The Pet Store Chronicles

[rothenb1]

Hi all,

I (unfortunately) work at chain pet store, where we sell rodents, birds, ferrets, rabbits, arachnids, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. My official title is "animal caretaker." Being the "animal person," a lot of people ask me questions about their pets.

There are some things that I get asked that either make me want to cry, or laugh hysterically. I'd like to share some of these encounters with people who would appreciate it

I'd like to start a little journal, and update every time I encounter something ridiculous.

Hope you all get a laugh! However, sometimes, you might get frustrated or even saddened (I must admit, I have somewhat lost my faith in humanity because of this job).

[rothenb1]

I'd like to start with something funny-- probably the most hysterical thing that has ever happened to me at the store.

This is roughly how it happened (almost 8 months ago).

A man comes in, very determined:

Man: I want the chinchilla and the iguana.
Me: OK, well, do you have everything you need to house each of them?
Man: I need something really big.
Me: Well, yes, that is true for both the chinchilla and iguana. The iguana can get very big. The chinchilla just needs a lot of room. Let me show you something for the iguana, then I'll show you what you will need for the chinchilla.
Man: What do you mean? I'm going to put them together.
Me: *mouth drops open* What??
Man: I saw it on Dora the Explorer! They are both from South America! I am going to make *man spreads his arms and legs wide* AN ECOSYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!
Me: WHAT??!!

I don't exactly remember how I talked him out of it, but he left with nothing.

[souly]

That is....just awesome.

Not pet store related..but...

Man comes up to me.
"Hey i'm thinking of getting one of the those Wii systems. Can it play xbox 360 games?" I just kinda stare....

[annageckos]

I use to work in a pet store so I have a few of these stories myself. A common one was people asking for african chicklets. One woman who was afraid of fish. She would get crickets for her lizards and would not come through the fish room to get to the small animal area. And my favorite. Invisible fish. When ever we had an empty tank someone would ask want was in it, so we would say "invisible fish, see." "oh, yeah! I see them!"

[candice&jeff]

LOL Keep em comin guys! Great idea for a thread!

[HeatherB]

chicklets....ahaha
Amazon biotope. Like on Dora. How old is this guy? Thats even worse than buying your kid a damation b/c you all saw 101 Dalmations, or a guinea pig from GForce!!!

Invisible fish!!! ROFLMAO!!!

[EmmanuelJB]

lol! This is going to be fun to follow!

[souly]

lol! This is going to be fun to follow!

GF says this from her pet store:

"Do the dogs actually have to mate for the female to get pregnant, I mean does the doggie have to be penetrated for her to get pregnant? or can she get it from just being near another one?"

[rothenb1]

Here's a goodie that I just remembered from about a month ago.

We had just received a shipment of glass catfish, and they were labeled "ghost glass catfish." A customer came up to me and asked this. He had to be about 30 years old.


Man: Why are these fish called ghost?? Are they dead??

[jackson17]

For the well- being of our world, I wish these were fake lmao. But some people out there are just..... (I'll leave it at that)