Our goal: For Petco to hold itself to the standards it sets for potential owners.  

Petco has been failing to meet their own advertised care standards for too long, and  that needs to change. Ferrets on display at Petco, are: 

• Being inhumanely kept in unsuitable, cramped enclosures that compromise their health.
• Exposed to paper bedding that causes upper respiratory infections. 
• Given water bottles that they struggle to drink from, and which are known to damage their teeth, as their ONLY water source, and more.

In addition to their living conditions, thousands of ferrets are being sold to owners who are being given harmful misinformation, or not being informed at all in regards to:  

• Their ferret’s care and/or health; the need to have an exotic veterinarian for them to be seen at a clinic. Exotic veterinarians incur a higher charge for office visits by virtue of your pet being an exotic animal. 
• The level of care, attention and basic social interaction ferrets require to be happy and healthy.
• What kind of bedding is appropriate/safe for them to use, and more. 

By simply upholding the standards posted on their own website, the lives of the ferrets in their care would be substantially better.  We want Petco to hold themselves accountable for their actions; to follow their own advice, and care for the ferrets they are responsible for. We want policy and POG changes that will enhance the quality of these young ferret’s stay with Petco.  We want Petco to set a good example for future ferret owners, because actions speak louder than words. 

Petco has some amazing employees who go above and beyond, using every tool they are given to care for these kits properly. They also have some employees that are just trying to do their jobs, and don’t know what to watch for. We want Petco to have: 

•  Updated education on basic care, as well as identifying injury or illness.  
• The tools and knowledge to properly assist a potential owner, and spot health concerns as quickly as possible.  
• Accurate information regarding the care level of a ferret, including their social interaction needs, exotic vet requirement, and dietary needs. 

Ferrets are weasels, not rodents, and they need to be displayed away from the rodent section of the store. Keeping them in the same section causes unnecessary stress on both species, and inaccurate assumptions for prospective owners. Petco is housing a predator next to/up against their prey. Moving the ferrets to another section of the store would alleviate this stress. This can also help stop the misconception that ferrets are “low maintenance” pets.  

Currently, Petco has the ferret care level labeled as average. This is simply untrue, and incredibly misleading. Ferrets require a large amount of space, high quality(high protein) food, an exotic veterinarian and much more. Owning a ferret is not a choice that should be made lightly, and Petco should be informing potential owners of these facts.  

As of when this petition is being written, there are “premium” labeled, but not actual high-quality food options within the store for ferrets. We are asking for them to stock higher quality ingredient ferret foods. Petco has released a list of ingredients they will be removing from their shelves. We want ferret food to be included in this store expectation.  

We would love for Petco to take more pride in their Ferret display cases. The current widely used display cases are not ferret safe for the following reasons: 

•  Glass enclosures do not allow for adequate ventilation, which leads to ferrets overheating. They should be in a wire enclosure, as recommended in the Petco ferret care sheet.  
• The combination of glass enclosures and hanging water bottles that ferrets currently have in Petco stores cause many ferrets to struggle to even get a drink of water, because their paws slip on the smooth walls while propping themselves up to reach the bottle. Dehydration is a real danger to the ferret’s health because of these bottles. Again, ferrets are weasels, not rodents, and should be treated accordingly. 
• The paper bedding used in Petco display cases, cause upper respiratory infections, and is often eaten by the ferrets living in the enclosure. Eating the paper bedding can cause deadly bowel obstructions. 
• Wet food given to the ferrets at Petco is often left out all day, when it should only be left for up to 2 hours before being at least rehydrated. Old, crusty food causes stomach aches and diarrhea. 
• Too many ferrets, with not enough space. A single ferret needs an enclosure that is a minimum of 3’x3’x2’, in order to have enough space to be comfortable. When five or more ferrets are kept in a cramped enclosure, upper respiratory infections, ear mites, and other ailments get passed back and forth. 

We would like to see their arrangement include more levels (area space) for climbing, sleeping, playing, etc, and proper ventilation structurally. Inside of the ferrets living area, proper bedding should be used. Soft blankets are a good alternative to the paper bedding. The ferrets also need a bowl that allows them to easily access their water for proper hydration. There need to be stricter policies for the care of the food being offered as it is often left out for too long, or not hydrated properly.  

These young ferrets deserve better care and their future owners deserve more information before adopting. So many new owners learn the basic care of a ferret from the standard Petco employee. Petco has the ability to make a huge difference in ferret care and stigma. Unfortunately, until now, Petco has only been adding to the serious consequences of our society being under-educated and led to assume ferrets are stinky, rabid, savage rodents. However, we believe that Petco can change this image, by properly educating their staff about these intelligent, energetic, mischievous little creatures.  

We are their voice. We are here to make a change for these innocent animals.  

WE WANT CHANGE.  

#PetcoDoBetter #AVoiceForTheFerrets #WeaselsnotRodents #StopPretendingThisIsOkay

More information, including personal stories with pictures and videos at our facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PetcoDoBetter/

**** We have been seeing a lot of comments on this petition that we would like to speak with the writers about! If you have a story/experience with Petco that you feel is important Please contact us. We can be reached through our Facebook page, Sarah's personal Facebook and Twitter account and The email Petco.Do.Better@gmail.com! Your stories are what keeps our movement in motion! We believe every story is important!!****