I bought a 2 month old female rat on 12/16/09 with a 15 day guarantee. Her name was Alice by the time we got home, and she was very sweet. I fell in love with my precious new baby instantly. The night we got her home, she perched on my shoulder, peeking her head out through my hair just to check what was going on. The sweetest pet I have ever owned.By the time I got to work 12/18/09, my roommate was calling me to tell me something was wrong with Alice. When I got home, her left eye was bulging out of her head, her whole left side was paralyzed. Working for a neurologist, I see stroke patients every day Mon-Fri, and my poor Alice showed the same signs of having suffered a stroke, as a human does. Taking her back to PetCo, I was there arguing with whom I assume was the manager. The treatment this poor rat, and myself received was beyond poor, I was disgusted. Alice could not move her left side, her left eye was bulging out of her head, and she could not move her head well. The assumed manager was also rude and snappish to the employee helping out, who was also a vet technician for fours years, agreeing with me about it being a stroke. Being talked down to by this manager, I felt like a terrible person for bringing Alice back to them. I had even said, I don't care if you don't return my money, just seek medical help for her, put her down. A stroke is un-fixable, there is no way to repair the damage that was done to this poor baby. An hour and a half later, I signed a refund slip, and the nice employee at the cashier volunteered to clock out and take Alice to the vet right then, instead of letting PetCo wait to do it at their convenience.
Calling this morning to check in and see what their vet said, PetCo told me she had suffered internal bleeding and had been put down, stating their vet found it to be because of "improper handling." I do believe I handled Alice quite like I would a newborn infant - with gentle hands and a careful eye as I put her back in her cage. Also, internal bleeding, whether it be a human or an animal, would not have shown such signs if they were internally bleeding, unless it was a bleed in the brain (a hemorrhage stroke.) To say the least, I will never buy another animal or pet product there, EVER. I will also discourage people from shopping there, as well. The service was insulting, and the misery that poor rat - that I had had for only two days - suffered by the manager in that store - save for the sweet cashier who clocked out during her shift to take Alice to the vet - wanting to argue and blame me for state of the rat was despicable.
I can only hope this note reaches enough people, so they are warned against shopping for pets at PetCo.
RIP Alice.
Sincerely,
Brittany - Ocala, Fl
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