Lied to?

**Logan** · 04-30-2003, 01:14 PM

She did prove it, PCB, a couple of times!!! LOL!!!!

**zanzanfergie** · 05-01-2003, 06:32 AM

My guinea pig, Maverick was sold to us as a little girl - my sweet Maeve!
It's not that they lied, I think it was an honest mistake - and it wasn't that I didn't know how to sex them either, because I do, even though it's sometimes difficult. It's just that we never had reason to doubt them so I never checked. I mean, they had a 'boy hutch' and a 'girl hutch'...we picked out Maeve and Garrison from the girl hutch and that was that. Until ten weeks later, of course

**RogueFerret** · 05-01-2003, 11:24 AM

When I got my first ferret Gambit(RB) I got into an argument at the pet store because they kept telling me he was a she. Ferrets are really easy to sex and it proved to me that them people didn't know anything.

They also told me he was mean and he was the sweetest little guy, they didn't know that he was just trying to play with them. He was pet of the day some years back. There's a link at the bottom to his special day.

My mom had two birds that they messed up on sexing them, but birds are really hard to sex. We didn't realize Buddy the cockatiel was a girl untill she laid eggs. I hear snakes are really hard to sex too, but I've never had one, so I don't know for sure.

Gambit

**Chinadoll** · 05-01-2003, 12:04 PM

Lied to about sex of pet...no...about anything else YES!

All started with Lu, a baby ferret separated from the other ferts because of a biting problem.

When I asked why she was separated, they said she bites and..
Lie #1 someone was working with her on the biting.
After talking to 3 managers, they all told me a different story and it was quite obvious no one was working with the ferret.

First said they were sending her back. I said they'll put her to sleep(which I know for a fact because the place they got her from is a closed colony and once a ferret leaves, it does not come back)

Lie #2 No they won't put her to sleep..the guy that distributes the ferts keeps the problem ones and breeds them.
Outright Lie! Marshall Farms ferrets do not leave for the stores until they are altered. Plus, who in their right mind would breed an animal with behavior problems even if you fix it?!

When I called them on it...
Lie #3 they assured me they would keep her until she sold.
I'm so sure she is going to sell with DO NOT TOUCH!!! BITES!!! plastered all over the cage.

After much arguing with the store about her care...or lack thereof...they finally gave her to me. Wouldn't you know, with a little work, Lu is the sweetest most spoiled fert I have. Would never bite a soul. All she had to do was get over her fear of people...she was terrified of people...now she's wonderful.

That pet store cringes whenever I walk in to check on the ferts.

**RogueFerret** · 05-11-2003, 10:33 AM

Chinadoll, the pet store did me the exact same way with my Rogue.

It didn't happen to be a Super Petz store did it? It's been my experiance that none of them people know a freaking thing about ferrets.

**shellonabeach** · 05-11-2003, 11:34 AM

Once - with my first gerbil (I knew nothing at the time about them) the man on the stall said it was a male. It was the only one left and we needed to get it a companion. So the gerbil and I went to the local rescue centre - no gerbils but they did double check what sex it was - they verified (2 people) it was a male.

So the next day we got him a male companion from another store and introduced them just fine. However the next day gerbil number 2, Nibbler, was very sick - my vet said he had Tyzzers which was highly contagious so he was separated from gerbil number 1. Nibb was only given a 5% chance of survival, my whole family helped me hand feed him every 2 hours and our lounge was like a sauna to keep him warm. By the time he was fully recovered and ready to go back with number 1 a month had passed. Re-introductions via a split cage went well and they were back together.

By now they were tamer and I could hold them, looking at their bits I could tell a distinct difference in the maturing gerbils - number 1 who was male according to 3 people was actually a female - my vet confirmed it. So they were again separated and Nibb the true male neutered. He and the "old cow" (Miss Piggy!!) have lived together happily for a year now.

It did teach me a lot, having one of each meant that I can usually sex a gerbil without even having to pick it up, the difference is rather obvious!!!! I was annoyed that the rescue centre got it wrong, but then I think it was fate that meant we got Nibb and he survived (my vet said the chances of any other gerbils in the shop surviving was nil).

**allanimalswelcome** · 05-11-2003, 11:43 AM

I have! My mom wanted a female anole for our male and TWICE this lady gave us a male. If she didn't know she could've said so but no had to make us drive back and forth and result in the death of one of the males because our male didn't tolerate him very well

~Rachel