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Adventures in PetSmart-Land

Dragonling

Dragonling

Doesn't do "casual"
As a recently-hired PetSmart pet care associate, I thought I'd make a thread to jot down some of my experiences working with reptiles in a big box store, particularly through the holidays.

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A lady approached me asking if we had any turtles. I showed her the two painted turtles we have on the floor and told her we also had an African side-necked turtle in new arrivals that would be out by the end of the week. "Well, this is for my son. He's been begging me for some kind of reptile, really want a turtle or a gecko or something." She told me he was 13, so I advised against an aquatic turtle since they require a decent amount of work. I was just about to bring up the ease of caring for corn snakes, when she suddenly paled. "Is...that a snake?" she asked, pointing at a ball python. She threw her hands in the air and backed up several paces, nearly running into the display behind her. "OH NO, I don't want to be NEAR that thing, what if it gets OUT?!" So much for that idea. I tried to redirect her attention to the leopard geckos. She seemed much more comfortable with that idea, but still wouldn't go anywhere near it, or the display case. I advised her to just buy her son some supplies for Christmas and let him pick out his own gecko later on. She was quite happy to pick out a few hides and a water bowl and be on her way.

Later, a guy I'd talked to yesterday about snakes came back in and wanted to check out our striped Cal king. Of course, I had been feeding and handling some rodents just a while earlier and had yet to wash my hands. As soon as I got him out, I knew he was in hunting mode. Since there were a few folks around watching, I didn't try to prevent him from biting. Predictably, he nabbed my finger and coiled it tight. It was a great opportunity to show that 1. baby bites really don't hurt at all, and 2. kings in particular are known for "food aggression" which is really just a case of mistaken identity. I also used the example to gently encourage him to consider getting a corn first before moving up to kings and milks. I had to run him under the tap to get him to let go...he's a strong little guy, and a good eater too! He was quite determined to keep trying to eat my hands, so I finally put him back in his cage. I'll have to remember to clean up before getting into the snake cages again!
 
I've always wondered what it'd be like to work at a PetSmart. I hope you have some more stories to share in the future :)

I always laugh when people are afraid of snakes, but then I remember that I'm terrified of birds. That shuts me up really quick. Lol.
 
Best wishes. Sounds pretty interesting.

I don't even not wash my hands after mouse handling with a corn. It must have been hard not to be able to do that before showing the snake, knowing what was sure to happen.

I think you gave the very best advice humanly possible to that snake-a-phobic lady. If folks only knew that a number of appropriate snake species make the very best pets ever!

I got Dolly at PetSmart when I saw him and fell in love on the spot, and he is/was (I just don't know) a great little snake who I will always love. I still hope...
 
Thanks for sharing your adventures at Petsmart. They were enjoyable. Looking forward to more. I used to be terrified of all snakes
 
DollysMom said:
Best wishes. Sounds pretty interesting.

I don't even not wash my hands after mouse handling with a corn. It must have been hard not to be able to do that before showing the snake, knowing what was sure to happen.
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I honestly just didn't even think about it. It didn't even occur to me that it could be why until later that day. I just knew he was stalking my hand from the get-go. What actually might have triggered him was the milk snake I had held just before that. She musked a bit and some probably got on my hands.

We have a little classic masque hatchling that made me think of Dolly. I hope your little one makes it home safe soon!

Unfortunately nothing eventful happened today, but I was stuck cashiering 90% of the day. All I did in pet care was help a lady get supplies and pick out a pet hamster for her grandson and encourage a very nice couple to adopt a sweet little kitty. Still a good day. :)
 
Thanks for the good wishes for Dolly.

Well whatever the reason for the bite, I'm glad to know you are able to handle it with grace.

Sounds like a day well done to me!

I can't have a cat here due to allergies (dog either), but I always love looking at the adoptable cats at PetSmart. It's something I share with my son.
 
rara1337 said:
I always laugh when people are afraid of snakes, but then I remember that I'm terrified of birds. That shuts me up really quick. Lol.
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It's the same for me in a way lol! While I was working at petland, giving the parrots their meds was a nightmare! I'll gladly take a beating from the texas ratsnake I had.
 
There is a PetsMart near me that I go to quite often.

Lots of people walk their dogs into the store while they shop and the PetsMart folks even encourage this and sometimes give the visiting canines a treat.

So I decided to start carrying Rufus (My Striped Corn Snake) into the store when I go.

He's made lots of friends there. Everybody loves to play with him and hold him, and the reptile Lady there just loves him.
 
Karl_Mcknight said:
There is a PetsMart near me that I go to quite often.

Lots of people walk their dogs into the store while they shop and the PetsMart folks even encourage this and sometimes give the visiting canines a treat.

So I decided to start carrying Rufus (My Striped Corn Snake) into the store when I go.

He's made lots of friends there. Everybody loves to play with him and hold him, and the reptile Lady there just loves him.
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Yeah we have a built in treat holder at the registers. On Monday I saw someone walking a cat around on a leash, but mostly we just get dogs or cats in carriers that were visiting the attached Banfield. Only leashed or caged animals are technically allowed, which rules out most reptiles. Considering that one lady's extreme reaction to seeing an unmoving snake in a locked display, I'd be hesitant to bring a snake to my local PetSmart.
 
What's the difference between a dog walking in on a leash, and a snake being carried in wrapped around its owner's arm? It's not like he's free to squirm into the gerbil cage or the parakeet cage, (Although I'm sure he'd love to and I wouldn't mind it either for that matter).

At any rate, the folks at my local PetsMart love Rufus and always enjoy seeing him.

It's cold here now so I'll have to wait for spring before I can take him back again.
 
Karl_Mcknight said:
What's the difference between a dog walking in on a leash, and a snake being carried in wrapped around its owner's arm? It's not like he's free to squirm into the gerbil cage or the parakeet cage, (Although I'm sure he'd love to and I wouldn't mind it either for that matter).

At any rate, the folks at my local PetsMart love Rufus and always enjoy seeing him.

It's cold here now so I'll have to wait for spring before I can take him back again.
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What do you use to carry him in between? Or a backup if he starts to get fussy? I've brought my snake "on the job" at conventions, but I'd like to have a back up to put her away in that I can carry with me that's not too big a hassle (like her travel cage)
 
I have a "Snake Bag" that I drop him in. It has a draw string top and I just set him on the seat beside me in the Jeep, or I can slip the draw strings around my neck and let him hang close to my chest.
 
A small victory last night: one of the ball pythons on the floor has refused meals for some time, but I finally got him to take a large fuzzy last night. If I'd had more time to work with the other two who refused food, I suspect I might have had some better luck, but I was alone in pet care on a surprisingly busy Monday evening.

My theory is that the only reason they aren't eating half the time is there food is too cool by the time we can offer it. We have no hot water behind the aquariums, only cold, so we have to walk all the way across the store to get a bowl of hot water from the break room. By the time the mice thaw fully, the water is barely tepid. Last night I went and got more hot water to let the mice actually get warm. I went for the thin non-feeder first, who was immediately interested and took the fuzzy from tongs with no hesitation. The second, a pied, also struck eagerly at the warm food. At this point I answered the phone and was paged to bag some fish before returning to feed the other two, and of course the water was tepid again. Both cowered when offered the warmest of the two mice, and being called back to the fish podium once again, I gave up. I was so frustrated, I was tempted to offer two of the fancy mice in new arrivals and just say they had somehow escaped. 9_9

In non-snake-related news, as I walked in the door yesterday a woman ran up to me, "You have to save the bird!" Apparently a budgie had become entangled in loose threads from one of the hanging toys. I pulled the toy down with the bird cupped in my hand (as he gave me many thank-you bites...I still can't believe he didn't draw blood) and as the other pet care associate and I attempted to untangle his feet, we realized some of the threads were actually twisted into his feathers and at least one thread went around his neck. We got him free unharmed and left him to sleep off his adventure with his budgie buddies.

Now, two budgies had escaped the cages on previous occasions, and throughout the day people came up to us asking, "Did you know there's a bird loose in the store??" Yes. We do. Thanks. Well, one lady came up and said there was a bird outside the cage. I told her we knew about it and thanks for being concerned, but she stopped me, "No, he's right there." The last time I'd opened the budgie door, I noticed one bird in particular calling and one of the loose ones answering. I suspect they were fairly bonded, and now the little loose budgie had come back for his friend, clinging to the bottom edge of the glass case. I managed to snatch him up while he was preoccupied with trying to find a way in and returned him to the case. He seemed quite happy to follow his friend around the rest of the day. :) Hopefully we can catch the other one soon. I joked with my coworker that had I been a corn snake, I'd be eating good today!
 
Would you be allowed to bring in a heat gun or hair dryer just to make the mouse warm enough to again right before feeding?
 
That's actually not a bad idea. Another I considered after posting this morning was plugging in a small heat mat and leaving the dried-off thawed mice sitting on it. I may give that a go first.
 
I keep a hair dryer in the reptile room strictly for the very heat activated snakes, though we only have one (GTP) that requires it. Great investment, though!
 
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