My local mom and pop shop knows me. I used to supply some baby rabbits and finches. I went in to buy my hamster. I knew I wanted a hamster but I didn't know which one I wanted or if I wanted a dwarf or a syrian. So they showed me where the tanks were and told me to take as long as I wanted. I was able to open each tank and handle as many hammies as I wanted before I picked one out. They will let anyone do this as long as they watch you handle the animals and see that you know what you are doing. They are very friendly in there, honestly I will never buy an animal from a chain pet store. The animals raised for chain pet stores are kept in terrible conditions in puppy mill type places before they are finally shipped off to petco/petsmart. I have gone in petco and seen completely bald finches from being overcrowded.