Puppies 'N Love

Today, my family and I went to a mall to visit a pet store my father told me he sees when he goes on his runs. The store was called Puppies 'N Love and the first thing you'd notice is that there was dogs in the window of the store.

Yup, dogs in a window. Like they are fancy items to lure you in. And then you go into the store. The cages are tiny for puppies, completely unacceptable. The floors of the cages were uncomfortable and the dogs tried their hardest to stay off of it. They gave the dogs blankets, but they didn't cover the entire floor.

The dogs, to me, looked like they were generally unhealthy and unhappy. There was one that didn't move the entire time we were there. When we were there, I saw at least two other people who looked like they were there to check out the treatment of the animals. 

They had stickers up that said that they could guarantee that the dogs didn't come from puppy mills. They also had up signs about the breeders they got the dogs from (which I'm 80% sure is a lie, both of them). The employee sounded like she was saying that often the dogs get returned, then noticed that we looked shocked and started to say instead that customers came back for more dogs. Which leads me to my next point:

PUPPIES ARE NOT IMPULSE PURCHASES! You don't go to a pet store for a toy and say, "eh, might as well get another dog!"

Overall, even if the dogs looked like they were healthy and happy, I would try to put a stop to this store. They blatantly lie, and never before have I seen a store that genuinely made me feel sick. But this one did. It made me sick to my stomach to look at those innocent puppies that were in tiny cages with flooring that would hurt their paws. It made me sick to look at those dogs in the front window, treated as nothing more than future money.

If you ever see a Puppies 'N Love, please don't shop there. The animals are treated horribly, and no matter the justifications or lies it isn't okay.

The Low-Maintenance Pet

A few months back (around the time Mira P. got her rats) I also got a few rats as well. It was a pretty tough decision because we wanted them to be absolutely healthy, and happy. So we decided to get them from a rat breeder (little did we know about  rat shelters). We did hardcore research and even measured cages to see what would fit them best. I guess all the work was worth it, but in the end the rats are usually sitting on shoulders or laying on your lap. They are not playing with any fancy toys, they are playing with their brothers.

This is a reason why I appreciate rats so much! They would rather be social. Lots of people want social pets, but they overlook rats because of their tails and think of them as sewer rats (even though they have been raised and bred by humans since the 18th or 19th century) and instead they choose dogs. But the problem with that is dog are lots of hard work and aren't a very good first pet, that's why so many of them in shelters. People can not handle dogs. But rats are a lot like dogs, they are social and so friendly. When I open the rat cage the rats come running up to me and start licking my hand. They love being with you and being handled. Rats can be trained, and also potty trained as well. They are also low maintenance pets.

So please, the next time you want a pet... at least consider a rat. They are fantastic pets, and are a perfect first pet.

Thank you, Miranda J.

Puppy Mills and Pet Stores

by Mira P.

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! Tomorrow is 2013. Crazy, right?

So, pet stores. That is, pretty much, the entire reason I started Tiny Cages. I'll admit, at times, I just think, "Hey! This pet store's pretty good!" I just e-mailed PetCo and alerted them to their less-then-good treatment of their small animals (and the attitude of their employees). 

They e-mailed back with a polite "our pet treatment is very good. The animals are happy. We've told your PetCo about your complaints". It was the average reply. It was very nice and polite, and they actually almost fooled me into believing "hey! Why not shop here? They're nice!"

And then I'm reminded of why I started Tiny Cages - because of tiny cages! Regardless of how well they treat their animals, the cage size is unacceptable. In fact, pretty much just selling the animal is unacceptable. They rarely, if ever, come from happy places. Hosting an adoption event every once in a while would be fantastic! That is how, I believe, they should do it. That would be humane and a good idea.
 
There are so many animals in shelters that are good pets, are wonderful, loyal, and fun pets. Someone, I can't remember who, I apologize, said that shelter animals are viewed as "damaged goods" - when it's not like that at all! They are wonderful, but sometimes get the short end of the stick. 

A while ago, there was an ad that played on TV. It showed a man driving up in a truck, throwing a bone out the window. Then the dog ran after it, and the man drove away. The dog said something like "I'm not a bad dog. He's just a jerk!" Then they added some humor to it, having the dog pick up something and say, "I have his wallet!" And I think that's exactly right. They're not bad dogs, they had bad owners.

I am a bit ignorant, I must say, on this subject, as I am too sensitive to look it up, but I am quite sure most pet stores dogs come from puppy mills. And, if you don't know, puppy mills are extremely cruel places where dogs are forced to mate and make babies. The babies are sold in pet stores. They're kept in small and filthy cages and often undernourished and unhealthy. Puppy mills are the ultimate "tiny cages". 

However, in the USA, they are still legal.  Why? I have no idea. If everyone pools together, I'm sure that one day, puppy mills will become illegal. And, of course, that won't stop some of them - but if we all manage to shut down one, just one, it will have made a big impact on dog's lives - and our lives. Humans and other animals should be able to live in harmony together, but we can't if we keep ignoring them, ignoring the fact that they can feel pain, happiness, and lots of other things some people view as "human emotions". And we can stop it. If humans can put it together, humans can stop it, too.

It is my opinion that pet stores shouldn't sell animals. If they truly loved them like they say they do, they would not sell them. My favorite pet store, PetClub, actually says they don't sell animals because they love them. I very strongly recommend trying to find a pet store like that. 

It may seem to you like a waste of time - after all, what's one person not buying anything from a huge chain of stores? But one person CAN make a difference. Think about it. All those times you go there, you're giving them money. Sure, PetCo and Petsmart (is it Pet-Smart or Pets-Mart? Will we ever know?) are huge and one person doesn't affect them, but one person affects another. Then another. And maybe you will prove to a lot of people that they can do better in terms of giving their money to good organizations.  

One last thing, (and I hope this doesn't come across as offensive to anyone; please alert me if it did) it may seem to you that your pet store is very good - the employees are friendly, their pets are healthy, and their prices are good. But please think about where their pets are coming from. Puppy mills, unhappy places? Is your money contributing to that? And how about their cage size? Is it large enough? 

Thank you all, and have a wonderful new year! Oh, and a P.S., check out the Humane Society's attempt to stop puppy mills. Everyone can help and make a difference - it's true! 

Happy Holidays!

 by Mira P.

Hello, everyone! Well, New Years is right around the corner, and then the holidays for 2012 are over. How was your guy's holidays? Which holidays do you celebrate? 

For Christmas for us this year, we got all of our pets some gifts. I don't think the rats knew what was happening (and they slept most of Christmas day), but Daxter, our dog, was very happy with his turn-out. 

We got Daxter a bone, a Kong toy (the type where you stick a treat inside of it and the dog has to dig it out - Daxter goes crazy for them!), some filler for the toy, and some Christmas dog cookies. He was really happy, and he ran around all day afterwards, sniffing to see if anything else was for him. Our grandmother came over later and gave him two squeak toys and a ball, so his Christmas was definitely very good.

For the rats, Buster and Gob, we got a new blanket for their cage (they love blankets), some bad rat treats (only at Christmastime!) that I'm pretty sure Buster likes . . . I don't think Gob knows what to do with them, and finally, some balls. They aren't really a fan of the balls, which I'm almost glad for, because the balls make a lot of noise. My small animals have never enjoyed their toys; our guinea pigs don't like any chew toys or other types, my first hamster, Rosetta, NEVER liked any toy or chewy thing I gave her (and then she chewed on the bars of her cage at night) and now the rats! I need some fun animals.

We didn't get much for the guinea pigs, just some blocks of timothy hay. I'm unfortunately allergic to them, so I didn't go back in to see if they liked it, but they seemed very interested when I first plopped them in there with them. My mother is allergic to the hay, so I did it instead of her.

Are you guys excited for 2013? It still feels weird to me - I feel like it just turned into 2012! Which is unusual, since, being the twelve-year-old, I'm generally not the one who thinks that. I'm glad the world didn't end! Haha.

So, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, a wonderful end of year and a wonderful new year. 2013 - wow!

Why I'm A Vegan

By Hanna vB

(WARNING: PG if you're very sensitive)

I'm vegan because I love animals.

Vegan means that I don't eat any dairy products. No meat, no cheese, no butter, no milk, and no eggs. To me, eating cheese, butter, or milk is like taking the baby cow's food. First of all, most people force their cows to mate. Then, when the baby is born, they take it away from it's mother. And, most likely, they kill the baby cow and make it into some kind of meat.

Then they milk the mother (most likely with a machine) and they make the cheese, butter and milk. I don't know the full story on chickens and their eggs, so I won't say much.

And now, the pigs. I, personally, think that pigs are adorable. I don't know why anybody would eat them. They're kept in very small cages, with all their feces. They sometimes attack each other. Almost always these animals are fed hormones.

There are other things you can eat. Beans, grains, and fake meat . There are also fake cheeses and butters.

Oh, Rats! Update

By Mira P. (with new font!)

So, a few blog posts ago, I got two new rats, boys named Buster and Gob (pronounced "Jobe"), though they were previously named "Willy & Wonka".

I described their traits and personalities, but I had gotten them recently and didn't go into too much detail, so how about an update on how they're doing? (I can't upload any pictures, though, I apologize)

Gob is a little bit of a pain in the butt, but he's worth it. My mother and I take him and Buster up to my (rat-proofed) room for play-time, for at least an hour, sometimes more, and he always climbs up on my bedside table. It's not safe, since it contains many little toys and a lamp, so I always have to pick him up and take him down twenty times. 

He likes to be tickled, though. Mostly around his neck and his belly. He'll always put his mouth on my finger, but he never bites (he doesn't have that problem when I look like food, though). He also rides on my mother and I's (or is it me's?) shoulders more.  

Buster kind of reminds me of the brother of the spaztic one, the one who's always like *sigh*, Gob, stop it. He's a little less active and easily-entertained than Gob, but when he's up in my room he bounces around happily. He's a dumbo (did I mention that in my last post about them?) which means his ears are rounder on on the side of his head, which I think is adorable. My mom isn't too keen on his ears, though.

He loves cheese, but he isn't too big of a fan of anything else. Cheese is the only thing it seems like he likes. Gob, on the other hand, will eat anything, but he especially loves pasta. He does this bouncy run when he gets some.

They seem to squabble a lot, though - kind of sad. They love each other, though, you can tell. They'll snuggle together in their hammock, and Buster likes to groom Gob. It's kind of sad, though, Buster wants Gob to groom him, but Gob is so clueless, he doesn't know.

The last thing I want to say, I had to delete my last Tiny Cages gmail account, so my new one is tinycages2@gmail.com. Thanks!

PETA

By Mira P.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is an extremely well-known animal rights activist group. Before I get to writing anything else, one thing I want you to know is that this is an opinion post, which means I may post something that you disagree with or are offended by. Please let me (Mira) know in the comments section if anything did offend you.

I am not a fan of PETA, at all. I think they are obnoxious, and they go too far. They once handed out (I think; if I got anything wrong, feel free to tell me) disturbing "happy meals" to children to show them the cruelties of McDonald's, or maybe just eating meat in general, I don't know. Then another time they handed out flyers to children going to see a play, I believe, who have mothers and fathers who wear fur. Now, I absolutely hate it when people wear fur, but jeez, don't traumatize the kid - it's not their fault.

And another time, a more popular instance, is when they made a billboard that said "Save the whales. Lose the blubber: go vegetarian", and depicted a large woman in a bikini. If it didn't mean to purposefully, it accidentally calls overweight people "whales".

They have a few other billboards, though the other ones I've seen are less offensive. There's one that says "Boycott the circus", which I mostly agree with. I'm pretty sure that the circus does not treat the animals fairly or humanely - the only weird thing is that there's a naked woman on it (she's covered by her legs and body position, but still).

They've also made "parodies" (if that's the word) of video games, like Cooking Mama and Pokemon. In the PETA Cooking Mama, in the first part, you're basically cruelly and strangely killing and cooking a turkey, in a very unrealistic way (with evil Mama). In the second part, Mama goes vegan and turns into Good Mama, and proceeds to cook a tofu turkey. So the moral of the game? If you're not vegetarian, you're an awful person.

The other one was Pokemon, as I stated before. Now, how you can think of Pokemon as they apparently did is completely beyond me, but they managed to think of it as abuse, I guess. I haven't researched it much, but that's what I remember. I'm definitely not a fan of Pokemon (excuse me for not being able to put the accent-thingy on the "e") but I always assumed that the Pokemon just shrunk when they went into the Pokeballs . . . I didn't think there was a full sized animal (or whatever Pokemon are) in a tiny ball like that.

So for me, PETA isn't good and is actually anti-helpful to the cause of preventing animal cruelty. I've seen way more "eating a steak for PETA" than "I think PETA's doing good". And why put other animals before humans? I don't think you should put humans before animals, but animals aren't worth more. We're all equal, in my eyes.