding that badly needed changing. There was a dead mouse in one of the cages that looked like it had been there for a while. There were flies swarming the room. Rats were housed with babies in the same cage as 12 or more rats (even as a breeder I would not do this just to ensure the prosperity of the litter-no mother with pups should be in the same cage as other rats because, among other reasons, there is a high possibility of filicide by the males) All the animals that were housed together with the exception of a few gerbils were kept in glass cages with too many animals per cage, even for pet store standards. Guineas were 4-5 to a cage suitable for 1 or 2, Rats were in cages with at least 15 other rats. The cleanliness of these cages was unacceptable. As you can imagine, a small room with about 70-80 rodents can be smelly, and it was. Needlessly so. During my previous visit there was a mouse continuously running in circles. Loose birds in the bird room. Bird cages were a mess. (and I know birds can be messy. These were clearly not frequently tended) Reptile cages needed cleaning. Ferret cage was filthy and housed too many ferrets. This is all a great shame because the customer service has been decent and they have a good selection of food and accessories. The conditions of the cages and the animals there will keep me away until they decide to try a little harder for the well being of the animals. I believe that the employees have pride in where they work but it would be beneficial if they showed it in the way they care for their animals. That would speak for itself in spite of bad reviews. Per previous reviews I would suggest that if it becomes too difficult to care for so many animals in one shop there should not be that many in the first place. There are other pet stores that keep the place clean. It can be done. I will also note that they do sell designer breeds of puppies here. I cannot verify who their breeders are. I didnt ask. I dont usually write reviews on Google unless Im strongly compelled to. The visit to Fin and Feather today made me want to come home and write this one ASAP.

---

A

A Corbin

New to Richmond and looking for a local business to support for my dogs and parrots needs. I was going to spend this weekend building a whole new set indoor set-up for my bird and went to the store excited to stock up on all new toys and perches. When I entered the store, an overwhelming smell smacked me in the face. I then entered the small room in which they keep their birds and was appalled! The birds themselves looked healthy, and I appreciate that the babies are being hand-fed by employees, but their cages were FILTHY! The cages are stacked, so bird waste falls into the cages below, and layers of crusted-on waste covered practically every inch of every enclosure. I felt so sorry for these poor animals - they have very delicate respiratory systems and the amount of dust and waste is detrimental to their health. I understand that they may not have the manpower to clean as well or as often as theyd like, as one would see in a more corporate setting, but one can tell that the animals cleanliness had been neglected for a long time. I didnt take the time to check out some of the other animals enclosures, but I can imagine theyre just as bad. Otherwise, they have a great selection of items at reasonable prices, but I cannot in good conscience support a business that cares so little for the animals that bring them their profits. They unfortunately lost a large sale today.

---

JO

Joseph Ciszek

These other comments reflect a sharp divide between those who thought that this store was fantastic and those who thought the living conditions of the pets were deplorable. I fall closer to the latter viewpoint. The conditions for the small mammals are particularly shocking The rats and hamsters are packed in tightly to the cages with not even a wheel or ball to occupy themselves. One glass enclosure was badly cracked and the smell was horrid. In their defense, it is possible that the owners of this small, local business are well intentioned and merely have a differing view on acceptable living conditions for an animal. Admittedly, some of the issues are cosmetic and easily explained by the absence of large corporate backing that a chain would have. I am certain that behind the scenes at some major pet stores an even worse condition could be witnessed. But while some of the sections appeared well attended to, such as the fish tanks, the overall appearance of the live animals in this store show a clear lack of empathy. I wanted to like this store because they really do have a great selection of exotic animals and some unique products. But like visiting a meat processing plant, this store will leave you feeling depressed, possibly guilty, and hoping that your own purchasing habits have not supported this environment.

---

SA

Sara Martinson

I had never been into a Fin and Feather but I had always heard good things. So I went to the Lakeside location today for the first time and was disgusted. The building itself was in very rough shape and the staff was not friendly at all. The cages were all small and cramped for the animals they had and none of the animals seemed to be very lively... that is the ones that were actually alive. I made my way to the fish room to find tanks of fish with dead and live fish together. This one poor fish swam into the body of a dead fish! There was also many dead roaches on the floor and a dead fish on the floor! There were multiple betta fish that were also dead closer to the check out area that wete labeled "fancy fish". The scorpions and spiders are kept in the smallest, cramped Tupperware like containers that look like something you would put dressing in for a salad. The rodent cages didnt seem very clean either and smelled terrible. I couldnt get out of there fast enough since I was trying to fight the urge to confront someone about the awful conditions. I never leave reviews but I feel it necessary to warn anyone who loves animals to not go there.

---

RA

Rather LiveInKeyWest

We have had fish tanks for about 25 years, both salt and fresh water. Upon moving here in 2001 we searched for good local establishments to help us start up our tanks here. Fin & Feather was such a place; they had very good fish selection and they had a pond/garden branch of their business right next door. This was great as the pond/garden folks helped us setup UV water sterilization for our larger tanks, which helps keep disease and algae under control. As the years went by, I think that the pond/garden portion of the business was converted to an animal hospital. We went there one day looking for advice and new UV gear, but the pond center seemingly was not there. Additionally, the selection of fish (we like freshwater rainbows) seemed spotty at best, and the aquarium knowledge level of the seemingly ever-changing youthful staff was not up to what we needed. It is a nice, small local store with a good selection of treats, toys, animal food and accessories that might have exactly what you need. If you are looking for a starter fish tank kit and starter fish, I would definitely stop by here as part of your research effort.

---

---